Winter sun

With the sun low in the sky during much of the winter (at least here in Oslo) one sometimes experiences almost blinding dazzledness (–or dazzling blindness?) when the shafts of sunlight sweep down city streets. Here the sun catches the otherwise humdrum wooden boardings around a building under renovation, creating a wonderful golden wall that has a kind of magic quality to it. On an cold day like the one the picture was taken, this glow gives a kind of warmth –at least inside; and walking along the boarding becomes an exalted experience!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Train Departure

The Amtrak train leaves the Main Street station of Richmond on a damp autumn afternoon, crawling like a segmented snake into the mist. Above, a bewildering mass of wires, cables and lines. Anyone who knows me knows that one of my greatest passions is trains and travelling on them. They can sometimes be elusive things to capture interestingly in a photograph though. What I liked here was the fact that we see so much of the train because the track is curved at this point and each carriage (or car, if you prefer) is shown at a slightly different angle to the next one, giving the picture a more interesting slant. The man about to cross the tracks gives the picture a human dimension, contrasting with the frightening technological aspect of the lines and cables above.

Location: Richmond, Virginia, USA

AutumnGate

It's autumn and as I write snow has started to fall. But in this picture there is merely a frost, sprinkling the fallen leaves with a white, crisp powder. The sun hangs low but bright in the sky, creating some theatrical effects. But here it's the gate that is in focus. Quite often, gates look imposing and even threatening when closed, but these ones, though simple and rather grimy, seem quite benign.Perhaps it's the glint of sun that gives some of the slats an almost magical edge or the graceful curve of the gate's top. Somehow it seems to be inviting us in –or should that perhaps be: luring us in?!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Civil War Graves

Sometimes, I feel commenting on a picture is unnecessary because an image is perfectly capable of speaking for itself. And such is the case here.

Location: Williamsburg, Virginia, USA

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 15

Yes, with autumn now upon us and temperatures dropping daily like the leaves from the trees, we once again come across single gloves and mittens that have taken upon themselves to wander freely, away from their owners, to seek a better (or at least different) existence in parks, on benches and at street corners. This rather dirty specimen has at least found a place in the sun...

Location: Oslo, Norway

Blue Reflection

I like buildings that are not afraid to be bold with colour. Just because the material is conventional and the form functional, there is no need for greyness –which is sadly the default "colour" of so many modern structures. This particular building is a sports hall, and its setting by a large pond gives its colour the opportunity to reflect marvellously in the water, creating an exciting, vibrant, even slightly unreal look to what could so easily be a humdrum setting. The blue of the building and sky is nicely complimented by the green grass and water plants, and only a tiny splash of red (the sign) breaks the two-colour scheme. Just coming across something like this made me feel good; for all I know, that was its function. It certainly makes for a rather nice photograph, which is why I'm posting it here!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Summer Sky Ices

It's hot all over Europe at the moment and ice-cream vans like this are doing brisk business on promenades and beaches and in parks across the continent. Though taken at the seaside, this picture is from a colder season –a sharp winter's day on the coast of England. I found it somehow cheering to see the ice-cream van, even though it was parked and empty, resting before its big period of activity later in the year. the name of the van is optimistic –skies in England can be many things, even in the summer. Yet here, the clouds were rather beautiful, and though the day was chilly and the air sharp, it was an uplifting experience to be at the seaside.

Location: Lowestoft, England

Brick Buildings

The late afternoon sun strikes warm rays against these fabulous brick facades in Lübeck. Unlike the facades of many other buildings in Germany these do not seem at all intimidating, even though they loom high over the lowly pedestrian. As well as the fabulous colour I like the way the picture is divided into a man-made part (the buildings) and a natural part (the sky). Also, the warmth of a particular moment in time seems to have been captured well here.

Location: Lübeck, Germany

Cairn and Snow

I know it's summer and our thoughts may well be focused on sunshine and beaches and warm waves. Mine often turn to the mountains though; an unexpected adventure at any time of the year. Here's a cairn somewhere on a trail in the mountain area of my beloved Valdres. The red "T" is not some indiscriminate tag or unfinished line of graffiti but the marker of the Norwegian Tourist Association, to show you're on the right trail –always something of a relief to see when you're out walking. And cairns have always fascinated me. I find myself wondering who on earth placed the first big stones, when, and how. I always add one of my own, but much more modest in size as walking is quite enough exercise thank you without risking getting a hernia from heavy lifting! The snow is an optional feature of any trip to the mountains; a mere sprinkling like this is more quaint than vexing.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Tower Bridge

This is probably not only the most photographed bridge in the world, but one of the most photographed man-made motives of any kind, and no prizes for guessing that we are in London. For some reason, many people insist on calling this London Bridge –for few things symbolise London more (well.. Big ben, The London Eye, Nelson's Column...). BUT, of course this label is wrong; for this is TOWER Bridge –named for its proximity to the Tower of London and for its two distinctive towers. It's one of the most distinctive bridges anywhere and it was a true delight to fulfil recently a little dream I've had of walking across it. But it's perhaps best seen from a distance from the one of the riverbanks, and if you're very lucky you might see it with the two halves of the bridge's road raised. Here, however, I have captured the bridge –as I try to do with all London bridges– with a bright red double-decker smack in the middle! On a purely technical level I realize I should have captured more of the sky above the bridge to make this picture more balanced, but sadly I was too awe-struck by the sight of the bridge itself that all my composition knowledge went for a burton. Sorry!

Location: London, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 14

Yet another glove takes an unapproved vacation, and this one finds a spot in the sun to stretch out and soak in the warmth of summer...

Location: Oslo, Norway

Flowers in the Park

It's time for some colour. Spring, though late arriving, has rapidly blossomed all over in recent weeks and it's always an exciting time to photograph the new life that appears in flowerbeds throughout the city. Here, we're down low, almost at ground level to appreciate these blooms in Oslo's magnificent Frogner Park.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Postboxes and Creature

I have posted pictures of mailboxes here before. I have even posted pictures of Danish mailboxes before. But I have never posted one that includes a crocodile -or is that some kind of other creature down there? (Incidentally, being British, I'd usually call them postboxes but then there would have been too many "posts" in my first sentence. Whatever. The boxes are cute even though they've been desecrated with inane graffiti. I hope the creature, whatever it is, bit the perpetrators sharply on their shins. I never found what exactly it doing there, but I am very fond of idiosyncratic little bits of street furniture like this.

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Remembering Notre Dame

Like most people, I too was horrified and saddened to see Notre Dame cathedral go up in flames earlier this week. I am glad that the damage done by the fire is less than first feared and that the magnificent cathedral will rise again. I have fond memories of visiting Notre Dame on my first visit to Paris back in 1984 –in fact it was the very first place I visited when I arrived. I was travelling about Europe on Interrail, excitedly discovering countries and cities and the wonders of the continent for the first time. My camera back then was a Kodak Ektralite 600 which I had received for my fifteenth birthday two years before and which I happily snapped away at on my travels. I didn't really know much about photography back then, otherwise I would of course have centred my picture of Notre Dame properly. I can only think I wanted to get the people in the foreground in, or perhaps the motorbike with its GB sticker on (I was not the only English person in Paris, it seems). I do remember being blown away by the cathedral, which I up until then knew only from films, and awe-struck by its beautiful stained-glass windows and hushed interior. I hope to be able to return one day, for I am certain the cathedral will rise again. When that happens I will photograph it again, more professionally and with more understanding of composition, but no less awe than when I first saw it at the age of 17.

Location: Paris, France

Spring Awakening

It's so nice to see a smiling, happy statue, but maybe that's a result of the joy of spring.Here we are in the grounds of the Kurfürstliches Palais (Electoral Palace) in Trier with the distinctive and ornate pink Hochschloss visible in the background, and beyond that the Basilica of Constantine. But the statue is the main subject of the picture. I don't know its history but it is one of many similar statues to be found in the beautifully kept grounds. Something about the expression on its face and the openness of its stance seem to say "welcome, and rejoice". I chose placing the statue to the side of the picture both to avoid conventional centring and so as to include the beautiful central facade beyond –without it dominating too much. The clouds are moody but the sky is blue, the grass green and all is well with the world.

Location: Trier, Germany

Letterboxes

With so much regulated conformity around us it is always nice to discover uniqueness –not everything has to be the same. These letterboxes could so easily have all been exactly the same, neatly lined along the wall, probably looking like the first box on the extreme left -efficient, practical, neutral but rather bland. Instead, we have here such variety that hardly two boxes are the same; each seems to have a distinctive personality, which is what gives the picture interest. We might like to speculate about the owners of the various boxes, what kind of personalities they have, and whether they correspond to the appearance of their post boxes. Other than that, there's something ordinary and urban about this photograph that I quite like; plus its harmonious diversity

Location: Oslo, Norway

City Skyline

It's been a while since I was last in Chicago so the city skyline has probably changed a little since this picture was taken –buildings tend to grow higher and smarter all the time, but what I like about them is that they are all different, all unique, yet stacked together they create a uniform identity which I suppose could be said to embody the city itself. Here the sky is typically a little moody, the air chilly, but there's a determined sort of resilience about the view -here work and life is taking place behind a thousand windows. In the foreground are the trains, waiting moving -you can almost hear their bells and clatter. And beyond: the city beckons...

Location: Chicago, USA

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 13

Winter seems now to be over for another year and spring is almost upon us. But just before the snow melted I came across yet another glove that had gone AWOL and found its way to the top of a post, where it quickly became covered with snow. At least it had itself to keep warm!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Sunset on the Beach

The sun sets on the pebbled beach where fishing boats and fishing nets linger in the golden light. I especially like the way the late sunlight here transforms the net from a a mere untidy mass of tangled line into an object of some beauty and, perhaps, mystery. It becomes almost like some weird sea creature that has been washed up. I also like the way the jetty breaks the background sea and sky, and most of all I like the warm atmosphere –a moment captured before the sun dips for beneath the waves and darkness falls.

Location: Hastings, England

Lunch for Two

Things that look similar or identical are often fascinating subjects for a photograph; people too, which is why twins invariable work well in pictures, whatever the circumstances. Whether these two workmen on their lunch-break are twins is unclear, but they could certainly be brothers; there's something tremendously satisfying about the similarity of their posture, the identical plastic bags between their legs and the same Hi-Vis vests. The location is, of course, the base of the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus -itself probably the most photographed spot in London. Against the dark base these two light up, enjoying a few minutes repose before returning to work. I liked the sense of "moment" and the somehow rather sweet pairing.

Location: London, England

Going to Seed

Spring has yet to appear in Norway; there's probably a good month or two of winter left here, but that's no reason not to start thinking ahead, to when all the seeds one planted last year may (or may) not appear as buds in the garden. Or to think about what quick-growing vegetables to sew when the snow melts. All this is purely academic as I do not even have a garden, just a little balcony, but I am nevertheless fascinated by seeds and anything that grows. And I loved the sight of this display in a local florist's backroom. The order and colour and excitement of such a confrontation is infectious, inspiring, and unlike similar displays of –for instance– sweets, everything here looks gorgeously healthy! I felt it was an interesting image (or series of images) to capture, and I particularly liked it that there are four empty slots in the shelves –breaking the perfection just a little.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Southbank

Big Ben is currently surrounded by scaffolding and undergoing necessary repairs, but this picture is from before the time when this work started and thus the palace of Westminster is uncluttered and Big Ben itself magnificent and proud in the early evening. We're on London's Southbank looking across the Thames. I've always adored the ornate lampposts that line the embankment on each side of the river. Here they have not yet been lit and are in the shade of the overhanging bridge so the decorative dolphins that enwrap each post cannot be seen but they are as much a part of London's landscape as Big Ben itself. I just liked this picture because it captured for me a moment and a mood and so much of what makes me love London.

Location: London, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 12

Yes, the gloves and mittens continue to go AWOL, especially now that winter has taken a firm grip. Here, a musically-minded glove crawls slowly towards the entrance of Oslo's opera house, perhaps to take in a performance. Interestingly, this is not a traditional opera glove, for they are generally longer and worn by ladies almost up to the elbow; what we have here is something far less elegant, but who said that even the lowliest of glove should not enjoy opera. There's a story here somewhere, but that's for someone else to write. meanwhile, the glove edges closer to the door and the wonderful, magical world inside...

Location: Oslo, Norway

Dutch Letter Box

As I have mentioned before I am always fascinated by the uniqueness of a country's essential street furniture –telephone boxes, lamps, signs; all proud ambassadors of their country's image, icons of each nation if you like. Letter boxes (or mail boxes if you prefer) belong to this group. They are all seemingly unique to their country in design and colour. Here's one from Holland –perhaps not the most imaginative or most beautiful of post boxes but perfectly functional nonetheless. I'm in two minds whether I can see a face here too. The dual openings for letters certainly suggest eyes and perhaps if one regards the little white sticker as a moustache and the keyhole as a pursed up little mouth there is something approaching a wide, sagacious entity. Otherwise I just like the ordinariness of such day-to-day objects that we often pass by without giving a second thought.

Location: Amsterdam, Holland

Quayside

Ice, though frequently treacherous to navigate or cross, often creates interesting textures to photograph, capturing and reflecting light in a more fractured way than still water of puddles, which The ice seen here probably started as. Here I was struck by the vertical and horizontal lines of the gates and fencing. The ship in the background suggests an invitation to get away, and the clear sky gives a promise of plain sailing. I like the stark ordinariness of the picture, taken late-afternoon on a winter's day.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 11

With the return of winter comes the return of those freedom-craving mittens and gloves out on a spree. Once more they appear –almost always solitary– in the oddest places, but most often on trees, posts, benches, fences... Like cats they clearly like to be high up. Here a mitten strikes a decidedly defensive pose, or is it conducting events below? Its partner has long disappeared so maybe it is praying for its return? Who knows just what these stray mittens think!

Location: Oslo, Norway