London’s bicycle hire system has become a distinctive feature of the city with its rows of little blue two wheelers at numerous docking stations.
A full, perfect line of “Boris bikes” is a sight to behold, especially when you have your camera to hand. There are many lines and shapes to capture – throw in some good light and it’s possible to turn functional machines into frames of loveliness. And no need to pedal…
Just a short walk from my house and I’m in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which boasts some of the most exclusive addresses in London. It also contains Olympia, a grand old exhibition centre which first opened in 1886, and is covered in an impressive canopy of glass and iron of which the Victorians were so fond.
This was a beautifully clear and sunny day, and the light penetrated two sides of glass to produce a series of wonderful coloured light refractions and flares.
This is also the first official shot from my new Fuji XE-1 camera, which made well-known buildings seem less familiar as I got to grips with my new system. I also tried some more close-up work, with this photograph of a sign from a nearby Boris Bike stand, London’s bicycle hire system.
Any thoughts on these initial shots would be most welcome – I’m pleased so far and look forward to more work with my new camera.
They are found all over London in their thousands, and you can hire them to travel just a matter of metres – or from one side of the city to the other.
Boris bikes – named after London mayor Boris Johnson who introduced the scheme – are parked in hundreds of docking stations across the city, and are distinctive with their blue livery and chunky frames.
Tourists and locals alike seem to love them, although I’ve yet to hop onto one, fearing the traffic of this great city.
This perfectly neat and unhired line of bikes was found in the financial heart of London on a quiet Sunday afternoon, nestling just beneath the Gherkin, one of the city’s famous skyscrapers.
It was an opportunity to take out the camera for some perfectly obvious and slightly more artful shots.
Happy biking!
