Olympic rings

London’s Olympic lights

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

A pleasant evening along the Thames in London just a day after the Olympics spectacular opening ceremony. The river’s South Bank is thronging with people, mostly tourists. The centre of the capital seems brighter, more illuminated than usual. I’ve never seen so many cameras, so many photographs being taken – there is even a bristling of tripods.

A bridge is dazzlingly lit up orange and blue, turning the Thames into a rich, glittering sheet of water in the presence of St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Olympic shot everyone has been taking. Tower Bridge shimmers, with the Olympic rings as its centrepiece.

Across the river from Tower Bridge, it’s business as usual for the skyscrapers of Docklands, which are amply lit. I didn’t have the chance to take this shot before, so this was the night to do it. London’s lights are hard to resist at any time.

See also:

Pretty in pink

Pretty in pink

/ mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

London’s iconic Tower Bridge in all its glory on a summer’s evening. Just days before the start of the Olympics, it is being illuminated in various colours to mark the imminent arrival of the games. Just after this pink and light purple show was a patriotic burst of red, white and blue.

I was a bit too early to see the Olympic rings unfurl from the top of the bridge – they’ll be on display and lit up in the evenings during the games. Coming back to capture this on another warm, pleasant evening will be anything but a drag.

See also:

London pride

London behind the landmarks

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

London is a city full of famous sights and sweeping views, ripe to be clicked, all for the taking. The big picture isn’t everything here in the capital, though. Here is a trio of shots taken in the heart of this metropolis – but they do little to give this away.

A wooden barrier dappled with lichen with crafts on the River Thames beyond. This spot is close to Tower Bridge, The Shard and London’s iconic waterside.

Sunlight floods through a glass and wooden skylight. This is at Leadenhall Market, an old trading area which is now filled with shops and eateries. It sits right in the heart of the city’s financial district.

This is not just near a London landmark – it is part of one. The graceful coloured metalwork is part of Tower Bridge, much better recognised for its twin towers. It’s now graced with a set of Olympic rings to mark the imminent arrival of the games in the capital.

The joy of living in a world-renowned city is to have the chance to explore it at length and take photographs of its less obvious side. There is a lifetime of those captures just waiting to be found.

Olympic colours

/ mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

The Diamond Jubilee has been and gone, and now attentions in London and the UK turn to the Olympics, just weeks away.

Our travels took us to St Pancras train station, the place to catch a Eurostar train direct to Europe.

It’s a thoroughly modernised travel hub, sat beneath a beautiful Victorian canopy which is an object of desire for architects, engineers and photographers alike.

A vast set of Olympic rings is suspended from the roof and is being photographed crazily.

I did my best to find a slightly offhand angle and perspective for this colourful capture.

But if you click on the thumbnail beneath this large depiction, you will see how the emblem looks to the regular eye.

Like the Union Jack during the Jubilee period, just how often will this Olympic symbol grace images in the coming weeks?