Hammersmith Bridge

Favourite shots of 2013: Part II

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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

Hammersmith by nightLow 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

Sitting at the windowPeople 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

Brick boutiqueAn 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

Sky lightA 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

Gauzed lightMy 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

Bridge after dark

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Hammersmith by night

London’s Hammersmith Bridge is my personal favourite. Its graceful sweep and ornate green pillars is a beautiful site. Even more so it’s part of the River Thames in my neighbourhood, easy to enjoy on a mild Spring night.

This is the obvious place to visit for some night photography, where the lights capture the water. It’s where I came for my first ever session of low light shooting. 

But this time it was with a different camera, my Fuji X-E1, which behaved impeccably and didn’t pose any problems. I experimented with various film modes, with Velvia giving a vivid and colourful sheen compared to its standard soft and higher contrast settings. And some monochrome treatments were irresistible when it came to editing.

Some of these shots were taken from solid surfaces of this suspension bridge – the wobble caused by the traffic will ruin your long exposure efforts!

Click first image to launch the gallery

Jubilee Thames

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 The Diamond Jubilee celebration weekend is upon us, with London the centre of festivities. The city is bedecked with Union Jacks, and they’re hard to ignore.

One of the major events is a river pageant along the Thames, in which 1,000 vessels will float along the waterway.

This shot was taken on Hammersmith Bridge which straddles the Thames, where boats lined up in preparation for the flotilla. The graceful structure of the bridge has been decorated with a handful of vast canvas red, white and blue flags.

It took a little careful manoeuvring over the edge to capture both flag and the Thames flowing underneath.

The crowning glory was plenty of sunlight and the ripples from a craft that had just passed by.

It was worth the slight risk of losing my grip and dropping my camera straight into the water, never to be seen again.

See also: Red, White and Blue

Something of the night

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First, I found out what my camera was capable of. Then I was given a tripod for Christmas. The time had come to try some long exposure photography for the first time.

This was at night, with the shutter opened for longer periods, allowing the light to flow in. The flash was now a force for evil.

It was a freezing December night, so we decided to stay local and visit nearby Hammersmith Bridge, one of the most elegant along the Thames. The tripod was set up, shot composed, exposure time dialled up – and the results nervously awaited…

That seemed to go well, and we moved to another spot to capture the bridge.

The power of night photography was already becoming irresistible. But on this chilly December night, the session had to be cut short but would become the first of many. Long exposure work has become a huge interest and can produce some superb, shimmering results. Any night shot enthusiasts – please get in touch.