Less is more

September 23, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

Goodbye W6

August 10, 2014August 10, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 35 Comments

We’re leaving. Our time in this little corner of west London has been far too short. We were settled and happy but have to move on.

This place has been a surfeit of riches for photographic inspiration, from the very fabric of Brackenbury’s old houses, the pub on our doorstep and of course Ravenscourt Park, which I’ve captured through the seasons.

Actually, we’re not going far at all. It’s a change of postcode, not country, and no doubt we’ll pop back regularly. But you have to live and breathe a neighbourhood to feel part of its fabric.

Our new place in the world will no doubt provide fresh material for my camera lens. Until then, here’s a brief homage to this slither of London W6.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

: The very fabric of the neighbourhood in all its electic glory

: The first shots with my macro lens were taken in Ravenscourt Park

: Our Victorian house caught on my Soviet Zenit film camera for posterity

: A salmon pink summer sky over our street

: A Mimosa blooming in a nearby street

: An evening at the local pub, the humming heart of the community

: A storm-ravaged tree in the park, which has recovered

: WIngate Road’s delightful pastel houses

: Decline and autumn colour in Ravenscourt’s walled garden

: The sturdy railings in front of our house

: The pub across the road

: A neighbourhood building subtly captured on film

: The first flush of geraniums outside our window

: Proud but dessicated lavender as winter approaches in Ravenscourt

: The navy blue of our local pub at close quarters

: Smudged and dark – the brick of our house

: Colourful Wingate Road

Favourite shots of 2013: Part II

January 1, 2014January 1, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 24 Comments

An entire year of photography has passed and I’ve been looking back at 2013 through the lens.

It’s been tough to choose 10 shots that have really stayed with me, proved a lasting joy and pleasure – and evoke memories of the past 12 months.

Click to enlarge the individual photos and view all 10 as a gallery here or at the foot of the post – then it’s time to vote for your favourite.

Here’s the second set of five and why they were chosen.

HAMMERSMITH BY NIGHT

Low light photography never ceases to lose its appeal, especially in a big city like London. Hammersmith Bridge is my local Thames crossing, and is more elegant than some of its rivals. This shot hangs on our wall as a symbol of our locality and home city.

SITTING AT THE WINDOW

People seldom take centre stage in my photographs. But this couple, sitting on the floor of the viewing platform of The Shard and gazing out over London, had to be captured. London’s highest building unexpectedly turned out to be a place for candids.

BRICK BOUTIQUE

An interest in detail took an obsessive turn in 2013 with my collection of many local types of brickwork and bringing some of them together in one frame. It reminds me of moving to a new area and getting a feel for its physical presence, including the bricks of our own house which feature in this work.

SKY LIGHT

A December trip to Bournemouth on England’s south coast yielded this moment of “sky porn”, with the sun searing through winter cloud cover on a deceptively gentle – and memorable – day away from London. The expanse of sea represents a sense of escape from city life.

GAUZED LIGHT

My top 10 could easily be composed entirely of architectural photographs. This shot perhaps sums up how I strive for symmetry and harmony when photographing buildings, and some unusual perspectives. But it masks the golden majesty of London’s New West End synagogue, probably my favourite visit of 2013.

Click first image to launch the Top 10 gallery

Brick boutique

September 8, 2013September 9, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

London is made of brick. And my corner of the city, Hammersmith, wouldn’t exist without it. It doesn’t take a lot of observational skills to notice that there are a myriad of types of this most robust of building materials, comprising different ages, colours and finishes.

I spent a couple of days collecting some samples – well, photographing them. You notice how wildly different they all are only when they’re placed side by side.