King's Cross Station

One thing that really appeals to me is interiors that break with traditional straight-line design and that embrace an organic, curved aesthetic. Computer technology has allowed for such extravagances, creating models built on mathematical paradigms that both please a desire for symmetry and economy, and creature bold, adventurous spaces. Train stations have always been one of my favourite places to be, because they are cathedrals of buzzing excitement, centres of activity and cores of far-reaching dreams of travel (more so than even airports). So I was thrilled to visit the new King's Cross station, shortly after it opened, to discover its amazing interior. Originally built in 1852, it somehow fused the old and the new together in a highly pleasing and exciting way. For me, it was another futuristic experience, where even the humdrum experience of waiting for a train took on a dramatic, theatrical expression. Though the people here are ostensibly looking at the departures board, I feel many of them (like me) are just as much admiring the glorious ceiling above, feeling a little that travel again has the thrill of a heightened experience. Location: London, England

A Little Bizarre

Standing atop the impressive new central library in Birmingham I felt like I had been transported into the future –the kind of future that one was given to believe twenty or thirty years ago in illustrations of how cities would look in 2000, 2010 and beyond. Then, I was captivated by images of flying cars, curved buildings in the clouds and futuristic design. So I was rather disappointed when the future "arrived" and things were, by and large, pretty much the same as they were before –certainly seldom as dramatic in style as our past claimed they would be. But occasionally one does get a glimpse of such an environment, where visionary designers and architects have embraced the future dreams of the past and created wildly exciting buildings. Birmingham has the surreal new Bullring building, and now its grand central library. Here, on one of the roof terraces, one has tremendous views of Britain's "Second City", but at the same time there is the feeling of being in a garden or park. Apart from the unusual wall decorations the thing that fascinated me most was the contraption for cleaning the windows. My imagination saw it as a kind of mechanical praying mantis, a strange robotic sentinel lurking in the grass and looming over passers by. This fanciful but benign image delighted me, especially the little hole that creates a eye in the creature's "face". Location: Birmingham, England

In steps of Vertigo

With this picture I'm adding a new label –movie locations. Ever since I first saw Vertigo I have been fascinated with San Francisco, and when I finally had the chance to visit that beautiful city one of the things I was determined to do was to seek out the locations featured in the film. Though it had been made in the late 1950s most of the places were almost unnervingly the same 50 years later –which of course increased my fascination and made the film come even more alive. Here, at the edge of Fort Point just below the Golden Gate, Kim Novak's character threw herself into the bay, only to be rescued by James Stewart. When I saw the film originally I assumed that the bridge view was a vast painted backdrop –it somehow seemed too surreal in colour and perspective. But it wasn't, it was perfectly real. Yet I felt the same sense of surreality when I took this picture –making it as close as I could to the original shot. The only difference from 1958 was that a fence had been erected at the edge of the fort. I can take no credit for composing the shot –that was after all done by Hitchcock and his cinematographer, but I was nonetheless thrilled with the result. Even without Kim Novak. Location: San Francisco, USA

Hearts for Valentine's Day

In the grounds of Oslo Cathedral there is a large heart on a pole. I believe it appeared after the terrible terrorist tragedy that befell Norway in July 2011. At that time the space around the cathedral was turned into an ever-growing field of flowers, placed there by people in condolence. The heart stood above all these flowers, expressing perhaps a shared need for love. The flowers are gone now, but the heart remains, and has itself become something of a landmark in Oslo –embracing an even wider message than its original intention. And today, on St. Valentine's, it seemed appropriate to post it here. The original photograph in vibrant colour seemed very autumnal, so I played about a bit with the image and created the black and white version, but with the heart standing out in red. But it seemed rather lonely, so I joined the two images, and thus we have two pictures, two hearts, but one united image. I hope on this day your own true heart cherishes, and is cherished, in a similar way. Location: Oslo, Norway

Mime Critic?

You don't often see street mimes these days –at least not compared to the past when they seemed to be on every street in Europe. Now you're more likely to see human statues or jugglers. Perhaps mime moved elsewhere? Or just went out of fashion? Or perhaps it was looks like the one on the face of the man walking past this white-faced entertainer that sent them scurrying. I was delighted to capture the line of communication between the mime and the elderly man -their look and the body language. The mime seems to be beckoning him, perhaps to take part in his act, but the man is having none of it and I love the suspicious look on his face.There's really a double performance going on here. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the old man didn't cast any money into the pot on the bag as he passed! Location: Amsterdam, Holland

Portland Facade

I have always loved photographs of provincial America, especially those of the 1920s to 1940s. They so often feature iconic labels, mostly of cigarettes or soft drinks, that give them both a contemporary placing and a timeless flavour. I think I was trying to emulate such pictures when I took this one close to the quayside in Portland, Maine. I was fascinated by the brightly painted wooden facades that managed to look both new and old at the same time. And the Coca Cola sign was almost too good to be true, with its smears of running rust. Ideally there should have been an old sea dog sitting on the wooden sidewalk, but this was too cold a day even for the staunchest sailor. My camera was playing up because of the cold, so it's rather too blurred for my liking, but I am in a nostalgic mood, and so posting it anyway. Location: Portland, Maine

More Fog Lifting!

Well, technically not fog this time, but mist. Here it is lifting peacefully from the water of a mountain lake on one of those incredibly still, quiet mornings that I think only can be experienced in the Norwegian countryside. Once again the sepia version seems to capture the atmosphere and beauty of the moment best. I was indeed fortunate to have this as my bedroom view last summer. Now, in the midst of winter, the lake is frozen over and deep snow covers the entire landscape –beautiful in a different way. I like here the relationship of the two young trees, standing a little apart like shy sweethearts at a dance, with the whole symphony of nature's beauty warming up behind them. The reflections and the various pools of light are pleasing too. Location, Valdres, Norway

Fog Lifting

I took this picture in December on a visit to the little village in Norfolk where I was born. This is the view from the back of the village church. It was around ten in the morning and a thick, low fog had been lingering over the countryside, giving it a mysterious but rather romantic look. The sun was, however, itching to break through, so there was plenty of soft light above the fog and I was eager to get some pictures before "normal" conditions resumed. I was quite pleased with this one as one can almost feel the fog lifting, revealing little by little further layers of trees and hedges, and with the ever-brighter sun almost bursting through. There is movement and serenity. The trees and the contrast with the fog came out particularly well in sepia, and reinforced the whimsical and dream-like state I felt I was in by returning to my birthplace, just a few hundred yards from this spot. Location: Swanton Morley, England

The Small Print!

This just made me smile a bit –obviously it's not a brilliantly beautiful picture, but taking snapshots of amusing things is also part of the joy of photography. It's also very down-to-earth, which I particularly like as I quickly get frustrated with vast menus with tiny writing and a strange, dandified language that bears little resemblance to anything used in normal life. The huge writing that fills each page is daringly charming, as are the inevitable mistakes that one finds in almost any translated menu. I was hungry, so it was an easy choice –and the food was of course delicious -and I didn't need reading glasses to order the meal! Location: Corfu, Greece

Sunbathing Alligator

We had been out on the bayou for quite some time on a slow-moving, low-draughted river boat. The water was slugish and covered with green..something or other, so that traversing it was like sliding across a strange lawn. There were numerous logs floating about, and every time a new one appeared someone would shout "Alligator!" and we would all look down excitedly, only to be fooled again, though sometimes the distinction was none too clear. But then, just as the sun came out properly, I caught sight of the real thing – marvellously "louche" and spread over a fallen tree trunk. I was captivated because it was the first alligator I had seen in the wild. He (or maybe she) eyed us with mild disinterest while I busily took my pictures. I saw several other alligators that day, but none seemed so relaxed or commanding than this one. I was later told that it was just a young one... Location: Louisiana, USA

Winter in the Park

Another photograph from my local park, which also happens to be one of Norway's most visited attractions. On hot summer days people flock here for sunbathing and picnics, or to swim in the nearby pools. But even in winter there is a steady stream of visitors from all around the world, most of them keen to see the dozens of statues that line the park's central avenue and the unique monument known as the monolith that depicts the struggle for life, made up of figures of men and women clambering upwards. The park is a delight at any time of the year, and the perfect place for a Sunday walk. It must also be Norway's most photographed place, and I am guilty of having taken many, many pictures there over the years. One more cannot hurt! On this particular afternoon the light was rather wistful, with light snow wafting in the air, until it turned to heavy snow shortly after. The few spots of bright colour somehow draw us into the picture and I love the multitude of relationships that can be envisgaed in the way the various people are walking or standing. And amusingly roles are reversed since here it is the statues who are doing the observing, nakedly looking down on the warmly dressed visitors. Location: Oslo, Norway