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

The Day Off

A picture that smacks of relaxation, independence and the joy of free time. I like the neatness of the photograph, Without the white beach hut in the foreground I think the image of the relaxing man would be isolated, but here it has a comforting presence. I also like how he is placed between the two buoys out in the sea. The motive may make us smile a little but it is the the composition that really makes the picture, I feel.

Location: Deal, England

The Sledging Party

With much of Europe battling unprecedented winter conditions (taken in stride in Norway) it is uplifting that people are making the most of the snow and taking to winter sports and activities with a vengeance. This group of five girls and a sledge marches as resolutely through the snow as arctic explorers heading for the pole. I like it that they are in a line rather than bunched together and the body language is interesting –is one of the girls less thrilled about the upcoming sledging activity than the others? And is the sledge-puller herself perhaps texting for back-up troops or castigating some shirking confederate who has failed to show up for the fun. I just felt it was a nice wintery sort of picture to share while we all wait for the coming of warmer days.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Old Sea Dog

Though not at sea we are in the water here, for this is HMS Warrior, the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warship, built in 1860 for the Royal Navy. She is now permanently berthed by the wonderful Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth as a museum ship, and is well worth a visit, even though most visitors tend to head first for the even more famous HMS Victory which is also found here. But this means there are less people jostling about and –at least when I was there– no queue to get in; in fact, for a large part of my visit I had the great ship pretty much to myself, being one of the first guests to arrive that day. However, I was not quite alone, for pacing the deck was this elderly gentleman –presumably a guide but perhaps a ghost, who by the manner of his gait and poise was re-living days of glory at sea. I imagined him to be a crusty old captain, only really happy when aboard a mighty vessel. Here he seems content –the seas are calm and all is well; there is no mutiny today nor any sign of the enemy. There is time for reflection, and thoughts of a life devoted to the sea. I felt the picture captured both something of the grandeur of the ship and the story of a man, and I like that he is standing a little in the shade, hands behind his back, in control.

Location: Portsmouth, England

Boy on Stairs

Stairs can be interesting motives for photography, both in their own right and as a metaphor for going somewhere –or coming from somewhere; there's always the ambiguity, for stairs go both up and down and can represent escape, journey, adventure, progress and numerous other things depending on one's perspective. With this particular picture I didn't really have any lofty notions other than to capture the rather glorious effect of strong sunlight filtered into a more mellow state through the glass roof of a train station and down into the staircase leading from a platform. The boy on the stairs seems to be hovering with indecision –has he left said goodbye to someone on the platform above but is reluctant to leave them just yet? Is he waiting for someone? Or is he unsure of whether he is in the right place. The boy is not the main motive of the picture, but adds something human to the picture, I think. I took similar shots without there being anyone on the stairs, but then the effect was one of abandoned emptiness which though visually pleasing was not quite interesting enough. I love the various lines and textures here, and though a better camera than I had at the time would have given an even sharper image, I was quite pleased with the result.

Location: Amsterdam, Holland

Street Scene

I found this little moment of an urban summer both charming and irresistible. In front of an ornate and somewhat extravagant fountain sculpture, a man is playing a guitar. His main audience is three little children standing seemingly mesmerised by his music. Other people nearby are enchanted as much by the children as the melody. I don't know which of them, if any, are their parents, but I love the span of life that is indicated by the elderly man on the side looking at them, perhaps remembering his own childhood with fondness. And who could not be captivated by these sweet children -only the ones smoking and checking their mobile telephones! (I wish I could erase them from the picture, but they are part of the moment too.) What I like above all else about the picture is the contrast of the bombastic lavishness of the statue and the simple yet epic moment of the human interactions. I'm tempted to say "All of art and all of life in one picture" but that would be stretching it a little too far. I am just glad I was able to capture such a magical little scene, even though technically the shot is not as sharp as I would have liked it to have been; sometimes (most times, perhaps) the content of an image and what it signifies is what really counts most. Location: Augsburg, Germany

Window Cleaning

Now here's a picture that may at first glance not seem all that interesting (though personally I am always intrigued by blocks of flats and how each identical apartment and balcony present themselves so differently). We're in the residential area of a coastal town in southern Albania, of all places, and though there is enough blue sky to tell us that it's a bright summer day little sunlight manages to reach this rather confined little backstreet. But look up at the top of the picture and you'll see something unusual, if not downright disturbing! A young woman is cleaning her windows, and to do so she has climbed out of one to reach the other and is hanging on to the side of the building, unsecured, with a sheer drop of at least five floors below. Now I know all about wanting to have clean windows and how it can become an obsession, but observing this manner of going about things made my stomach turn. And until I saw what she was actually doing I was worried she was about to throw herself out of the window. Yet she seemed to be in total control and unaffected by the height or potential danger of her undertaking, and who knows, maybe this is the preferred way of cleaning windows in Albania –either that or she's an off-duty acrobat. Personally, I would rather use a very long squeegee! Location: Saranda, Albania

West End in the Rain

I've a thing about London in the rain, and looking back on photographs I have taken there I realise that so many of them have been taken under wet conditions that one could be forgiven for thinking that it always rains in London – but that, of course, is not true, and one day I promise to prove it by sharing some pictures taken while it's sunny. But in the meantime here's another one in the rain! There's something about reflections in puddles and on shiny pavements that awakes a sort of romanticism as well as creating interesting textures and pattens of fractured colour and light. Here we are in the heart of theatre-land, alongside the Noël Coward Theatre, which used to be the Albery Theatre, and before that the New Theatre. It is an area seeping qwith theatrical history and it is one of my favourite areas of London; the absence of cars here makes it doubly interesting, and at the end of the lane is a favourite actor's pub –The Salisbury, and across the road, on the corner of the lane leading to Covent Garden, is another: The Angel & Crown, both nearing closing time as the clock says 11, but there may still be time for one quick drink if you hurry... Location: London, England

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

Beneath Westminster Bridge

The terrible events of last week that brought terror to the very heart of London shocked and upset me enormously, as I am sure they did many others. Sadly, similar occurrences and far worse take place all over the world on occasion, and seemingly more so these days tan before, but it is always particularly hard when the place that is struck is close to one's heart. London is my favourite city, its streets are my cherished haunts, and as an inveterate walker I feel I know every corner and feel a personal bond with the history and culture inherent in every cobblestone –which is perhaps odd as I have never lived in London, merely returned to it again and again like an old friend; and it never disappoints. But it hurts when bad things occur there. When these things occur in places my own footsteps have crossed it hurts even more. Westminster Bridge is one such place.I photographed it from many angles a couple of years ago, but this shot taken from below is my favourite because it shows the two "states" of any bridge –that of the world above and that of the world below. The graceful sweep of one of its archways is at the same time impressive and friendly, it doesn't swell over and dominate you completely like many other bridges. Above,on the pavement, people walk by; some look over the side, others are occupied with their telephone. I imagine the scene was much like this before the crazed motorist screeched onto the pavement and mowed down innocent pedestrians last week. Though the bridge itself remains essentially the same, the scars from last week's events will sadly give it a new kind of significance every time I am close to it. Like so many other places. Location: London, England

People in the Park

To contrast a little the last post, here is a different park, in another country, in a different season and with people as its main subject this time rather than trees (though the observant visitor will notice a number of these too!). The point is really that contrasting two images, however slightly related, often works as a rewarding form of presentation, an interesting access point to seeing and appreciating similarities and difference, yet with a common foundation –in this case the concept of "the park" and what that means for different people. Here we have a warm summer afternoon, evening really, but the sun is still up, and you can almost feel the pleasant lazy warmth and smell the grass. Everyone is in their own little blissful world, some dozing, some having a picnic, others reading, greeting a friend, sharing a special moment. They are dotted about like little islands in an ocean of greenn; there is a communal atmosphere but privacy is respected and cherished. The elegant building in the background and the neatly trimmed bushes and beds give a sense of peace and order to the scene, but not too much; the mood is mellow and summer is glorious... ahhhh, may it come again soon. Location: Vienna, Austria

Street Library

Being a book fanatic, I wish there was a little library like this on every street in every town in every country –a place where books can be left and picked up at random and you never know what you may find. Happily, there are more and more of these joyful communal repositories popping up, some in parks, or old telephone kiosks. I even saw one at a tram stop a couple of weeks ago. Hotels, guesthouses, hospitals and cafés have had them for ages, but wouldn’t it be great if airports or train stations had such pocket libraries scattered about. They won’t of course, because there’s no profit to be made from it and they’d prefer to have you spending money than quenching your thirst for literature, be it romantic, educational or enlightening. Here, I liked the fact that someone has stopped to peruse the books even though it’s raining. I felt an immediate sense of identity of solidarity –that person could be me! And often when we take pictures we are actually taking pictures of ourselves –not selfie-style, but expressed through what appeals and reaches out to us. Keep reading folks, and support these schemes by leaving a book or two when you come across such places. Location: Heidelberg, Germany.

On Deck

There’s something theatrical about this shot; it could be the cast of a play placed on the deck for a poster, or group of musicians posing for an album cover. It seems staged, but it is quite accidental, just a snapshot I took while taking the ferry between Denmark and Germany, but I was quite struck by the result. It’s windy and the sea and sky is grey, but the blue of the deck compensates for this. However, it is the bright splashes of colour and the stances of the people that make this picture for me. They are all heading somewhere, with various expectations and I feel it is almost as if one can read their thoughts. Location: Near Puttgarden, Germany

Pulling Up The Infant Jesus

The fishing boats came in through irksome waves one by one when the sun was already climbing high. They were pulled and pushed and shoved and drawn by whole families and anyone else who happened to be on the beach at the time, slowly -inch by inch- heaving up from the water's edge and up onto the sand where the boats would perch boldly and proudly until it was time to push them out to sea again in the evening or night. I watched this timeless ritual every morning when I walked along the beach at Goa –once or twice I joined in, and I was always captivated and exhilerated by the zeal and activity involved. For me it was a holiday -the beach stretched far and beckoned with its powdery sand: for these people it is their livelihood. The "Infant Jesus" is typical of the biblical names given to these vessels. Location: Goa, India

Splash of Colour

A wet, grey, dull day –much like today. The view from the castle was not particularly great due to the clouds so my pictures were sadly disappointing; but I found the splash of colour provided by these umbrellas to be irresistible - brightening things up considerably. Why aren't all umbrellas like this! Location: Heidelberg, Germany

Waiting in Wannsee

Wannsee, on the outskirts of Berlin, is perhaps best known historically for being the setting of the notorious Nazi conference that was to decide the details of the "Final Solution", and it was to visit the house in which this heinous event took place that brought me there. The house is now a deeply moving, but chilling, musuem. Wannsee is however more than this – the lake itself is a magnet for day-tripppers from bustling Berlin, with a fabulous variety of boating possibilities, beaches, wooded walks and shoreside cafés. I took this picture at the end of a very pleasant day there, waiting for the train back into the metropolis. Everything here is so perfectly German – from the lettering of the station sign, the symmetry of the benches and two waiting passengers, and the striking colours of the S-Bahn on the opposite platform. There is a kind of beauty in the connection between the man and the woman – they are both alone, both waiting, but they do not speak. They must be aware of each other, but sit politely in their own individual worlds. Wouldn't it be magical if one of them turned to the other with a romantic smile... Location: Wannsee - Berlin, Germany

Flea Market in Amsterdam

Spring is the time of the year when flea markets start up again all over Europe and few things are more pleasurable than spending a lazy weekend browsing, never knowing what one may find, and even if one comes home empty handed the experience has not been wasted. For such occasions are opportunities to step into the past, rummage through the nostalgia of yesteryear – sometimes with a smile of delight at recognizing a familiar item; at other times aghast at tastes of the past – and perhaps come across something special. I am attracted to such places wherever I happen to be and can spend hours there. This particular market was typical of many others, but its location on a square in Amsterdam was pretty. Business is well underway and the two sides – sellers and buyers – are happily involved. I like the varied but typical poses adopted by those wondering whether to buy – the man crouched over some object, the woman with her hand over her mouth looking slightly doubtful, and the people examining the merits of the painting. Location: Amsterdam, Holland

Book Sharing

I love books –not just for their content or for the experience of reading, but for the excitement and potential of their physical presence. Libraries and bookshops fill me with a sense of adventure, and I have, at present, 38 books on my bedside table! Part of the attraction of books is there communality -they can be shared and enjoyed again and again, by countless people. Therefore schemes such as the one pictured, where a corner of a park in Germany has its own enclosed bookcase, really meet my approval. People can take or leave a book, read in the park or take it away, and the selection of titles is as random and arbitrary as the people who pass by. I wish there were lots more places like this –some hotels, guest houses and cafés have similar schemes, but wouldn't it be marvellous if every corner of every street had such a bookcase! At least for people like me!

Location: Augsburg, Germany

People at Tables

Reflecting somewhat my last post, here the tables are full of people. The backdrop is rather more dramatic than the conversations going on, however, it would appear –I love the bored look of the lady whose glass is empty, waiting for her husband to finish his drink). This is right outside the Stephansdom in Vienna and the statues, reliefs and paintings add a biblical sense of theatre and even judgement to an otherwise ordinary scene, but I liked the colours and textures and composition enough to share it. Location: Vienna, Austria

Oslo's Royal Palace on 17th May

Last weekend Norway celebrated the 200th anniversary of its Constitution on what is regarded by all as its National Day: May 17th. One of the charming traditions of this day is the parading in front of the king and other members of the Norwegian royal family by all the school children of Oslo. Everyone is dressed in their best –sometimes national costumes- flags are waved, bands play and there is a bright and vibrant atmosphere. Often the weather is benign. This year it certainly was! There are many other events this day, from concerts to parties to impromptu dances, and this year was particularly grand in all respects. But the children's parade is still my favourite part of it. I watch the start of it on television (for it lasts for hours) and then stroll the five minutes it takes me to get to the palace to watch the last part of it –by which time there is slightly less of a crowd, and I am always able to get a good position. if you look very carefully on the side of the picture you will see a lady in blue watching from one of the palace windows. This is the queen of Denmark who was visiting. As Norway was partly celebrating its independence from Denmark it wouldn't have been right for her to be on the balcony with the king and queen of Norway – but I can well understand her enthusiasm and delight in wanting to see the parade nonetheless! Location: Oslo, Norway