Men in the mirror

May 1, 2013May 1, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

This is a simple exercise in the power of reflection. By a large window in London’s Golden Lane on a long city walk, I take a photograph of Dermot and I.

Dermot’s frame is elongated by the break in the window, and his face looks very different to usual. When I first saw it, I thought he looked more like me. My favourite part of the entire shot is how one of his legs appears to have absorbed an illuminated light bulb from the empty office space on the floor below.

And of course I don’t escape capture. I’m there towards the back of the photograph, but the presence of the camera isn’t entirely clear.

With a high contrast monochrome treatment, there is something ethereal and ghostly about this picture. Turning the camera on the window hides the fact that this was a very sunny day with a carefree mood. It’s an act to be recommended.

See other posts from our walk:

Inner city art
London City concrete
Elegant canopy
Lady Justice
Underpass

The abstract collection

April 21, 2013April 21, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 22 Comments

“Relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures”.

That is the dictionary definition of the word abstract, when used to describe a form of art – including photography. Inspired by the 30 photographers project that I recently took part in, here’s a selected gallery of my images that fall into that category.

The mysterious yet intriguing comes from architecture, close-up work and can be found practically anywhere. It’s an area which stretches the mind and challenges the eye, and can be interpreted so many ways.

Click first image for full gallery experience

Click here to explore the other collections

30 photographers

April 20, 2013April 20, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

This is a fruitful exercise in collaboration. Thirty photographers, who belong to the Photography Institute’s London Facebook group, each created an image on a single theme – abstract. This was the brainchild of Darren Sharp, who skilfully pieced together this wonderful montage.

We were all struck by the diversity of images, and how each individual responded to the challenge in such different ways. It combines the best of individual expression and joint effort.

My contribution comes from a simple object in a west London park. At close quarters, its dimpled, textured surface is hard to define and has its own synthesis – the essence of abstract. It’s little more than a lowly stone bench, dappled by the sunlight and then treated with a light sepia tint to bring out the contrasts.

This is the original cut of my photograph – which stands alongside so many impressive pieces of work.

Bruno Conceicao, another of the 30 photographers, has written about the project here. He also reveals more about his abstract image.

Inner city art

April 16, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

A splash of urban colour not far away from London’s business heartland. This is the Golden Lane area, an inner city community of housing and shops, a world away from the cut and thrust of the UK’s financial nerve centre.

This shutter, lowered over a commercial premises, is artfully decorated – it can barely be classed as graffiti and brings a flourish to the grey of the pavements and facades.

Step off the beaten path in London and you’ll find interesting details, worthy of being captured on camera.

Derry’s striking murals

November 26, 2012March 28, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 5 Comments

The city of Derry (sometimes referred to as Londonderry) in Northern Ireland is a far-flung corner of the United Kingdom, very close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. It has endured a troubled recent history, which you can still see today in its stark political murals. The cluster painted on the walls of the city’s Bogside area document Irish nationalism and its struggles.

The famous “You are now entering Free Derry” slogan is on the surviving end wall of a house and has been painted dozens of times. It was even turned pink for a recent gay pride.

Others feature nationalist politician Bernadette Devlin and even Che Guevara complete with his Irish birth surname Lynch. While this wall art is now a tourist attraction, its careful preservation reflects a difficult history which is really not so far away.