Arctic Manchester

January 15, 2023January 15, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

How’s the weather where you live today? January has been mostly grey, miserable and sodden here in Manchester.

But in December there was a prolonged blast of frozen weather with bone-bitingly chilly temperatures.

The city turned into a different place, with stellar light throwing out glossy blues, industrial plumes of steam and strong reflections in still waters.

I spent a day with photographer William Perugini on his first visit to Manchester. It was a very cold, productive day filled with Arctic magic.

Tap/click first image to view gallery

Manchester dusk

November 19, 2019October 26, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Winter is coming to the north of England and the light begins to fade before 4pm.

One afternoon, sitting at my desk at home in Manchester, I glanced out of the window to see a fading, red and beautiful light.

I grabbed my camera and went out, walking along the Bridgewater Canal towpath that stretches from my neighbourhood of Castlefield to Pomona.

It was cold and the water was coal black and still, creating delicious reflections. Tracing back my steps, I looked around and was blessed with a rich urban sunset.

Click first image to see gallery

Mosque magic

February 28, 2016January 11, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

You have to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at least twice on a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. By the dazzling light of day, this beguiling building teems with visitors and can be hot work. But it remains open until long after sunset, and is transformed by illuminations which unveil a magical spectrum of colours, shimmering reflections and accentuate the wonderful lines and shapes created by this wonder of architecture.

After dark, the visitors have thinned out and lurk as silhouettes, and you can find stretches of the mosque are your own. The grounds are lit with warm, golden lamps which add to the atmosphere. And as for night photography, the lighting means that a tripod isn’t essential or even necessary. You must definitely take a night stroll around this building if you’re ever in this Middle Eastern city.

Click first image to view this collection

Northern lights

April 12, 2015April 18, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

My trip to the bold, handsome northerly city of Newcastle upon Tyne was partly fuelled by nostalgia. I lived there in 1997 and was curious to find out what I recognised and what had changed.

The mind plays tricks on you. What was in my mind wasn’t quite there. And the city has moved on a great deal since those days. I went out one evening to drink in the lights of the city and capture them on film. With two beautiful bridges in the city centre and a calm, still river that absorbs reflection, this was a satisfying and new experience in Newcastle.