2024: One year in 7 photos

January 1, 2025January 1, 2025 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

A Happy New Year to you all! We might be wondering what lies ahead in 2025, but the old year can be neatly packaged.

I’m pulling together 2024 in just seven photographs. It was a year punctuated by more travel since the pandemic, including some unheralded destinations.

Spells at home were spent stalking the changing buildings of Manchester and waiting for the next departure – a rollercoaster ride.

Do you have just a few photos that bring the year to life?

1. FAMILY HOLIDAY

I went on a summer break to the Spanish island of Fuerteventura and observed hundreds of family holidays, including this beautifully-placed one taking their sunset walk along the beach. It was for me an unusually relaxing, enjoyable week in the sun and I found a fascination with resort architecture in this holiday playground.

2. LITTLE CORNER OF THE MARKET

The African island nation of São Tomé e Príncipe was an adventurous trip to a virtually unknown destination. The main island had a lively, chaotic capital city and amidst the natural beauty was still processing its colonial past. I’d found my gateway to seeing more unusual corners of the planet with this memorable visit.

• See more of fabulous São Tomé here

3. CUBES AND THE TOWER

I visited the Dutch city of Rotterdam with the intent of chasing the city’s varied and bold post-war architecture – and wasn’t disappointed. Even the zany cube houses, seen by millions of tourists, were a delight. Rotterdam, basking in summer sunshine, was a pleasant place to spend a long weekend.

• See more of ravishing Rotterdam here

4. PERAST AND BEYOND

This was a first trip to Montenegro’s stunning Bay of Kotor – an inland sea with the qualities of an Alpine lake. The town of Perast (pictured) and a beautiful hotel were quieter out of season in April, while my relaxing stay also included a whistle-stop tour of Montenegro’s ruggedly scenic north.

• See much more of Montenegro here

5. TINY ISLAND CAPITAL

You can’t visit São Tomé without hopping over to sister island Príncipe – much smaller, less developed and natural. It’s become a far flung destination for small-scale more sustainable tourism and has turned a legacy of plantations into high-end accommodation offering relaxation and adventure. I could easily go back for a two-week holiday.

• See more of this little paradise here

6. CENTRAL HALL, MANCHESTER

The one Manchester highlight that has squeezed into a travel-rich 2024. This building, not far from where I live, started out as a railway station and is a well-known city centre landmark. It was opened to the public this year and stepping inside made its true scale and ingenuity apparent. It’s not all about new skyscrapers in this city.

• See more of this engineering feat here

7. OUTSIDE THE STORE, ANJOUAN

The final trip of the year took me to a country which took a long time to reach and was barely touched by tourism, possibly the most obscure destination I have ever visited. The Comoros Islands was beautiful, its people fascinating and wonderfully photogenic even in mundane settings. I’m still digesting my visit as 2025 takes hold.

• See more of unknown Comoros here

Manchester v Liverpool: A tale of two cities

December 22, 2024December 19, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

A visit from my photographer and blogging friend Kiki saw us take two photography walks around two great British cities over two days.

My home city Manchester was closely followed by a trip to Liverpool on a couple of chilly December days, mainly peering up at architecture.

Is it possible to compare the two cities? Is one more photogenic than the other?… CONTINUE READING BELOW

Tap/click first image to see gallery

What was Kiki’s take on Manchester and Liverpool? Find out here

Our wander around Manchester city centre was extensive, taking in everything from the industrial red brick of Ancoats to New Jackson’s gleaming skyscrapers.

Of course this was very familiar territory for me, although accompanying a visitor alters your vision and perspective.

It was all very different in Liverpool which isn’t very familiar to me. I also became a tourist and allowed my eyes to be drawn to majestic buildings, from the iconic old Liver Building to a good dose of Art Deco magnificence.

Christmas tree lit up at night in Manchester city centre.

Season’s greetings to all from Manchester city centre’s Christmas tree

I’d say that if you’re heading to Manchester, you’ll be spoilt for choice with new and tall buildings which have rocketed up during the past decade.

The parts of Liverpool city centre we walked around are full of grand, traditional architecture – but it’s a place that needs further exploration. Comparisons to my own adopted home city are tricky to make.

So is Manchester more photogenic than Liverpool? I couldn’t possibly comment. It’s best to visit north-west England and spend time in both its great cities. Just take a camera and keep looking up!

Do you have stronger opinions? Let me know!

Inside Manchester’s history

August 25, 2024August 25, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

One of my summer highlights was the chance to see inside an iconic Manchester building.

Manchester Central – now an exhibition and conference centre – started life in 1880 as a grand railway station until its closure in 1969.

The building, with its lofty arched roof and station clock, was empty for visitors to marvel at its scale and the prowess of Victorian engineering.

It’s part of a complex which has hosted everything from rock concerts to the Nightingale Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic and is a Mancunian landmark.

What do you think?

Tap/click first image to view gallery

An interior view of Manchester's former Central Station, a feat of Victorian engineering.

The historic Midland Hotel can be seen through Manchester Central’s vast window

Manchester's ornate Tower of Light rising above the roof of Central Station.

The Tower of Light is a more recent Manchester landmark next to the former rail station

The darker months

February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

Winter in Manchester. The days are shorter and darker.

On my daily walks around the city with my phone in my pocket, I try to find colour and light in these harder times.

I was lucky enough to travel to a warm country in January and missed some snowfall and winter storms. But it’s not over yet and we’re still waiting for the release that Spring brings.

Tap/click first image to view gallery

2023: Eight memorable photos

December 31, 2023December 31, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

It’s time to bid farewell to another year. 2023 was very memorable after I resumed overseas travel after a three-year break caused by the pandemic.

As usual it’s photography that marks the moments that count, and here are just eight of them.

How was it for you?

1. THE COLOURS OF MINDELO

My first trip abroad in three years was an island-hopping tour of Cape Verde. The colourful, vibrant and sun-kissed city of Mindelo was a favourite place and reignited my zest to see the world. It was a joy to explore and photograph.

Explore the Cape Verde islands here

2. BEAUTIFULLY GILDED

In August I had a weekend away in Birmingham to explore and capture the city’s impressive and varied architecture, including its showcase library. I’d studied in Birmingham many moons ago, so the visit evoked a whole host of memories.

Tour of Birmingham’s buildings here

3. SERIFOS BLUE AND WHITE

In May I visited three of the lesser known Cyclades islands of Greece, namely Tinos, Syros and Serifos. Bold colours, beautiful old clifftop towns and the azure of the Aegean Sea all made photography a joy. Who doesn’t love the famed architecture of these islands?

Visit a stunning trio of Greek isles here

4. MOODY LINES

There was great excitement just a stone’s throw away from my Manchester home with the opening of Aviva Studios, a new arts centre with huge ambitions and a distinctive and aesthetically pleasing building. It’s a place I love to visit often.

Find out more about Aviva Studios here

5. PINK OF THE PIER

In all honesty the UK’s summer in 2023 wasn’t a scorcher. So on a rare fine day I visited Colwyn Bay on the north Wales coast for the first time. A beautiful beach and harbour made this a great place to enjoy with my camera in tow.

Take a trip to the Welsh seaside here

6. CHEEK BY JOWL

My home city of Manchester continued its upward growth in 2023 and was the backbone of my local photography. Two nearby residential skyscrapers became accessible and looked stunning against blue skies.

See more of Manchester’s new skyscrapers here

7. SAMUEL

Travel is about the people you meet. On my Cape Verde trip, my guide on the lush, rugged island of Santo Antão was Sam. Enthusiastic, cheerful and proud of his home, he enriched my stay.

Visit beautiful Santo Antão here

8. TOWER ON BLUE

I’ve had mixed feelings about the brash seaside resort of Blackpool, but an October day that was unusually warm with sunshine and stunning blue skies changed my perspective. It was a day at the coast to remember.

Visit this coast on a sun-kissed day here