Summer Idyll

Summer time in the countryside; is there anything nicer? the bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming, the sky is blue and the cows are ...mooing? Well, maybe not the latter; they seem to be doing what they do best –chewing and staring. They're up here for the summer to graze so for them too it's a kind of holiday, even though they are milked daily. Here I was eager to "frame" the cows between the gate posts and capture a little bit of everything that makes me love the Norwegian countryside in summer –the colours, the trees, the clouds. I wish I could have captured the sound too (almost, but not quite, silence) and the many smells, but these you will have to imagine. Perhaps the picture at least helps evoke a feeling –of peace, summer and idyllic days in the country.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Samosian Sunrise

Everyone loves a good sunset and there are thousands or probably millions of photographs that have captured them in some way –I've taken a few hundred myself. But sunrises are a little different, a little rarer. This is because whilst everyone is up and around to enjoy the sight of the sun going down, relatively few are up early enough to see it rise –except at certain times of year up here in the north when it doesn't seem to rise until the afternoon, if at all. But sunrises have a double beauty to them. There is the uplifting sight of unfolding light illuminating and warming the shadows of the night, and then there is the tranquility of the atmosphere –the lack of people, noise, activity. Somehow this makes it easier to really appreciate a good sunrise than a good sunset; and its glory is a sort of special prize give to you for getting up so early. I can no longer remember why I was up so early in this particular instance, but there may have been no reason at all –other than just being out and about before the world has woken up. The picture is from the Greek island of Samos and the sun has just risen above the hills behind the trees. The trees block off much of the light but the sun, even at this early hour, is too strong and pushes its golden rays through the branches and onto the clean cobblestones by the harbour, creating a yellow-brick road that has a magical quality to it. Ten minutes later, five minutes, the scene had changed, so I was happy to have captured this moment of gleaming splendour before the hot Greek sun washed everything into harsh whiteness.

Location: Pythagoreio -Samos, Greece

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 10

Though few, if any, people continue to use gloves or mitten now that summer has taken hold that does not mean these intrepid items of hand-wear have disappeared entirely from view. They continue to pop up in the oddest places. Here no less a figure than Minnie Mouse decorates a mitten that has found a new home in the sun, with a colourful display of flowers behind. Once again, I am intrigued how such a distinctive mitten could have gone missing.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Boats For Hire

The harsh sun has dipped towards the sea but sends its last rays of warm gold across the water to reflect against the equally gold hulls of these boats, berthed close to a beach on the northern coast of Corfu. Fishing boats are berthed behind them, and out on the water a single little ferry is heading out into the sunset. These boats would have been busy taking tourists along the coastline earlier in the day but now they can rest gently until tomorrow. I like the calm of the picture; though there is a lack of people there is no sense of isolation. Also the picture has a nice temperature about it; the lingering warmth of a hot day giving way to a milder but sweetly tempting Greek evening...

Location: Corfu, Greece

Walls That Talk

I regularly pass by this open piece of ground in central Oslo, wedged in between buildings. Once a building stood here too; I remember it well as it used to house a fun nightclub and bar and later café, before the whole building was gutted in a fire one New Year's Eve (which I witnessed. Apart from a tiny fragment of the entrance (which is not visible here) the whole place was pulled down, the basement beneath the ground here filled in, and now fifteen or more years later– it lingers in the sun; occasionally cars may park here, but it's not been made to accommodate vehicles in any way –the area is simply waiting. Yet every time I pass by I'll recall a memory or two of fun times spent here back in the nineties, and then I'll get distracted by the decaying grandeur of the adjacent walls. I love the mix of textures, the unevenness, the sense of space, and I've passed by so many times meaning to take pictures here but never getting around to it –until now. The black and white rendition somehow just seems right, placing the image into a stylised past that is both evocative and strangely beautiful despite the decay.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Old Doors

A return to the wonderful railway yard in my old home town in Norfolk –just about my favourite place in the whole world to explore photograph. The clutter and junk of trains has for me a curious beauty about it, as does here the textures and lines and uneven surfaces. You don't really have to be a good photographer to get a good picture here (a bit like Venice), you just point and shoot and you'll capture something interesting. Of course, some thought to composition and light does help, but I have found that very few of the many, many pictures I have taken at this railway yard have worthless or had to be discarded –certainly compared to anywhere else I take photographs. Everything is worth saving. And here, this applies to the old train carriage doors that have been stacked up against the wall of the workshop. How many people have stepped through these doors at the start or end of a journey? How many have stood in the window, waving to loved ones as the train slips out the station. Will the doors ever be used again? Who knows -it would be nice to think so. Yet here they now bask in the sun reliving perhaps their days of glory and swapping tales of late passengers and impatient guards...

Location: East Dereham, 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

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 9

Despite the warmer weather gloves and mittens continue to go absent without leave, and this particular example I found downright scary. Like a huge, thick spider it's crawled up on to a metal electrical box (perhaps to recharge), and there lies in wait. There's also something of the severed hand of horror movies about its stance. Perhaps that's why my normally steady hand was shaking just a little bit when I snapped this beauty -causing the exposure to be slightly out of focus. This was evening, and the light was though. However, I felt the image was startling enough to share anyway, as yet another example of the wanderlust of lonesome hand-wear.

Location: Oslo, Norway

World Book Day

It's World Book Day, so I thought it would be appropriate to share a picture that features books. This little collection is on display at a used-books shop in Heidelberg, so all the titles are in German. You might care to try guessing at some of their original titles if you've got time on your hands. Collections of anything that are similar yet unique are always pleasing motives, and part of the pleasure of collecting books is having them on display; unlike many other items, books are seldom untidy or "cluttered". The only thing that annoys me about these particular books is that the titles on the spines are printed "the wrong way" ie, in the opposite direction to what is generally normal. You'll occasionally get books like this and they exasperate me as I never know whether to have them upside down in my shelf so that the spine is commensurate with all the others, or to have the face the right way up, thus causing an anomaly in the row! But, as I have used up all my shelf space long ago and books are now piled up in stacks all over my flat, the problem is largely academic and books that are "the wrong way round" get banished to less conspicuous corners. However, the important thing is really the content, and books of all kinds continue to thrill, entertain, educate and inspire me. And I hope they do the same to you. Happy World Book Day!

Location: Heidelberg, Germany

Going Dutch

Time for some flowers, it's spring, after all and they're popping up all over the place to everyone's great delight. When I was in Amsterdam I felt it was almost obligatory for me to get a picture of some tulips and I spent half an afternoon trying to find some without falling deeply into the cliche trap of souvenir shops. This place seemed more genuine, and bright and colorful, and though there will later be many, many more flowers on sight both here and elsewhere, these tulips made me very happy for a while! And lest one should forget where one was, the name at the top says it all.

Location: Amsterdam, Holland

Touch of Extravagance

You'd be forgiven for thinking this magnificent building is to be found in India or somewhere exotic, but it's much closer to home; Brighton, in fact, for this is a view of the famous Royal Pavilion, built for George IV when he was Prince of Wales and fancied a little hut by the sea. Originally designed by Henry Holland, the greater part of what we see today is the work of John Nash who extended the building greatly. Not so much a beach hut, but a veritable palace on the coast! It's a fabulous place to visit (equally spectacular inside) and endlessly fascinating. I don't quite know why I shot this one in black and white, though maybe it was because the building is a rather bland beige colour. But still, it evokes the Regency period and lavish extravagance –and we all need a little of that at times!

Location: Brighton, England

Jawas Hanging Around..?

I had to look twice when I passed this sight the other day. And had it been dark I would probably have gotten quite a shock too. These are shrubs that have been protected for the winter by being wrapped up with sackcloth, but it can't just be me that sees a line of Jawas.. can it? (Jawas, by the way, are the cute busybody little creatures introduced in the first Star Wars film, you know, the ones in the desert on Tatooine who salvage droids). Well, if there were any droids passing here I'm pretty sure they'd be quite safe as these particular Jawas seem more drunk than busy. I just thought it was an amusing sight, worthy of sharing here. If you're not a fan of Star Wars, feel free to move along –these may not be the Jawas you are looking for! (Sorry)

Location: Oslo, Norway

British Market

Norwich has one of the oldest and finest markets in all of England, so well established that it's permanently covered and many of the stalls are pretty much miniature shops; yet the atmosphere is still very much that of any other market, with the certainty that once you go in you will find things you never knew existed and emerge clutching half a dozen things you don't need for every one item you do. But that's the fun of a market, and I for one love to explore such places; this one has essentially remained the same since I was a child, yet remains just as exciting and enjoyable. Now, I find it equally rewarding to photograph there whenever I visit the city. On this occasion, the market was just closing for the day so most of the stalls were boarded up. Boxes were stacked in the passageways between stalls that usually throng with people but which now were eerily empty. The light was interesting –pale sunlight filtering through the coverings of the market stalls giving a pale, almost underwater-like feeling. Here, I was attracted by the contrast of this to the bright Union Jack on the side of the box, and haphazard beauty of the pile of boxes itself.

Location: Norwich, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 8

Time for another example of that tenacious species, the abandoned but wandering glove. This fine specimen has hit the ground and is about to navigate its way across the flow path of a drain –which is fortunately dry here. The glove's innards seem to be emerging from three of the fingers, but perhaps this is a sign of spring! We wish the determined glove bon voyage on it's journey of discovery down the pavement.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Perfect Little House in the Snow

Winter is slowly coming to an end, at last, and everyone seems impatient to greet spring, briskly, before getting on to the business of summer. I have taken more pictures of snowy landscapes, snowmen, blizzards, snowstorms and icy streets this year than I care to count and I too long for the bright colours of a new season. But like nature itself, I can't quite let winter go yet, for snow undeniably makes things very pretty and peaceful (at least to start with) and is a great reflector of light. This is a picture that I find particularly pleasing in composition and tone. The house is a small out-building on the grounds of the Oslo Museum in the park near where I live. I'm unsure whether anyone lives in it, but I would be happy to do so. I find, both the house and the picture gives associations to Hollywood sets of the 1930s and 40s, where snow is unreal but looks perfect and all features are skilful products of succinct art direction.I love the fence and the way its slats are shadowed on the virgin snow, creating interesting patterns. The sky is also lively, the clouds tempering the bright sun somewhat and making for a more interesting picture. The house itself seems content, at rest. With this photograph, I conclude my "winter" pictures for this year; with Summer Time officially starting this weekend with the clocks going forward, I promise something warmer next time!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Street Furniture Standoff

Street furniture fascinates me in all its forms. I suppose most people (quite sensibly) take it all for granted, not giving much thought to the various benches and posts and myriad other features that they pass by on a daily basis, but imagine how naked a town would be without street furniture –and how dull! I've written before about how much street furniture defines a country or city and I never tire of observing the creativity and individuality. of the essentially mundane. The postbox here may look familiar in shape bearing an uncanny resemblance to the bright red ones in England. Indeed this would have been red long ago, but this is Ireland, and so they were painted green when the country gained its independence (a practical way to save money rather than having to redesign and replace them entirely). As for the red and yellow "box", I'm not quite sure what that is, but it is certainly striking, a bit like a vast slice of layer cake left on the pavement, being perused by the postbox. The quartet is completed by the lanky signpost and the short, lowly wooden bollard. I like all the colours here (Cork is a surprisingly colourful place) and the sense of emptiness -at least of people; here the various items of street furniture can bask in their own sense of purpose.

Location: Cork, Ireland

Footbridge in Nuremberg

I was watching a documentary last night about the last months of the Second World War. It partly dwelt on the city of Nuremberg which with its long Nazi past was particularly targeted and damaged as the conflict intensified. In fact, much of it was totally destroyed, flattened. Yet like numerous other cities that suffered a similar fate, it sprang up from the ashes to be reborn and to reclaim its historical heritage. When I visited the city a few years ago I was struck by how successful the reconstruction had been, and how little of the destruction and effects of war was visible. The city was not "modernised" or changed to suit new styles, but went back to its roots, recreating what was there before, without this seeming to be forced. A fine city to explore, especially on a warm summer day. Here we are by the river, looking at a quaint covered footbridge that seems to have been there for generations but is obviously -in its present regeneration– much newer than it looks. The vibrant colours of the trees and roofs and blue sky reflected in the water and the novelty of the bridge itself make this at least a mildly interesting picture; one to soak up and enjoy on an otherwise grey day in March when looking back (or forward) to hotter days is a tempting and rewarding pastime.

Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 7

Yet another mitten has lost its brother (or sister), this time in the stately setting of the Royal Palace in Oslo –glimpsed here in the background. Could this mitten have belonged to a wandering royal or a clumsy courtier? Now forced to linger atop a rubbish bin (shudder) it nonetheless manages to retain something of a regal state in the way it presents itself to the world, or is it perhaps begging for change so that it may be reunited with its partner...?

Location: Oslo, Norway

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

Escalator

I was fiddling with my camera, having just taken some fairly ordinary pictures of trains on the London Underground, and was returning up the escalator at Kilburn Park where I was staying at the time, when I was struck by the way the false light of the underground world is replaced by the real light of the outside world shining through a glass dome on top of the station hall. Then there were these golden ceiling lights that seemed in both illumination and style to belong a earlier age, giving a kind of welcoming warmth as one came up the stairs –and are a stark contrast to the functional strip lighting tubes below. Rather than making everything nice and straight and balanced, I wanted the angles to define the picture. Here, the dark lower ceiling cuts across diagonally at the top of the picture while the shadowy stairwells creates a sort of jagged effect below. These two elements create a nice frame for the lights, the destination. I liked the breaking up of composition and the dynamic quality of the various lines we see and I, at least, find the photograph quite exciting!

Location: London, England

Down on the Tracks

It's been a while since I posted any pictures of trains, which is surprising considering how much of a train freak I am. I'd happily photograph trains and railway stations and everything to do with them all day long and nothing else, but I think that would be too much –at least for this blog, and there are so many other things that are worthy of photographing too. But, my thoughts at the moment are turning to plans for the spring and summer, and for rail travel in particular, and so I'm dipping into some pictures of the past for inspiration. Here's a picture from the fabulous German railway museum in Nuremberg, taken in its large outdoor yard (I've not wandered dangerously between mainline tracks if that is what you are wondering). Here, all sorts of glorious pieces of rolling stock enjoy their semi-retirement and all the attention poured on them by enthusiasts such as myself. I got right down to track level to give these two trains a sense of grandness, despite their fairly ordinary pedigree. Are the trains coming or going; do the tracks lead away from us or towards us? I'm not going to get too philosophical about it, I just thought it was a nice picture to share, and hope all your train journeys be pleasant and exciting ones!

Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Reflection

Though ice on the roads and pavements can be a tiresome hinderance to normal movement at this time of year, it does sometimes create some interesting effects of light and texture. This is a street very close to where I live, and a chic cheese and groceries shop far too exclusive for my meagre wallet. It's always very pretty and inviting though, and here the golden light of its interior is reflected in pools of melted ice on the other side of the street street. Roads are dreadfully dull things usually, so it is refreshing to see their texture transformed a little. I like the curves and lines in the light here, and the slightly magical look of the otherwise ordinary urban landscape. It is early evening and lights in the windows are beginning to be turned on. In one of the windows a star can be seen, for this picture was taken around Christmas time. The warmth of the shop with its bright lights is some distance away, adding, I think, to the slightly melancholy beauty of the picture.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 6

This truant mitten has found a post on which to pose. It may have been assisted to this perch by some "helpful" passer by, but one cannot rule out that it has climbed there itself, to get a better view of its surroundings and perhaps locate its partner –possibly its owner too.In the meantime, it functions as a kind of waving beacon to those battling the wintery conditions of Oslo at this time. And though no hand is currently warmed by its embrace, the post surely must feel lucky to have the luxury of being capped by such a fine mitten!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Coloured Windows

There's something quite reminiscent of Piet Mondrian in this assembly of coloured glass window panes in a side-street of Dublin. But there's an eclectic mix of textures too, or rather types of glass that is far from the clean lines of the De Stijl movement and perhaps more in keeping with Irish individualism. The colours are pleasing, in a chocolate box sort of way, the allure definitely inviting –one is drawn to these windows as much to discover what is beyond as to admire them in their own right. By day such windows are perhaps merely quaint; by night they become magical. I had only my trusty pocket camera with me when I passed by here, and that is never brilliant for nighttime shots, but I did by best with what I had, wishing I had a camera that allowed a longer exposure time and greater sharpness; yet sometimes the moment is enough; the world doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Mountain Water

Norwegian has a word that describes a body of water that can be somewhere between a lake and a pond, but either of these too! Confusingly, the word is the same as the word for water itself: vann. The English equivalent in this mountain setting would probably be a tarn, but I have always found that word rather bland and nondescript, and somehow "water" works for me –probably because I have been in Norway for so long. This particular "water" in the mountainous countryside of mid Norway is apt to grow in size –being at its largest in spring after the winter snows have melted, and –if the summer is a hot and dry one– retreating to a marshy puddle later in the year. But here it sparkles in the afternoon sun of an early July. Calm, tranquil, somehow inviting and yet also perhaps a little mysterious (in a pleasant way). I've rendered the picture in sepia to accentuate this, but also because I find the cloud formations quite agreeable this way. Beyond the "water" and trees can be seen the ridges of three separate ranges of mountains, some still with snow on them. There is no one about, and were the picture to have an accompanying soundtrack, the only sounds that would be heard would be the slight rustling of the wind in the trees and the occasional distant buzz of some insect out on a spree. I find the picture very calming.

Location: Valdres, Norway

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 5

A single mitten, lonely and lost, perching recklessly on the corner of a wall next to stairs outside the main library in Oslo on a winter's day. I would imagine that this particular mitten would have belonged to a child, perhaps even now being told off for losing it –or did it merely escape? Again I am fascinated that there should only be one –there almost always is. Is it because gloves are never lost in pairs, or perhaps, if they are, that they are immediately appropriated by someone else –whereas your single mitten or glove is like a forlorn soul, doomed to solitude. We must remember of course, that the moment one glove is lost, both become useless –unless you happen to only have one arm...

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

Old England

Now, here's a building with character. Built in 1899 as a department store this wonderful art-nouveau edifice is now a museum devoted to musical instruments –the equally wonderful MIM. The building is audacious but not at all vulgar or overdone; it stands out among its neighbours but not in such a way that it dazzles or ignores them –a perfectly behaved building in other words. And yet the details of its wrought iron facade and fine windows fascinate and thrill. It's almost like a fairytale building, a benign one, that you feel compelled to enter and explore. Were all buildings like this it would be too much for the eye, but how uplifting it is to come across such fabulous frippery now and again.

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Favourite Picture of the Year

With the year drawing to a close it's time to look back (as well as forward) and try and pick out one photograph that I regard as my own personal favourite. No easy task. If you go to my Facebook page you will be able to see my four favourite pictures taken in Oslo, and each of those is in a way worthy of holding the main honour, but here, having to choose just one picture, I have gone for a photograph taken just a few weeks ago when the first big snowfall came. The picture is taken from a footbridge crossing a road outside of Oslo where I used to live, and it's both a bridge and a view that I have known since childhood. The straight road always and the way it stretches into the distance always seems to represent to me a metaphor of life –its opportunities and the forward-going draw of time. This year, I turned 50, which I found a surprisingly tough "achievement", so the road sign here has a very personal connection. Indeed the whole photograph is very personal as it expresses "me" as I am right now. Hopefully, it's also quite a nice picture to look at. It's rendered in monochrome, but the colour versions I took looked very much the same, for the day was dull and grey and the little green of the trees was so subdued and dark that they appeared almost black. Besides, I've always felt that snow and trees always look best in black and white! Next year, I shall try to post pictures more regularly (that's a resolution!) and I hope also to expand more into portraits –an area of photography I have always been a little cautious about so far, but now feel confident to explore more. I also have a number of series-projects that I shall be sharing pictures from as the year goes by, and now and again dipping into my archive to find some interesting pictures of old. In the meantime, may I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and thank you as always for bothering to drop by to glance at these myriad pictures of mine.

Location: Rykkinn, Norway

Gathering of Nisser!

With Christmas rapidly approaching here's a feisty collection of "nisser", or elves if you prefer (gnomes, perhaps too?) with a heritage stretching back for at least a century. Many of these rosy elves are from Sweden, but one or two are German, Norwegian and perhaps even further afield. You'll notice also that they all seem to be male. Or are they? It is quite rare to see a female Christmas elf, but one has managed to infiltrate this otherwise masculine crowd –can you spot her? (clue: she's the one without a beard!). The setting here is a local market that sells bric-a-brac and antiques most of the year, but close to Christmas focuses on more seasonal fare. The abundance of red gave me an instant injection of Christmas spirit, and it's somehow always satisfying to photograph a collection of things that are similar in one respect yet diverse in another. I hope your own Christmas elves treat you well, and that you treat them well in return!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 4

Another glove out on its own in the big world. You'd think that one this bright would have been too conspicuous to lose, but it clearly has a desire to escape and explore. All it needs to do first is to cross this sea of slats. Perhaps in search of its partner, which surely must be equally lonely? wherever it is.

Location: Oslo, Norway

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

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 3

The third in my series of "Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL" -and once again one that has climbed up into a tree to display itself to the world. The leaves may have fallen, but the gloves continue to ascend -or did this one perhaps fall from the sky? Who knows.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Benches at Sunset

A fairly hazy but pleasant autumn day on the south coast of England with the sun going down and bathing the beach and surroundings in a gentle, pale luminosity heightened by the haze. The sunset has been more spectacular and vivid earlier, but noe people are heading home as the air is turning chilly. These benches would have been occupied earlier by people looking out to sea, taking in the salty air, calmly contemplating... Now the benches themselves get to contemplate. I was intrigued by the way the light hit the slats, lifting the ordinariness of the benches to something special and perhaps a little bit magical (helped by the haze). They invite, yet one almost dares not disturb. There's also a nice line into the distance with the slats and the railings contrasting with the lines out into the sea of the breakers and pier.

Location: Hastings, England

Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL -No 2

The second in my series of "Gloves and Mittens Gone AWOL" -and in this case a particularly fine knitted mitten with a traditional Norwegian design. The mystery remains, how can anyone lose just one of these? And how helpful is it really that people drape them across branches or fences? More to follow.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Lambeth Bridge

One of my casual ongoing projects is to photograph all 33 bridges that cross the River Thames in Greater London. I'm around halfway there now, and you may have some of the earlier posts featuring those bridges I have so far covered. Here's a new one –the often forgotten Lambeth Bridge, so often overlooked by its more illustrious neighbour a little further down the river (Westminster Bridge. But Lambeth Bridge is as equally an essential crossing and has charms of its own, not least the views of the Palace of Westminster from the other side, and a good deal fewer tourists. It's also a good place to cross over to explore the quieter end of the South Bank, excellent for a good walk either along the riverside or down into Lambeth itself. Interestingly, the red colour on the bridge is meant to refer to the colour of the seats in the House of Lords, which is closest to the bridge, whereas the more green Westminster Bridge refers to the colour of seats in the House of Commons, which is closest to that bridge! Though there's been a bridge here since 1862 (and before that a ferry crossing at this point), the present structure opened in 1932. It has some nice features, like the lamps seen here, and the bridge has now been listed and therefore protected. As is my usual whim, I have photographed the bridge with a red double decker halfway across –for few things symbolise London to me more.

Location: London, England

Gloves and Mittens gone AWOL

With temperatures slowly sinking as the year heads towards winter, I am once again starting to observe the fascinating phenomenon of gloves and mittens gone AWOL. This is quite a curious phenomenon, but once you become aware of it you will begin to notice it more and more, and –in my case– start to collect examples of it, until now it has become a bit of an obsession; whenever I see a case of it, I have to take a photograph. In short, it's the curious discovery anywhere in the urban or rural landscape of a single glove or mitten that has somehow managed to escape its owner (and companion glove or mitten) and gone off on its own, then left or sometimes placed somewhere and seldom reunited with anything other than the elements. Now I can quite understand how someone may lose or forget a pair of gloves, that is very easily done even though that may look like carelessness, but one...? Can that be simply regarded a misfortune? I prefer to think the gloves/mittens are up to something –perhaps one of each pair is sensible and well-behaved and the other is reckless and eager to roam. I will be presenting the evidence under the label "Gloves on the Loose". Not as a public service designed to bring gloves back to their owners (though that would probably be a worthwhile venture), but to show the variety and ingeniousness of these rogue hand garments! Look about you - they're everywhere; perhaps they're even planning to take over the world!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Rooftops

It's my favourite time of year again –autumn, or fall if you're American– and no season is more inviting for anyone with a camera. I'm taking lots and lots of pictures at the moment as Norwegian autumns are relatively short but condensed, so that the changes in colour from day to day can be quite dramatic and certainly increasingly splendid, but then it's suddenly all over and winter sets in. The colourful display of nature at this time somehow informs the way I look at other things too –like here the hues and textures of rooftops and buildings close to the city centre of Oslo. What I love about this view is the higgledy-piggledy character of the collection of buildings and the way their variety nonetheless creates a sort of unity. I feel all of these buildings has a story to tell, and I'm fascinated by each of these windows. The charmingly irregular colours and textures of some of the brickwork and tiles mirror a little those of autumn leaves, some of which have already begun to fall, creating golden trimming on the building in the centre. I have increased the saturation of the picture a little for effect, but not that much -autumn doesn't really need it.

Location: Oslo, Norway

Ladder to the Clouds

Here's an image I captured last weekend when during an open-day and demonstration by the fire services in Oslo. This impressive ladder climbed up to an impressive height above the central square of a little park in the city centre, cutting an unusual and captivating silhouette against a moody sky. The statue beneath is of Henrik Wergeland, a celebrated Norwegian writer and figure of the 19th century. He usually dominates this square, but today has to play second fiddle to the enormous ladder. Though it's not easy to see from this angle, someone had placed a fire helmet on his head for the day, the back of which looks a little like a red wig here. It's always difficult to take pictures of tall objects that do justice to their height and the impression they give in real life. Here the statue (itself oversized) gives some perspective to the ladder and makes the picture much more interesting than had it been of just the ladder by itself. The trees add to the sense of heightened diagonal cutting of the field of view in two is intentional. Sadly, I was not one of the lucky ones able to ascend and take pictures from the control basket at the top –which is just as well, as I am not too good with heights, and just standing down here made me dizzy!

Location: Oslo, Norway

Dom

Berlin is one of my favourite cities both to visit and to photograph. And, without quite knowing why, I have always felt the city looks best on pictures when the sky is bedecked with cloud. Perhaps it's an emotional reflection of the city's dramatic history, perhaps the relative flatness of the terrain is better served against a backdrop of ever-shifting cloud; perhaps it's to do with light. Probably it's a mixture of all three. Don't get me wrong, I love blue, clear skies (anywhere), but my photographic genes are always doubly excited or activated when I see turbulent cloud formations in the sky –and, especially in Berlin. Here, the sky is vivacious but not at all threatening –there had been drops of rain before and more were to follow, but these showers was light. Somewhere behind the clouds the sun was trying to poke through, but its bright light is gently subdued and disseminated –illuminating the facade of the Berlin Dom quite splendidly and vibrantly without harshness. The camera I was using had a bit of a lens issue which has caused the left side of the picture to be a little blurry, but I liked the rest of the picture so much that I've overlooked this deficiency. I wanted to capture the magnificence of the cathedral without it appearing too domineering or even oppressive (which can often be the result when photographing such buildings). Therefore I've taken the picture from a low angle but at some distance, capturing both the building itself but more importantly its setting in the city and against the lovely, moody Berlin sky. Location: Berlin, Germany

Evening in Miami

Like many people, I have been following with concern the trail of havoc caused by Hurricane Irma as it pushes through the Caribbean, and heads towards mainland USA. And having in the past spent many happy days in Florida, I'm thinking about places I have visited there, people I have met, and the dreadful helplessness of battling such a fearsome storm, knowing that it is on its way. I remember seeing the after-effects of that previous huge hurricane that bears my name, but I keep my fingers crossed that this storm may change direction, and that any damage anywhere be minimal. Yet as I write, Miami seems to be directly in its path, including even more exposed Miami Beach, and much of the city is being evacuated and boarded up. I've seen temperamental weather conditions there myself; sometimes they can even be exciting. But this is something else. Here, however, I'm posting a picture of the Miami I like to return to in my thoughts: of warm evenings at sunset, with mad but mellow colours spilling over the familiar beloved architecture of South Beach, palm trees standing languidly in repose, peace and yet a thrilling vibrancy. The air sweet and soft, with the day's heat lingering but without the harshness The evening is just starting, but this is the best time. And I hope I shall be able to experience many such moments here again. Location: Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Dublin Street

Whenever I used to imagine what Dublin was like, I conjured up in my mind a picture of narrow, cobble-stoned streets with quaint old lamp posts and bicycles –and always in black and white. Perhaps this image came to me from some painting I'd once seen, or (more probably) some book I'd read; maybe I'd been influenced by an old film. When I finally got to visit Dublin, I was delighted to find parts of it that corresponded totally with those pictures in my mind. Dublin is, of course, a lot more besides and a city of myriad views, but I was drawn to streets like this as a moth is drawn to a lamp. And talking of lamps, what is it about old lampposts that fill streets with dignity and character where modern ones merely seem to be a necessary eyesore! The only thing missing here is people –this was early on a quiet morning; the kind of quiet morning that is the inevitable tailpiece to a lively Dublin evening –is there any other kind?! Location: Dublin, Ireland

Boats and Ducks

Here is a little group of boats on a calm blue lake in Germany. It is a hot summer's day with a light, pleasant breeze and one would think that all these boats would be occupied and out on the water, but here they remain waiting, guarded by a pair of ducks. I liked the way the two boats at the front mirrored each other, their bows almost kissing, and the little splashes of red and yellow add a little vibrancy to all the blue, which I find quite appealing. A nice "summery" picture in other words, with no pretension of being anything else, but yet I am a little intrigued as to why there should be a barbecue out on the quay... Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Seaside View

This photograph was not taken at the height of summer - if it were I think you would see quite a different scene and lots more life here, for this is a busy seaside town that thrives on its summer visitors and then goes into a sort of hibernation off-season –which is a time I have always found particularly alluring, especially at seaside resorts. I don't know why this is, perhaps it has something to do with the emptiness and the grandeur of the sea and sky and vast, empty beaches. Things that are closed up have an interest of their own, I find, and I love photographing places like this out of season. Here, the long line of beach huts (that peculiarly English tradition) stretches into the distance, but none of the brightly painted doors are open. One or two people are out walking but otherwise all is calm and sedate. Yet it is easy to imagine the chatter of excited bathers, squabbling children with buckets and spades, families set out to enjoy at day at the beach and a dip in the sea. The clouds are a little moody but not at all malignant, and there is a stretch of low, late-afternoon sunshine giving a promise of hot summers to come... Location: Lowestoft, England

Au Revoir, Tour de France, 2017

Being hooked on cycling, it is perhaps not surprising that closely following the 21 stages of the Tour de France has meant my mind this month has been full of exciting moments, gruelling mountain climbs, exhilarating sprint finishes, frenzied commentary and the whizz of bicycles flashing by. But the event is so much more than just the cycling -there's theatre, circus, history, geography, comradeship and a closeness between spectator and participant that is unlike that in any other sport. I have even had dreams about cycle races these past few weeks. Today, sadly, it is all over for 2017, but perhaps as a timely salute to France for putting on this spectacular undertaking year after year, the sun shone brightly through a couple of bottles on the white window-sill of my living room, creating the distinctive and proud Tricolore. Vive la France et Le Tour –À la prochaine!! Location: Oslo, Norway

Bench Talk

Sometimes what is missing from a picture says more than if it is included. Here, on a very hot day, two benches face each other on a vast field of grass. There are no people, but their absence is incidental –we can imagine any number of pairings or conversations that have taken place here earlier. But this is a bit like a bench stand-off –or perhaps it's a nostalgic chat, an interview, a date? The benches certainly have personality –one of them even seems to have a face (or is that just my imagination?) and there is something untypical but refreshing about their location and position. It's an image that opens up to all sorts of interpretations and somehow draws you in. Location: Hovedøya (Oslo), Norway

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

Beside the Sea

This is one of a series of photographs I took when I visited Deal in Kent last September, another stop on my quest to photograph 100 coastal towns around Great Britain. I had not visited it for many years, but it is where the English side of my family comes from and I spent quite a lot of time there as a child. In front us is the English Channel, and to the left can be seen the end of the pier. But it is the simple imperfect beauty of the telephone box along with the ornate streetlights that form the real subject of the picture. There is something odd about the telephone box's location, and of course its stance, but its iconic bright red form is somehow reassuring and optimistic, and the continuation of the red with the flowerbed backed by the white wall and above that the blue water forms a gentle manifestation of the French flag (on its side) –which is appropriate because France itself is right there on the horizon. I like the clean simplicity and becalming quality of the whole image. No cars, no people, blue sky. Location, Deal, England

Which Way?

Summer is upon us, and with it comes the prospect of myriad outdoor activities under (hopefully) blue skies. One of my own favourite things to do at this time is hiking in the forests and hills surrounding the bowl that is the city of Oslo. This beautiful area is only a short distance from the city –there's even a tram that takes you right to the start of one of the many trails– yet you can walk for miles without seeing a single person at this time of the year. Quite different to the winter season when these same forests teem with people skiing, with queues even forming at weekends! However, in the summer most people seem to prefer being at the beach or along the coast, but personally I find the forest far more agreeable: views are frequently stunning; if the temperature is hot you are cooled by the trees, and a dip in any number of lakes will equal the sea for a relaxing swim. You can be out in the wild for days on end, but there are numerous huts and cabins that can be visited, or you can pitch a tent or sleep under the stars. There's nothing like it! Fortunately all the trails are clearly marked and signposted, (red for winter and blue for summer use) and as you can see, the only problem is deciding where to go... Location: Oslo, Norway

Boat from Above

There's not really a story behind this picture –though I am sure this little boat could tell a tale or two if it were graced with the power of speech. However, I was attracted by all the little details, and the way the bright sunlight played on the murky water and the various textures seen here. I was particularly fascinated by the peeling surface of the quay, revealing a lighter paint beneath and giving the impression of a coastal map. The two brick-shaped objects a little further along are haphazardly placed but perfectly harmonious with the rest of the setting, and the colour is mirrored in that of the oars –another pair. There are also numerous circles here that contrast with each other thematically. I also find it a very calming image –you can feel the warmth of this particular day, and the water is totally tranquil. One of my favourite pictures. Location: Portsmouth, England