light

Long dark nights

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

When the winter days and nights are dark, it’s natural to seek sources of light.

At my workplace in Salford’s MediaCityUK, very early starts are full of coloured light which shimmer on damp winter days. It’s more muted in my neighbourhood of Castlefield where the brickwork is older.

And indoors, it’s hard to beat the comforting glow from a cluster of candles. At least the nights have started to shorten now…

All photographs taken with my smaller, portable Fuji X100T.

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Mosque magic

/ mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

Blue stuccoYou have to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at least twice on a visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. By the dazzling light of day, this beguiling building teems with visitors and can be hot work. But it remains open until long after sunset, and is transformed by illuminations which unveil a magical spectrum of colours, shimmering reflections and accentuate the wonderful lines and shapes created by this wonder of architecture.

After dark, the visitors have thinned out and lurk as silhouettes, and you can find stretches of the mosque are your own. The grounds are lit with warm, golden lamps which add to the atmosphere. And as for night photography, the lighting means that a tripod isn’t essential or even necessary. You must definitely take a night stroll around this building if you’re ever in this Middle Eastern city.

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Gallery entrance

The light fantastic

/ mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

I love the incandescent glow of these beautiful windows. They are decorated to a sumptuous degree and so effectively illuminated.

This architectural detail was stumbled upon by chance on my Open House London travels around the city. They are in the hall of the Bishopsgate Institute, close to bustling Liverpool Street train station.

The building was designed by Victorian architect Charles Townsend. His other achievements include the Whitechapel Gallery, now adorned with a scattering of golden leaves.

There will be more to come from the buildings of London soon…

The light fantastic

Gold banner

Paddington rays

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

There was no chance of this happening in London today.

Yes, another day of heavy clouds, rain and little decent light for photography, let alone this beautiful sight. It’s shining through the magnificent canopy of Paddington railway station in London – the gateway to the west of England.

I saw this coming down a flight of stairs, stopped to capture it and nearly took a tumble. It was worth the risk, as the rays came out very well.

Taking photographs is almost all about the light, isn’t it?