bokeh

In fine focus

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Stony grain

The camera hones in on just a small strip of pebble dashed stonework, with bokeh at the front and to the rear, which renders the beach front at Hunstanton in Norfolk a mysterious blur.

This is the promenade wall of the seaside resort, captured on Christmas Day after watching the much more colourful, rowdy spectacle of the townspeople taking to the freezing sea to raise money for charity. More on that and my trip to Norfolk in the opening days of 2013.

That reminds me to wish you all a very Happy New Year with this muted, monochrome photographic gift. Your support and interaction has been really appreciated in 2012, and long may it continue.

Frosted close-ups

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A wintry complexion has landed on this part of London recently. It doesn’t happen that often, so it’s worth getting up early to have the chance to capture the white sheen of frost on cars, litter bins – even duct tape.

Click first image to launch the full size gallery

Cold weather photography requires a pair of fingerless gloves so you can still go about your work. But beware the tips of your fingers freezing to the point of uselessness – and don’t try to cock the shutter or adjust the lens of a cold metal Soviet beast!

A moment in green

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This photograph was taken on Richmond Green, a nice spot in south-west London, not far away from the Thames. It’s simply a detail of a park bench, shaded by a huge old tree. Just beyond this, the sun was shining and many people were relaxing. Getting the focus and light just right for this took some time.

But there is another story to this dark green seat with its peeling paint. It has special significance and was recently revisited a year after the start of something which I hope may outlast the bench.

Does a shot of something seemingly mundane have a great significance for you?…

London behind the landmarks

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London is a city full of famous sights and sweeping views, ripe to be clicked, all for the taking. The big picture isn’t everything here in the capital, though. Here is a trio of shots taken in the heart of this metropolis – but they do little to give this away.

A wooden barrier dappled with lichen with crafts on the River Thames beyond. This spot is close to Tower Bridge, The Shard and London’s iconic waterside.

Sunlight floods through a glass and wooden skylight. This is at Leadenhall Market, an old trading area which is now filled with shops and eateries. It sits right in the heart of the city’s financial district.

This is not just near a London landmark – it is part of one. The graceful coloured metalwork is part of Tower Bridge, much better recognised for its twin towers. It’s now graced with a set of Olympic rings to mark the imminent arrival of the games in the capital.

The joy of living in a world-renowned city is to have the chance to explore it at length and take photographs of its less obvious side. There is a lifetime of those captures just waiting to be found.