Snow in the Hood

Many people believe that Norway is a country that is always covered with snow. This may be true of certain parts of it, but it is certainly not the case in Oslo, and especially not this winter. It has been mild and grey and dull most of the time, and though some grumble that it's "not like it used to be" others have rejoiced over being able to walk to the shops without having to dress as for an Arctic expedition. I myself am in two minds about snow. I think it's marvellous when it's falling and when it's fresh and brightens up the otherwise dark days of winter, and of course I like the photographic opportunities it affords. But when you have to wade through slushy streets, or traverse slippery pavements where old snow has frozen over, then I curse and growl and long for nothing but the warmth of summer. This weekend, Oslo did have snow, and for a short time it looked as if "king winter" had really arrived. Yet, as I write now, just a couple of days later, there is nothing left of it, and we are back to the dull grey dampness of the past weeks. Here's a shot from my "hood" - the streets of Briskeby in Oslo. This area originally comprised mostly of wooden houses similar to the one seen on the left here; it is one of only a few that now are left. In the 1890s, as Oslo expanded, larger brick buildings were constructed like the one on the corner. A bakery once used to occupy the building behind, as can be seen from the chimney stack. Later still more modern buildings were constructed, making this area close to the centre of Oslo a quirky, pleasant jumble of old and new. And it looks particularly quaint with the snow ... in a way it's a pity that it's all gone. Location: Oslo, Norway

Way to Nashville

I'm always curiously more attracted by buildings that are decayed than shining, new constructions. perhaps it's because they inevitably have more of a story to tell, having a connection to the past that may suggest ups and downs, a piece of history or dreams once realised but now passed on, or left to smoulder away. And there's something strangely beautiful and poignant about crumbling walls, faded signs and dusty windows. At least that's how I see it. These particular buildings -which I photographed from a train that kindly slowed down at this particular point on its long journey to Chicago- are not really all that decrepit, not yet; but they are heading that way; for all I know they may now have been pulled down, or rehabilitated, but I was eager to capture them at this moment. I've rendered the picture in a slightly dirty sepia bordering on faded monochrome because I have been an avid devotee of many of history's great photographic journeymen and then capturing of out-of-the way America; many of them in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It's their influence that informs this picture, and though I am far less skilled than them, through devouring their work a little of their spirit has worn off on me! Location: Tennessee, USA

Another Lane with a Twist

This is a recent photograph that I am particularly proud of, for it not only captures exactly the mood and atmosphere of a particular place at a particular moment, but I found all the elements of light, composition and theme came together to create an image that is both pleasing, interesting and a little enigmatic. I took it early on a slightly misty morning in the small Norfolk town where I grew up. As a child, I passed up and down this lane hundreds of times, and always felt at this particular spot that I was in a kind of tunnel due to the overhanging trees. Perhaps there were more trees back then, and the houses in the background were certainly not there. Even earlier, a train line crossed where the metal fence now stands, but this was ripped up long ago. Now, all is quiet. What I really like about the shot is the bend in the path, the little twist. It makes the lane so much more interesting -just as life itself sometimes brings along little twists that need to be negotiated. Our path is seldom straight, but it keeps on going. I also like the textures of the various fences and the general "greenness" of the image. In spring and summer this lane will be lush and verdant, but on this particular (English) winter's day it has a special hue of its own. Location: Dereham, England