2019 in 12 photographs

December 31, 2019December 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

Another year is drawing to a close, and there’s just enough time to glance back at 2019.

The year until October was dominated by travel, experiencing new places and creating new memories. The latter segment of 2019 has been about reconnecting with my neighbourhood and city of Manchester.

These photographs – just one for each month – distill the essence of each location and take me right back to that place, whether it’s on top of a Namibian sand dune, experiencing a magic Icelandic snowfall in May, or right here in Manchester.

It’s time to herald 2020 and wish you all a very healthy and Happy New Year.

Tap/click first image to see gallery

: January: Stunning Namibian dunes

: February: New Zealand’s farthest edge

: March: Dense Hong Kong skyscrapers

: April: Porto’s beauty

: May: Magical Icelandic snowfall

: June: Epic Tirana sunset

: July: Dead Sea bathers

: August: Llandudno beach joy

: September: Tokyo neon

: October: Liverpool spiritual light

: November: Neighbourhood reflections

: December: Manchester Christmas puddle

A year of travel

November 3, 2019April 16, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

It was a big decision taking a year out to spend travelling. Those 12 months passed very quickly and I’ve had time to take stock of places visited, people met and what’s next.

I came back with a lot of photographs and set myself the task of choosing one image to sum up every trip and country. They’re images I’m proud to have captured, but also are the most evocative of each place. It’s sometimes a strong personal memory, other times a striking impression.

The journey hasn’t finished for me. Travelling has sparked a desire to see more of the world and change my life.

Please share your memories of travel, particularly the ones that have stayed with you forever.

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: Namibia

: Japan

: Iceland

: Kosovo

: Cuba

: Portugal

: Azerbaijan

: Easter Island

: Santorini, Greece

: Cape Town, South Africa

: Armenia

: Dead Sea, Israel

: Albania

: Georgia

: Fiji

: New Zealand

: Switzerland

: Ethiopia

: Hong Kong

: Atacama, Chile

: North Macedonia

Hong Kong stopover

October 9, 2019October 26, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

If you’re faced with a long journey from New Zealand back to the UK, Hong Kong is a great place to stop for a few days, as I did earlier this year.

It’s an incredibly concentrated city, packed with eye-watering high rise blocks and people streaming everywhere. But it also has the odd pocket of calm, including Stanley Bay and Kowloon’s Walled City Park.

Views are everything in Hong Kong, and you can see them by taking The Peak tram. My hotel – the Harbour Grand – had a great rooftop platform to take photographs from and drink in the sights. The city is also the ideal place to visit former Portuguese colony Macau across the water.

I stayed in Hong Kong when the weather was grey and wet. The territory is now facing stormy times, but I hope its special sheen as the Pearl of the Orient remains for many decades to come.

Click first image to view gallery

Macau: Vegas of the East

May 5, 2019April 16, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

The tiny territory of Macau is the most densely populated place on the planet. That aside, this fascinating city is the point when China and Portugal intermingle.

Street signs are in Cantonese and Portuguese, while bakeries sell Portugal’s famous (and delicious) custard tart. Churches and pastel-washed buildings are a testament to centuries of European colonial rule.

I took a day trip to Macau from Hong Kong and felt the difference. Most forms of gambling are outlawed in the former British territory, while casinos thrive in Macau with brash signs and vast premises.

A fun fact is that Hong Kong and Macau are separate special regions of China, so you have to go through border control. So don’t forget your passport on a visit to this crowded, busy and fascinating slither of the world.