A dusk view taken at Pomona Strand, a rather desolate stretch of Manchester’s canalways which sits between the city zone and the new buildings of Salford Quays. Very few people alight at Pomona tram stop.
After darkness falls and you venture deeper into the quays, the light and reflections intensify, urban landscape and water play against each other beautifully.
A rainy evening high, high above London. A chance to witness dusk and lighting-up time across the city from a commanding vantage point. This is the view from The Shard, one of Europe’s highest buildings. I’ve visited during the day, but the night view surpassed that, with the atmosphere in the partially open 72nd floor viewing platform wholly transformed.
But this is also a tale of photographic teeth-gnashing. You cannot bring tripods on your visit, essential for low light photography and opening the shutter for longer periods. You have to rely on stretching regular exposure times as far as possible and cranking up the ISO. It’s frustrating to know how sparkling and golden your images could be with the right tools. I suppose we all have to head to the gift shop for our beautiful photos of a brightly lit London – or simply make do…
It’s been a beautiful summer day and the light is gradually fading into darkness. I’m at the walled garden in Ravenscourt Park, enjoying the sight and scent of some lavender bushes. They’re now in full bloom in the green spaces and gardens of west London.
Shortly after taking this shot, I was asked to leave by park officials who were locking up the garden for the night. It was quite easy to ignore them…
I was taking a stroll around the outer reaches of the Canarian town of Corralejo on my recent holiday, and came across something totally unexpected.
On a whitewashed wall next to an ordinary pavement on an undistinguished street, was an image of Marilyn Monroe. A simple stencil graffiti in dark paint, with those iconic features very clear in the fading light.
Who put her there and why? I can’t find the answers to those questions but am pleased with the photograph – she is almost outdone by the bokeh from some distant traffic in this shot.
It seems there is a lot of Marilyn street art all over the world. If anyone knows any more about this example, I would love to find out.
Another weekend was spent in the Essex riverside town of Maldon for a family celebration. I always walk down to the edge of the Blackwater, camera in hand. The landscape and light are always different from the last time.
The afternoon was marching on, and the sun was ebbing away in the distance with a pleasing amount of fire, silhouetting the mature trees of Promenade Park.
After this shot, I swung my camera in the opposite direction, at the river, the many boats and tall rigging. While the sunset was dramatic and fiery, the Blackwater was crisp, calm, blue and swallowing the final light of the day. It could be another place, a different time…
