Urban vegetation

November 27, 2015November 26, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

In some parts of London, greenery appears hard to come by. On a recent photo walk around Shoreditch, this is the best I did – a scattering of autumn leaves on steps at Arnold Circus, a small park set at the confluence of several streets with a small bandstand at its centre. As this city crawls into winter, fall vegetation is becoming scarcer as it is cleared up and the trees grow bare.

Not so for this upstanding pair of trees I found in the business area near Liverpool Street station, guarding a chunky office block. They look like fish out of water, trying to bring a glimmer of nature to a natureless place…

Golden hour Thames

November 1, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

The nights in London are now long and dark with the onset of winter. Just a short while ago, summer was breathing its last gasp on the embankment of the River Thames close to the iconic and imposing Palace of Westminster. The building caught the last vestiges of sunlight, while people went about their business – tourists took photographs as joggers passed by. There was even a wedding shoot taking place. Most noticeable of all was the green leaves of the trees, lush and intact. How different things are now…

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Colourfall

October 18, 2015October 2, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 24 Comments

Autumn brings with it a riot of colourful decay and the irresistible urge to go outdoors and take photographs of the turning leaves. Last year I chose to ignore the call, but this season tried to create some different shots by foraging for leaves in my local park in west London – and bringing them back indoors to be my willing subjects.

My well-lit living space with its white surfaces doubles up as a studio area to take photographs and arrange my own shots rather adapting to what you are confronted with. Standing on a chair proved a useful technique, while my macro lens was given another workout. Consider coming in from the cold to capture your fall…

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Bike rides and herring

September 20, 2015July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

As the London autumn seeps in, this final set of photographs from Sweden becomes a memoir of the Scandinavian summer. We took two day trips outside Stockholm, to Gripsholm Castle and the island of Uto in Stockholm’s archipelago.

This is a snapshot of quiet little beaches and country lanes on the island, and a royal retreat surrounded by manicured grounds and lapping waters. And yes, this was Sweden – there were bicycles to ride and pickled herring to feast upon.

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End of the world

September 13, 2015September 14, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 29 Comments

This remote nub of land on the coast of south-east England is like none other. Dungeness is not a fully formed seaside resort packed with amusement arcades and throngs of noisy sun seekers. It is a strange place, dotted with sturdy little cottages, two lighthouses and even a nuclear power station. An added touch of the surreal is a miniature steam railway that whistles its way to a most unlikely station.

The scrubby, shingle landscape is scattered with beached boats, tumbledown sheds and long-forgotten waste. But an array of beautiful flowers thrive in this apparent wasteland, while there is a sense of tranquility close to the sea.

I always wanted to visit Dungeness with my camera, but thought it too remote to reach without a car. It has a wealth of architecture, natural wonders and landscape to capture. But above all else is the depth of mood that you find there. Desolate and distant, even slightly unnerving – but fascinating and thoroughly photogenic.