The naked pier

April 2, 2017March 31, 2017 / mikeosbornphoto / 22 Comments

This was my first visit to England’s north-west coast since resettling in Manchester. I chose the resort of Southport on the Merseyside coast, famed for its long, graceful pier.

The day was anything but promising, with a chill wind and a thick cover of cloud. It looked likely to be a day of moody photographs, with flat skies and little sunlight. But something else happened. The tide gradually ebbed away, leaving beautiful expanses of sand and the pier entirely exposed.

The colour palette was grey and a pale blue, giving a serenity you wouldn’t expect from a busy seaside resort. I’ll just have to go back when the sky is screaming blue and the sunshine is cascading down…

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Northern Spring

March 22, 2017March 21, 2017 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

It’s my first major shift of season since moving to Manchester. And yes, it turns out they experience Spring here in the north of England too. The mornings and evenings are getting lighter, and blooms are everywhere. I’ve found a spectacular show of flowers in a place a short walk from here in Castlefield.

St John’s Gardens is carpeted in a stunning show of daffodils and crocuses. This quiet spot is very close to the bustling thoroughfare of Deansgate in the handsome, imposing city centre. Armed with just my macro lens, this was irresistible…

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Summer skylights

September 11, 2016September 10, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

This is a taste of summer life living in a roof space. A sky of solid blue is captured in the tilted windows, and in a variety of hues. Metal and wooden layers encase its cloudlessness. This collection of layered captures have something pure and exhilarating in their abstract neatness.

And there’s also another favourite view from the other side of the roof space, where summer sundowns impress on many an evening. I won’t be in this place for much longer, while summer will inevitably slide into autumn. Best enjoy it while it lasts…

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The walled island

July 31, 2016July 30, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 11 Comments

Canvey Island lies in the Thames estuary in my native county of Essex. Its history was scarred by a devastating flood in 1953 which claimed 58 lives and led to the construction of miles of protective high sea walls.

I returned recently having visited relatives there as a child, but this was my first taste of Canvey’s walls and waterfront on a warm, humid summer’s day. It was full of daytripping families, some local voices peppered with Eastern European migrants. The painted walls tell the story of 1953 against the backdrop of amusements and cafes selling ice-cream and burgers.

The estuary landscape is stark but beautiful, with the crowds of people adding colour and life to photographs. It’s a place of both symmetry and the unpredictability of life.