Boat at Sunset

A peaceful image – the water is calm, the sky is kind, and the rays of dipping sun catch the side of this boat in the canal that surrounds the Altstadt of Lübeck. I was so captivated by the boat that I failed to notice the man standing next to it, but his face glows with the same benign light as that on the boat, and rather makes the picture for me, making up for a slight lack of focus. A few minutes later the sun went down and the magical effect of the "golden time" was gone. Location: Lübeck, Germany

The Opera House in Oslo

Many visitors to Oslo are delighted to be able to climb up the sloped roof of Oslo's magnificent opera house and it is a very popular spot to take pictures, with the fjord in the background, and fun views of the city. Much of the front view is a bit of an eyesore due to extensive construction work, but on the other side –where this picture was taken– there is more peace. The opera itself probably looks best when seen at an angle, but here I wanted particularly to capture the small boats in the foreground, and was particularly struck by the flashes of colour here. I also liked the moody clouds over the building – fitting perhaps for opera! Location: Oslo, Norway

Remembering July 22nd 2011

Four years ago today a huge bomb went off outside the Norwegian government's cluster of buildings in central Oslo, killing several people – just part of a horrific day that culminated with the shooting of dozens of young people on an island not far from the capital. It was a day that shocked Norway and left deep scars on all of Norwegian life, affecting everyone in some way. Tragic as the island massacre was, it was the bomb in the centre of town that affected me personally the most, because I used to live only a couple of hundred yards from where the explosion occured, and from my kitchen window I could see over to the building that was targeted. I walked past there almost daily. Fortunately, I was not there that fateful day; but I so easily could have been. I saw the damage afterwards. It was enormous – In the street where I used to live and the surrounding area, there was glass from hundreds of shattered windows, and there was a sense of numbed shock hanging in the air the morning after. It lasted a long time. I have visited the area many times afterwards; it affects me profoundly each time. Now, four years have passed, and though much damage has been repaired, the whole government area is undergoing a very long-winded process of rejuvenation, with dramatic reconstruction work transforming buildings – in some cases rebuilding them completely. I took this picture some months ago, looking up at the main government building after it had been completely gutted and hung with a provisional covering (the current covering creates an illusion of windows similar to the original facade). I took the photograph from approximately the spot where the van filled with explosives was parked. It is a expression of feelings and thoughts that seems to demand a simple but striking image. The determined trace-line of the plane high above expresses (for me at least) moving forward, away from painful memories. Location: Oslo, Norway

If You Have a Sweet Tooth...

There's something about candy, lollipops, sweets – especially if they are just out of reach, or behind firmly closed windows. I don't think one has to be a child to be drawn into the hypnotizing world of such treats – we are all attracted to colour and patterns, and temptation is easily awakened. For me the temptation was more to photograph than to indulge - except in my imagination. But had this window been open... Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Close Up

I fancied a bit of colour today, to brighten up a rather grey afternoon. These could be wires or pipes, but they're actually a tin of coloured pencils that have somehow survived into my adulthood – pencils seem to last forever, anyway. I didn't include the points, but if I had one would see which pencils had been most used. After taking this picture I set about taking close-up photographs of all sorts of other colourful things I found lying about in my art drawer – I'll post some of them in the future, a need for brightness and colour is called for!

Mountain Water

I think I’ll let this photograph speak for itself – it’s from the mountain countryside of my favourite part of Norway, and makes me want to head straight up there. I will do soon, but in the meantime I’ll find peace in such a picture. Location: Valdres, Norway

Putney Bridge

Another entry in my series depicting bridges over the River Thames – one day I'll hopefully have photographed them all. This is Putney Bridge –perhaps not as well known as some of the other bridges further downstream, but rather a nice one – with its gentle slope, wide, graceful arches and ornate lamps. The picture was taken at low tide, and numerous birds are feasting on the rich, wet banks –but these birds are good at disguise, and only a few can be seen. If you are a careful observer of my pictures you will recognize the trademark double-decker bus that appears on most of my bridge pictures from London. In this case I had to wait a long time for a bus to come along, without it being blocked by other large vehicles on the bridge. Once I had taken the picture, however, a whole fleet of double-deckerss came along –which is typical. The sky is a bit moody and there's a brisk wind, but I find the image to be quite peaceful, and evocative of this charming part of the capital. Location: London, England

Letterboxes Sunning Themselves

Summer. A time for painting and sunbathing – or perhaps both; certainly the postboxes here seem to be lounging nonchalantly in the sun. It's probably just my imagination but I often see "things" as people - perhaps I've been in the sun too much myself! Several things intrigued me here, mostly just the somewhat unusual sight of abandoned handiwork. There were no people about but there is a lid from a yellow paint tin -why? And where is the accompanying tin? Had someone opened it and discovered they had got the wrong colour and gone off to complain? Or is the fence actually being replaced? The boards to the rear are untreated and appear to be new. I don't know; it doesn't really matter. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for everything, and I was just passing by -and attracted by the colours, especially the yellow lid on the grass. Location: Oslo, Norway

Beached Fishing Boats

The beach at Hastings on the southern coast of England is famous for its fishing boats, its clinkers, and for the way the boats are dragged by wires onto the beach after they have come in and unloaded. For the rest of the day they stand about on the pebbles - dozens of them; it's an odd but fascinating scene - boats out of the water are somehow rather compelling. Here I wanted to photograph them against the blue of the sky – a substitute for the sea– so I shot this low, right from the water's edge quite late in the day when the light was not too harsh. All is quiet now, but one can hopefully imagine the sounds of the boats in action, and the smell of fish. In a few hours the boats will be out again... Location: Hastings, England