Azerbaijan: Land of fire

November 10, 2018April 16, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 3 Comments

This was a fleeting visit to an oil-rich country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, following visits to its neighbours in the Caucasus, Armenia and Georgia.

Azerbaijan boasts a showpiece capital in Baku, with contemporary architecture and wide, pleasant boulevards.

Outside of Baku, the country boasts fortresses, ancient rock carvings and plumes of fire from the earth.

But the landscape is sometimes barren and unforgiving, while the opulence and modernity of Baku doesn’t extend much beyond the city.

Here’s what I saw…

Click first image to see gallery

Farewell to London

September 23, 2016September 23, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 16 Comments

After living in London for more than 16 years, it’s time to say goodbye. I’m heading north to Manchester for fresh challenges and a whole new hinterland for photography.

I’ve been looking back over thousands of photographs taken in this city over the past five years, meaning much of my time here is locked in memories. This tiny fraction of images touches upon London’s scale and grand architecture – and places I’ve spent many hours in or passed by so many times. A goodbye here is a hello elsewhere – see you again soon from pastures new.

Click first image to view the gallery

: St Paul’s Cathedral and Millennium Bridge

: A sunset from the house at Godolphin Road

: Hammersmith new builds

: London’s Docklands

: Often passed, never frequented

: BBC Television Centre

: Green and graceful Hammersmith Bridge

: My west London flat of eight years

: Zaha Hadid’s Olympic legacy

: Westminster at dusk

: A familiar Tube station

: The railings at Dorville Crescent

: The top of The Shard

: London’s cable car

: A Shepherds Bush landmark

: The loss of Television Centre

Space age images

October 13, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 18 Comments

This is a set of abstracts that could have been taken on another planet. They’re alien, strange and hard to fathom, filled with cosmic light and unlikely shapes.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

But there’s a more earthly explanation for these images. They were taken inside the Roca Gallery in London, an intriguing space age building designed by the architectural practice of Zaha Hadid, the doyenne of graceful, cutting edge design including the fabulous Aquatic Centre at the Olympic Park.

And here’s the irony – it’s actually a glorified bathroom showroom. Well worth a look even if you have no intention of buying some lovely new taps or porcelain bowl.

Olympic legacy

September 21, 2014September 21, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

Two years ago the eyes of the world were on London for the Olympic Games. A neglected area of the city was redeveloped to host the event, which was deemed a huge success.

After the action has finished, it’s easy for facilities to fall into disuse. There’s little sign of that in London. The area has been turned into a playground for the city, with beautifully sculpted walkways where everyone is free to roam.

It has great architectural interest with the amazing curves of the Aquatic Centre, designed by Britain’s high priestess of building design, Zaha Hadid. It sits near Orbit, a thrusting artistic twist of metal created by Anish Kapoor. And the athletes’ village has been turned over to private residential use.

This is a place that visitors want to explore, long after the buzz of Olympic competition left the arena. Here’s a portrait of the park captured one afternoon in both its might, detail and as a people’s place.