Sunday, 17 June 2012

Sunset Over Miami

Most photographs fail to capture the glory and magnificence of sunsets and turn out quite disappointing compared to the real thing. But I was quite proud of this one, and it certainly captured the mood and colour of the moment, by the pool of a Florida spa, and the last photograph I took on a trip in the US prior to returning to Europe.

Location: Miami, USA

Friday, 8 June 2012

Bow



London's Science Museum has a fabulous hall filled with model ships in beautiful glass cases. It's been there for years, unchanged and much loved. The models are intricate and fascinating –one almost wishes one could be small enough to explore inside...

Location: London, England

Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Monolith



Gustav Vigeland's memorable "Monolith" and surrounding sculptures in the park bearing the artist's name. It's just a few minutes walk from where I live, so I have taken many photographs here over the years, but this is one of my favourites because of the mix of figures -stone and real- and the barely visible but supremely grand seagull right on top of the month.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Friday, 25 May 2012

Quayside at Sundown



Warm evening on a Greek island, the fishing boats are in. Lots of colour and a soothing atmosphere.. summer is here!

Location: Samos, Greece

Friday, 18 May 2012

Kiss



A large sculpture (or statue) of an iconic image next to the USS Midway in San Diego bay. The sun is about to go down, but the clouds created a beautiful canopy to a passionate moment.

Location: San Diego, USA

Sunday, 13 May 2012

Golden Orbs



I am always fascinated by street furniture, and how it subtly creates the unique character of different cities. These bollards in Warsaw appear almost to have oranges balanced on them. I liked the continuation of the orbs further down the street on the crossing lights, and the yellow hues further reflected on the nearby buildings.

Location: Warsaw, Poland

Friday, 11 May 2012

Laughing Policewomen



Changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Just about everyone else's cameras are pointed the other way, towards the palace, but I liked the cheerful interaction between these two mounted policewomen as much as the colourful pageant of the ceremony.

Location: London, England

Friday, 4 May 2012

The Homecoming



A school-ship in New England drawing near to its berth. It was a thrilling and unexpected spectacle, drawing dozens of people from the town to welcome the boat. Sadly the rigging is not swarming with seafarers, but the late-afternoon sky and the sailing boat itself were a magnificent sight.

Location: Salem, Massachusetts

Saturday, 28 April 2012

Lighthouse in New England



Spectacular and beautiful from all angles, this fine lighthouse has a colourful history and was a favourite haunt of the great poet Longfellow. The clouds and light are mellow, the lighthouse itself reassuring and bold.

Location: Portland, Maine

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

Motorcycle Pile-up



Motorbikes, mopeds and scooters almost too neatly parked on an exceptionally clean street near the Barbican...

Location: London, England

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Water Tower



A water tower soars like a rocket about to launch over the warehouse district of New Orleans and against moody clouds.

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturday, 21 April 2012

Old Railyard



Cranes, carriages, warehouses and interesting cloud formations -but the reason I particularly like this picture is the bird surveying it all.

Location: Norfolk, England

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Titanic Graves



Today is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic sinking. I recently visited Fairview Cemetery in Halifax where 121 victims are burried.
The gravestones are mostly simple blocks like these, and many are marked only by the date and a number –the identity of these
victims not being known. Not a great photograph perhaps, but a moving one.

Location: Halifax, Canada

Friday, 13 April 2012

Rust



A rusty metal boarding plate on a wooden quay in Halifax, the yellow rust matcheing the mat drying out on the raft. I like the shadows and the lines and the stillness of the water, and the little bit of green on the edge of the guard.

Location: Halifax, Canada

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

Empty Deckchairs



Brighton beach, the day is not over, the sun in shining but there is a stiff breeze. I find myself wondering who sat in these pairs of chairs earlier in the day and what they talked of..

Location: Brighton, England

Monday, 2 April 2012

Canadian Beauty



Before my little camera clapped out on my travels (evidenced here by the slight blur) I was able to take a good number of pictures, most fortunately in the beautiful city of Québec –a photographers heaven. It was chillingly cold while I was there, but the skies were blue, the snow crisp and the feeling of space invigorating. This is one of a number of pavilions on the terrace of Le Château Frontenac -the world's most photographed hotel. Most people take pictures of the hotel building itself (and I have dozens of those too), but the Canadian flag flapping in the wind and the lonliness of the empty pavilion and nearby lamp post seemed to speeak more to me at this moment.

Location: Québec, Canada

Monday, 26 March 2012

Photographing without a camera

Well, after about 3000 shots on my current travels in the United States and Canada, my trusty little camera (my first digital one) seems finally to have reached the end of its life. It has gone through much hardship, extreme changes of temperature, been dropped a few times and developed some scratches, but it started playing up a couple of weeks ago in California, and by the time I got to South Carolina was only able to tale pictures in near dark conditions -somehow it becane ultra sensitive to light, so any picture taken in daylight just comes out totally over exposed, and nothing I try seems to overcome it. So a new camera will be my next investement. Sadly however I have been unable to take hardly any pictures in New York this weekend -a city that just cries out to be photographed at every step. I attempted to use my iPad as an emergency solution, but its far too clumsy for most shots, and is certainly not as easy to whip out and take a picture in seconds as a camera is. So instead I have been using my eyes like a camera over the last few days -seeking out shots and angles and above all LOOKING, which after all is what photography is really about. It has been more than a useful exercise, and with no technical restrictions or limits some of the discoveries I have made will no doubt benefit whatever pictures I take in the future. But it is of course terribly frustrating not to have the camera available all the time. I somehow feel naked without it.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Travel Yearning



Taken from the window of the Californian Zephyr train close to Denver and the Rocky Mountains. The telephone seems almost to be growing from the grass, and there are some interesting shadow and light details that seem to work in black in white. I'm about to set out travelling to the US again, and this puts me in the right mood for hitting those wide open spaces...

Location: Colorado, USA

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Pier 39

Dozens of seals gather at Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf to bask in the sun, hang out and squabble. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) photographs do not come with sound, because these guys are NOISY.

Location: San Francisco, USA

Saturday, 18 February 2012

Oslo Waterfront

A clear but cold Sunday morning, with ice forming on the inner Oslo fjord. The boat is the royal Norwegian yacht "Norge" but few people seem to be about -only a few intrepid visitors brave the cold on the quayside.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Meeting of Trams

A chillingly cold afternnoon in Warsaw. Two trams -one old, one new– passing each other, with the formidable Palace of Science and Culture visible in the background. I was attracted by the somehow nostalgic colours of the trams.

Location: Warsaw, Poland

Sunday, 12 February 2012

Windows of a Roof

A snow-coverd roof in the grounds of the Akershus fort, Oslo. I love the intriguing series of windows andthe way they break up the steep roof. I also like the shadow of the tree on the snow.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Friday, 10 February 2012

Braving the Cold



Extreme cold in Eastern Europe this month means it's best to stay inside -and this Polish pigeon seems to have found the fanciest house in town to brave the winter, while keeping a sharp eye on all passers by.

Location: Warsaw, Poland

Monday, 6 February 2012

Snow in London

Winter takes an icy hold of much of Europe and London is no exception. This picture, taken through a window from the comparative warmth of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, has something of a Dickensian look about it –very apt for the 200th anniversary of the novelist's birth. Besides, snow almost always looks good in pictures.

Location: London, England

Wednesday, 1 February 2012

A Street Gathering

These newspaper vending boxes appear to have converged by themselves on this Boston street. It is almost as if they are taking over, and the position of the green box would seem to make him (or her) the leader. In the background the mail boxes observe jealously the colours of these upstart dispensers.

Location: Boston, USA

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Venetian Scene

I took this picture way back in 1984 with an old 110-instamatic camera and was very proud of the result –but the fact is almost any picture one takes in Venice turns out well because of the textures and colours and the abundance of water. It's a photographer's dream city.

Location: Venice, Italy

Friday, 27 January 2012

Flats

The facade of an apartment building in Bucharest. I was fascinated by the diversity of expressions made by each individual flat, window and balcony. Some are more intriguing than others –one flat seems to have no windows or door, another has a couple of flower-pots attached to the wall, providing a flash of vibrant red amidst the mishmash of greens, blues and greys.

Location: Bucharest, Romania

Tuesday, 24 January 2012

Sea Horses?

A very English summer picture to warm up this cold winter. A merry-go-round on the beach at Brighton, and lots of colour. The horses are all looking toward the sea and seem to be longing to gallop out into the inviting water.

Location: Brighton, England

Friday, 20 January 2012

Waiting for the train



Union Station, Chicago, the cathedral-like old waiting hall and an elderly lady patiently waiting for her train. I like the various horizontal and vertcal lines, especially the sheen on the bench and the shadow beneath it. And the lady's sideways glance.

Location: Chicago, USA

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Traffic Lights

These clusters of traffic lights at a New England intersection conjured up thoughts of Chinese lanterns or weird hanging fruits. I was fascinated to see so many lights in one place, and like the somehow comforting yellow colour of the casings.

Location: Salem, Massachusetts, USA

Thursday, 12 January 2012

Winter in Oslo

A crisp winter's day, blue sky and snow: always a great combination -timeless, as here in the grounds of the fortress in Oslo.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Sign in Washington



Though I'm not a great fan of graffiti, sometimes it really makes me smile, like here on this road sign in the US capital.

Location: Washington D.C., USA

Sunday, 8 January 2012

Quiet Station

A December afternoon at the train station in my old home town of Dereham. The station does not have a regular train service, but is run by volunteers, mostly at weekend, so much of the time it is empty and rather forlorn, but trains and rails always fascinate me and the clouds were unusual, especially in sepia.

Location: Dereham, Norfolk, England

Saturday, 7 January 2012

Hammersmith Bridge



Part of Hammersmith bridge in London as the sun goes down. I love the yellow lamps and details on the bridge and the serenity of the Thames with the water plants by the edge.

Location: London, England

Thursday, 5 January 2012

Old Quay

The remains of an old quay near India Point Park in Providence in late afternoon. I was struck by the clouds, the effect of the sun on the water and the slightly spooky effect of the decaying poles, some seem like arms or legs sticking out of the water.

Location: Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

The Tourist Who Got Cut Off from Her Group

With so much to see in so short a space of time it is inevitable that not everybody can keep up with the group. This image captures the moment of indecision in which the tourist debates with herself whether to cross the lawn (not permitted) or go the long way round.I'll leave it tiy you to guess the outcome.

Location: Potsdam, Germany

Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Back Street

Narrow cobblestoned streets and alleyways form a charming maze in the wonderful old city area of Stockholm (Gamla Stan). Almost any photograph one takes there turns out well, but I like particularly the numerous lines and the colours in this one. Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Monday, 2 January 2012

The End of a Hot Day

Deckchairs are a wonderfully English institution. Most other places people just fling themselves on the grass. Here it's the end of a summer's day in one of London's parks, and the last person is just leaving. The breeze is picking up, and the neatly paired but scattered chairs are fluttering memorials to lazy conversations and relaxation earlier that day.

Location: London, England

Sunday, 1 January 2012

Summer Skiing

A summer evening in Oslo. The sun shining on slightly wet streets from a shower earlier. Almost a snow-like effect. And then the guy on roller-skis suddenly came along and completed the picture!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Saturday, 31 December 2011

Autumn and Winter

A sudden, momentous night of snow in upstate New York in early October, with autumn (or fall) still in the height of colour. Because of all the snow the train I was got stuck, and this was the rather nice view from my window. I love the combination of two seasons.

Location: Schenectady, New York, USA

Friday, 30 December 2011

Bus Stop

Passing this bus stop in Prague I was attracted by the colours, especially the reds. I was also fascinated that everybody seemed to be waiting in different ways and looking in different directions. There seem to be many stories here, but the focal point is the old lady looking into her basket. Was she pleased with her shopping that day, I wonder?

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Thursday, 29 December 2011

Under the Loop

I was very inspired by a book of Andreas Feininger's 1941 photographs of Chicago, and when I visited the city I was excited to be able to still see and capture something of the poetry of those wonderful images myself -in fabulous black and white of course.Location: Chicago, USA

Wednesday, 28 December 2011

Posts with Hats

I love street furniture. These posts in a Berlin street go about their business like pedestrians, while a procession of them is filing up behind, like very tall, thin men. The tops of the posts remind me of hats. Location: Berlin, Germany

Signal

Old, deserted railway stations –I find them fascinating, and signals against a moody sky create a great contrast, with the yellow spot almost substituting for a sun. Location: Norfolk, England

Post shared

My first post here. Two letter boxes in the City of London, one new old old. They seem to be pals, having a chat, observing the world -perhaps there's a romantic connection?

Location: London, England