Blackfriars stairs

I was about to take the staircase to the District and Circle line Underground platform at Blackfriars station, in the heart of the City of London.

It was empty. This is a rare pleasure, creating space to take some shots. The stairs and the handrail on the descent are full of lines, shapes, curves, angles and symmetry. Some everyday magic that is a feast for the camera.

I edited the colour shot to emphasise its vibrancy. The stairs and walls were given a soft focus to draw the eye to the ordinary – yet ornate – handrails.

The goalposts shift in this other shot, as it captures two people at the bottom of the stairs. Its editing is a deep, moody monochrome. A case of the camera telling two stories from the same spot.

Which one gets your seal of approval?…

Tags: architecture, colour versus monochrome, handrails, London, London Underground, photography, staircase, symmetry, travellers, Tube station

19 thoughts on “Blackfriars stairs”

harrienijland on November 5, 2013 at 22:47 said:

Colored one for me. It’s about the handrail and the rhythm of its construction; fine colours; and the rest of the staircase is a silent, non-distracting background. The B&W is about the staircase; but it’s too tight for me. The handrail is cut off a little, but still quite dominant in the centre; and the two people are almost with their heads against the edge of the frame. Cheers!

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- mikeosbornphoto on November 7, 2013 at 11:53 said:
  
  Thank you for your assessment, Harris, much appreciated! And I agree. The colour shot is much more pure and better framed. Needless to say it came after the one with people.
  
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eric0704 on October 27, 2013 at 15:50 said:

I love the b&w with the ppl in it! Great shot. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 27, 2013 at 16:09 said:
  
  Thanks Eric, much appreciated. Enjoyed your fairground night shots – spectacular. I should try something similar.
  
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Claire Edwards on October 19, 2013 at 19:25 said:

I prefer the color one, as it really jumps out and adds to the abstract nature of the shot.

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 19, 2013 at 19:55 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Claire. I agree, it has much more punch.
  
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guillaumebx on October 19, 2013 at 17:34 said:

Really brilliant, the contrasts, colors and framing are perfect !

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 19, 2013 at 19:56 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Guillaume. It was a pleasure to edit as well – and push the usual boundaries a little more.
  
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ckponderings on October 17, 2013 at 13:19 said:

Ooh… Toughie! I like the first one because of the vibrancy of the colours, but the second one works really well too, the people giving it a sense of perspective… Hmmm… Let me come back to you on that one! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 17, 2013 at 20:38 said:
  
  Hmmm, I quite like to be the cause of indecision! It’s the colour one without doubt for me, clean lines and no figures.
  
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Björn Törngren on October 17, 2013 at 08:38 said:

Nice work! A nice mix of sharpness and bokeh…

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 17, 2013 at 20:41 said:
  
  Much appreciated, Bjorn, thank you!
  
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SeniSilat on October 16, 2013 at 18:36 said:

Great shot!

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 16, 2013 at 18:41 said:
  
  Thank you :-) Which one do you prefer?
  
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  - SeniSilat on October 16, 2013 at 20:02 said:
    
    The first one!
    
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    - mikeosbornphoto on October 16, 2013 at 21:17 said:
      
      Thank you! It wouldn’t be the same with the people in it.
      
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Kiki on October 16, 2013 at 18:05 said:

Definitely the colour one for me! And it’s all perfectly centered, too… that only works 1 out of 10 times for me :-)

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- mikeosbornphoto on October 16, 2013 at 18:19 said:
  
  I think I agree, Kiki. It has an energy to it. The central part of the handrail was a very good guide – and there was no-one around to rock the boat :-)
  
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ugurkayars on October 16, 2013 at 17:29 said:

Reblogged this on At least we made it this far….

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