Inside Manchester’s history

August 25, 2024August 25, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

One of my summer highlights was the chance to see inside an iconic Manchester building.

Manchester Central – now an exhibition and conference centre – started life in 1880 as a grand railway station until its closure in 1969.

The building, with its lofty arched roof and station clock, was empty for visitors to marvel at its scale and the prowess of Victorian engineering.

It’s part of a complex which has hosted everything from rock concerts to the Nightingale Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and is a Mancunian landmark.

What do you think?

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An interior view of Manchester's former Central Station, a feat of Victorian engineering.

The historic Midland Hotel can be seen through Manchester Central’s vast window

Manchester's ornate Tower of Light rising above the roof of Central Station.

The Tower of Light is a more recent Manchester landmark next to the former rail station

Rotterdam: Architectural dream

August 11, 2024August 14, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

I chose to visit Rotterdam for my first stay in the Netherlands, lured by a city positively brimming with eye-catching modern architecture.

The city centre was almost completely destroyed during World War II and was reconstructed in the decades following the conflict.

Rotterdam is now filled with modern buildings, many of them high rise with contemporary designs. Enjoy the photographs and read about my highlights below.

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Here are a few Rotterdam buildings that really caught my eye.

The Cube Houses are an unmissable Rotterdam tourist attraction with their blazing yellow colour and impossible angles. Surprisingly tricky to photograph while you can take a look inside.

Rotterdam Central Station with its sweeping curves and diffused light is worth spending time in as well as being your likely arrival point in the city.

Groot Handelsgebouw is a large block I stumbled across next to the station. Built in 1953, it’s quite tall, studded with windows and has an elegant concrete facade. I was captivated.

The Maastoren Skyscraper soars upwards from a low-level neighbourhood and shimmers silver, high above its riverside base. It’s also a great landmark to navigate your way around this district.

My advice would be to walk around Rotterdam and just keep looking up. There’s so much architecture to feast your eyes upon. Are you ready to make a detour from Amsterdam?

Ravishing Rotterdam

July 21, 2024July 21, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

The Dutch city of Rotterdam is overshadowed by nearby popular tourist hotspot Amsterdam.

But I chose to spend my first stay in the Netherlands there, lured by the prospect of eye-catching architecture.

With its river setting spanned by graceful bridges, I discovered an attractive city which looks good from many angles. What do you think?

Oh and Rotterdam really is packed with delicious architecture – there’ll be a lot more on that next time.

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The darker months

February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

Winter in Manchester. The days are shorter and darker.

On my daily walks around the city with my phone in my pocket, I try to find colour and light in these harder times.

I was lucky enough to travel to a warm country in January and missed some snowfall and winter storms. But it’s not over yet and we’re still waiting for the release that Spring brings.

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2023: Eight memorable photos

December 31, 2023December 31, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

It’s time to bid farewell to another year. 2023 was very memorable after I resumed overseas travel after a three-year break caused by the pandemic.

As usual it’s photography that marks the moments that count, and here are just eight of them.

How was it for you?

1. THE COLOURS OF MINDELO

My first trip abroad in three years was an island-hopping tour of Cape Verde. The colourful, vibrant and sun-kissed city of Mindelo was a favourite place and reignited my zest to see the world. It was a joy to explore and photograph.

Explore the Cape Verde islands here

2. BEAUTIFULLY GILDED

In August I had a weekend away in Birmingham to explore and capture the city’s impressive and varied architecture, including its showcase library. I’d studied in Birmingham many moons ago, so the visit evoked a whole host of memories.

Tour of Birmingham’s buildings here

3. SERIFOS BLUE AND WHITE

In May I visited three of the lesser known Cyclades islands of Greece, namely Tinos, Syros and Serifos. Bold colours, beautiful old clifftop towns and the azure of the Aegean Sea all made photography a joy. Who doesn’t love the famed architecture of these islands?

Visit a stunning trio of Greek isles here

4. MOODY LINES

There was great excitement just a stone’s throw away from my Manchester home with the opening of Aviva Studios, a new arts centre with huge ambitions and a distinctive and aesthetically pleasing building. It’s a place I love to visit often.

Find out more about Aviva Studios here

5. PINK OF THE PIER

In all honesty the UK’s summer in 2023 wasn’t a scorcher. So on a rare fine day I visited Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coast for the first time. A beautiful beach and harbour made this a great place to enjoy with my camera in tow.

Take a trip to the Welsh seaside here

6. CHEEK BY JOWL

My home city of Manchester continued its upward growth in 2023 and was the backbone of my local photography. Two nearby residential skyscrapers became accessible and looked stunning against blue skies.

See more of Manchester’s new skyscrapers here

7. SAMUEL

Travel is about the people you meet. On my Cape Verde trip, my guide on the lush, rugged island of Santo Antão was Sam. Enthusiastic, cheerful and proud of his home, he enriched my stay.

Visit beautiful Santo Antão here

8. TOWER ON BLUE

I’ve had mixed feelings about the brash seaside resort of Blackpool, but an October day that was unusually warm with sunshine and stunning blue skies changed my perspective. It was a day at the coast to remember.

Visit this coast on a sun-kissed day here