End of the world

September 13, 2015September 14, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 29 Comments

This remote nub of land on the coast of south-east England is like none other. Dungeness is not a fully formed seaside resort packed with amusement arcades and throngs of noisy sun seekers. It is a strange place, dotted with sturdy little cottages, two lighthouses and even a nuclear power station. An added touch of the surreal is a miniature steam railway that whistles its way to a most unlikely station.

The scrubby, shingle landscape is scattered with beached boats, tumbledown sheds and long-forgotten waste. But an array of beautiful flowers thrive in this apparent wasteland, while there is a sense of tranquility close to the sea.

I always wanted to visit Dungeness with my camera, but thought it too remote to reach without a car. It has a wealth of architecture, natural wonders and landscape to capture. But above all else is the depth of mood that you find there. Desolate and distant, even slightly unnerving – but fascinating and thoroughly photogenic.

Click first image to launch the gallery

2014 moments #4

December 29, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

I would like to share my 10 most memorable photographs of the year over the coming days with you. These are shots that I am particularly proud of, while each evokes a sense of place and meaning from 2014.

CONTENT WITHOUT WATER

A cluster of boats appear to lie stranded on the mud on the Thames waterfront at Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. It’s a blazing, high key shot taken on an autumn day when the sun veered between hiding behind clouds and blasting through them. This scene is a souvenir of an enjoyable trip outside London and the joys of my home county.

Estuary Essex

November 9, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

This is about an Essex town that sits at the wide open mouth of the River Thames before it flows into the North Sea.

Leigh-on-Sea is just half-an-hour on the train from London, taking you from the urban might of the City through the desolate yet beautiful countryside lining the river’s estuary.

The older part of Leigh sits astride the waterfront, and is full of charm and wonder. When the tide is out, boats sit helplessly on the silt and there is a hint of heavy industry across the river in Kent, while on this side the cockle sheds prevail.

It’s easy to be absorbed into this landscape as the sun comes and goes, heralding different textures and colours. Lunch was a hearty plate of rock eel and chips, evoking warm childhood memories of my home county by the water.