A Bit of Red and Hopper

Edward Hopper (who incidentally died one day day before I was born) created numerable enduring and iconic images of America with his paintings and I have long been a great admirer of his work. Many of his paintings show single individual figures, captured in a moment's isolated loneliness in an urban setting. Yet other picture celebrate the urban settings themselves, and his particular mix of simplicity and emotional poetry in colour has very much influenced the way I often see things like streets and buildings, especially when in America. I suppose you could say this photograph is a kind of homage to Hooper –the clean simplicity is there, and the bold colour; perhaps the loneliness too, though to have been truly "Hopperian" I wish there had been someone leaning against the red wall enjoying a cigarette. Aside from the striking red walls, I like the low buildings themselves and the sprawl of telephone wires above creating a sort of jungle-like canopy. The telephone pole itself is almost exactly dead centre, which as a motive is something one should be a bit wary of in a photograph, but I think it works, not dominating the picture too much thanks to the brightness of those two red walls. The windows are interesting too. Location: Hollywood, Ca., USA

Little People Amassed

Here's a rather fun piece of urban art from central Oslo that many people probably pass by on a daily basis without really realising what they're missing, because you have to get down to ground level to fully appreciate the wit and intricacy of this splendid installation. From above you don't really see the details or individuality of these tiny people, just a mass of odd-looking protrusions in the pavement that may be mistaken for plants, or a special kind of slab or a drainage system. I always stop when I pass this spot and am constantly intrigued by the slightly anarchic nature of the sculpture. And contrary to what one may think it is certainly robust -you can even walk over it without injuring or damaging the figures, for they are packed so densely together that they form almost a single entity, just like a real crowd does. There are echoes of the famous Chinese terra cotta warriors, and of "united we stand" workers (the people seem from this angle to be carrying the paving slabs, but the piece seems less political than quirky The "real" person walking past in the background puts the figures into some sort of perspective but it's difficult to see their true size here because I deliberately wanted them to appear bigger and consequently photographed the installation from ground level. Each of the figures is in fact perhaps two or three inches high. I like to think of them coming alive when nobody is around, but that's just me! Location: Oslo, Norway

Platform Scene

Train stations never cease to fascinate me and of all places to photograph, they are probably my favourite, for there is almost always something of interest going on, and even if there is not the stations themselves lend themselves to inspiring our imagination with their combination of history, functionality and sense of adventure, discovery and romance. As a photographer (and sometimes as a traveller), a quiet station is as magical as a busy one is invigorating, especially, I find, those with glass roofs. When the sun shines through the often dusty or grimy panes of many of these stations the patterns cast onto the platforms below such as here create a sort of spider's web look. This can sometimes be dramatic and even chilling, but here the muted effect is benign, and this is enhanced by the "friendliness" of the yellow truck. This contrasts pleasantly with the red vending machine behind it and the distant figures between show that the station isn't completely empty. Also, the doors to the train are still open, enticing us in... All aboard, please! Location: Brighton, England