Underneath

June 28, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

Elephant and Castle in London is notorious with city dwellers for its rundown shopping centre and existence as a major road artery just south of the River Thames.

Beneath the busy traffic system lies a network of subways, allowing pedestrians to safely negotiate their way from one side of Elephant to another.

It’s adorned with cheerful, vibrant murals – official art unlike the Leake Street graffiti tunnel – but is a confusing maze to negotiate. I spent my first week in London staying locally, and often went round in circles. At night-time, it can feel a little intimidating.

For this shoot I wanted to get lost to cover every corner of the system and pass as many fellow pedestrians as possible. On my way out, I followed the signs to the Tube station – now that seemed like the longest walk…

Click first image to launch the gallery

Park moments

April 22, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

It’s a sun-kissed, warm Spring afternoon in Holland Park, west London. I’m ambling about to get some fresh air and armed with my camera.

This is nothing more than a brief snapshot of that walk in the park. I spotted many other people enjoying the end of a long, cold winter. A lush carpet of ivy. The budding trees and a pile of wood. Even a simple wooden fence looked radiant in the fine weather.

I tried a mixture of high key shots and some with the exposure compensation dialled far back for a contrast of mood. When the light is abundant, there is so much you can do.

Click first image to launch the gallery

The sepia collection

October 1, 2012October 5, 2012 / mikeosbornphoto / 19 Comments

Sepia is considered an old-fashioned way to treat photographs, stuffy and Victorian. But it’s still used in the digital age, and brings a certain something to various shots.

I’m a fan, but use it quite sparingly. You know when it fits a photograph and adds something to the story. Landscapes which contain people often come under the sepia gaze in my editing suite. It adds many different subtle moods and freezes a moment more delicately. Architectural details, already locked in time, can also benefit from this treatment. This collection of UK shots that I’ve put together hopefully visualises these points.