Monochrome

Manchester’s winter haven

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This was a return visit to Fletcher Moss Park, a beautiful nature spot in Didsbury, south Manchester. 

The last time I wandered around there with my camera was in late summer 2018, when it was a lush riot of colour. The park’s famous Poplar walkway was full and verdant.

In January the great trees were bare and mournful. The rock garden was showing signs of death and decay. But amongst this were the early green shoots of Spring, those signs of hope.

The colour cast of my two Fletcher Moss sets is very different. But Manchester folk still visit to walk their dogs, stretch their legs and enjoy this city haven – whatever the season.

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Walks with my camera

/ mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

When winter takes a grip here in Manchester, the temptation is to hibernate with a hot drink and a blanket.

But the need to stretch your legs and brave the fresh air can take over. I find wrapping up warm and picking up my camera bag helps the cause.

My recent camera walks have taken in the city’s Bridgewater Canal towpath, the nearby Cheshire countryside and a festive Manchester city centre after dark in the pouring rain.

Here’s some of my shots. Remember it’s always worth popping a small camera in your pocket when the leave the house – no matter what the conditions are.

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Abandoned

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The vast southern African country of Namibia has a myriad of attractions, from its stark, majestic scenery to colourful colonial era towns.

Kolmanskop is another of those gems. This settlement supported a diamond mine during the German occupation of the early 20th century. The last families moved out in the 1950s and it became a ghost town.

The Namib Desert’s dry climate has preserved the buildings and is slowly consuming them. Visitors are allowed to explore former dwellings from the hospital to a skittle alley.

Taking photographs is an unusual and slightly unnerving experience, while the pursuit of ‘abandonment porn’ is a popular one – see how tours of Chernobyl are now widely available.

A trip to Namibia should always include a visit to remarkable Kolmanskop.

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Dead Sea shores

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A stark, arid landscape. Temperatures of 45°C. And a body of water that’s like a warm bath. Doesn’t sound appealing?

Well you’d be surprised. I had a week of relaxation on Israel’s Dead Sea coast at the small resort of Ein Bokek, and it was a haven for many holidaymakers.

The water is saline-rich and packed with minerals, so floating around in it aimlessly is a popular pastime. Piling on pounds of black Dead Sea mud and leaving it there until it bakes is another way to occupy the hours.

The hazy blue hues of this strange environment are entrancing, while I enjoyed the stark architecture of the sprinkling of big hotels. The calm reflections of the water and bathers drifting around in the brine just cried out to be captured. 

Go beneath the gallery to read a cautionary tale for travellers

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Departing from Israel via Tel Aviv airport is an unnerving experience. Before you queue up at the check-in desks, there is a line of security officers, and I wasn’t prepared for at least half an hour of questions about why I’d been in the country and what I’d been doing.

The grilling became increasingly awkward and stressful. Why had I only visited the Dead Sea? Why did I have to alter my flight? Do you have the receipt for that? It felt very intrusive for someone who had innocently been relaxing by a salty pool. Three officials later and almost losing my cool, my suitcase was tagged and I was relieved to be on my way.

Only back at home did I discover the card slipped into my case which informed me it had been manually searched after check-in, which did nothing to reduce my sense of unease.

I set about doing some research and found out that it’s not uncommon to face quite tough security questioning on departure from Tel Aviv airport. As a lone male I was of immediate interest. Also, the ‘interrogation’ is a way of measuring an adverse or suspicious reaction. In my case they noticed a trembling hand and wondered if I’d seen a doctor for treatment!

Israel considers this a good method to ensure aircraft leaving its airspace are safe and is unlikely to change. It’s best to be forewarned and keep calm during the process. However, it did nothing to make me feel valued as a visitor to the country. I maintain that I won’t go there again.

Albania: Land of eagles

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British holidaymakers flock in their thousands to nearby Spain, Italy and Greece. This is a country which is equally close but remains practically undiscovered.

Albania has it all. A coastline bathed in sunshine, epic mountains, castles and mosques, not to mention a fascinating capital city, Tirana.

The country’s unique selling point is the decades it spent in isolation ruled by socialist dictator Enver Hoxha. Thousands of bunkers from that era pepper the countryside while grandiose statues and murals aren’t hard to stumble across.

There was a diversity of photographs to capture in Albania, while it felt energetic and surprisingly modern. We know the Mediterranean far too well, but this is a twist on the familiar that’s well worth checking out.

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