Tulips are an irresistibly favourite flower of the Spring season. It’s hard not to love their cheerful blooms in a whole spectrum of colours.
I recently came home with a rainbow bouquet and bunch of “rhubarb and custard” blooms.
It was hard to resist photographing them in their prime. But as the flowers withered and petals dropped, I found them even more compelling.
Flowers in death are as beautiful as when they’re freshly picked. What do you think?
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This stretch of coast is within easy striking distance of Manchester, here in the north-west of England.
Crosby beach is already a lovely stretch of sand sweeping north of Liverpool, but has had an added attraction since 2005.
Renowned British sculptor Antony Gormley created 100 bronze male figures (cast in the image of his own body) which are dotted along the shoreline and without doubt totally compelling.
I finally went to Crosby in late May, and was thoroughly drawn to the statues and their places on the shore. I nearly lost a pair of shoes to the silt and was surprised by the speed of the incoming tide – so be careful when your desire to photograph takes over!
I’ve taken my first trip across the Pennines, from the urban might of Manchester to the open countryside of Yorkshire. The piece of landscape I chose is an unusual wonder – a park peppered with beautiful and beguiling sculptures. Work from the greats including Henry Moore and Antony Gormley appear around every corner.
That morning at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the ground was covered in frost and a mist hung in the hills and trees, and the park’s lake was delicately frozen. The sun eventually cut through the eery gloom to create some delightful scenes. For a lad from the urban heart of a great northern city, it’s heartening to be able to escape to the wilderness with ease.
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Qatar is a new country full of contemporary buildings created with its staggering oil wealth. The country’s largest mosque in the capital Doha is a new build, while Katara Cultural Village, boasting lavish gold and blue mosques, is also an architectural newcomer. Doha’s Pearl, a large complex built on reclaimed land, is a recent addition as well.
But these new structures are steeped in tradition, with stylish, beautiful lines and curves. Intricate designs stay pure to Islam and do not depict human or animal forms. Instead of being sterile, these are pleasing on the eye and photographically pure and balanced.
During these long winter nights, Salford Quays is a blaze of light with its brightly illuminated modern high rises. But it’s been enhanced with a series of art installations around MediaCityUK which come into their own after dark. There are astronauts and Doctor Who icons, plastic trees and a mesmerising flotilla of little boats on the water which are bringing more visitors than usual to this corner of Manchester.
There are plenty of photographers among them, trooping around the quays with their tripods in tow. This spectacle is on the doorstep of my workplace, so I just had to join the crowd. If you’re quick you can catch the last night of Lightwaves 2016 on 18 December.
