2014 moments #2

December 27, 2014December 27, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

I would like to share my 10 most memorable photographs of the year over the coming days with you. These are shots that I am particularly proud of, while each evokes a sense of place and meaning from 2014.

DAISY ON BLACK

This photograph ticks many boxes. I finally invested in a macro lens in 2014, and discovered the joys of getting close small subjects, with nature and flora at the top of the list. I placed this simple flower on a black background which made its purity and vibrant colour stand out, and a Pop Art-style spin-off took shape. And it was taken in my mother’s peaceful, insular Essex garden during the summer warmth.

Cold warmth

December 16, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 21 Comments

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A winter sunset during the darkest time of the year is a tough act to follow. As the cold seeps in, the sky sees fit to give its fieriest display. It almost beats a sun-kissed tropical sundown.

This is taken from the balcony of our west London loft space, silhouetting the large, graceful tree and its neighbour which has been savagely pollarded. A plane crosses the flight path too. The third image is a response to the intense colours of this sight. They have been gently lifted out to give a subtle, muted view of one of nature’s greatest shows.

Into the woods

December 14, 2014December 15, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 21 Comments

Epping Forest is an ancient swathe of woodland just beyond the eastern edge of London, in Essex. It’s accessible by Tube train, but is a haven which seems like a world away from the city.

On a chilly December day, there were just a few hardly dog walkers on the leaf-strewn paths, which reach deep into the tree cover. I passed by water and found pockets ruled by frost, while the sun caught every surface. A beautiful, absorbing – if chilly – walk with my camera.

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Minus two

December 13, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

The first truly bitingly cold morning of the winter. Our loft space has already been deluged by rain, but this time the frost clung onto the slanting roof windows, fighting against brilliant sunshine. The macro lens came into its own, catching the natural wonder and abstract glory of the invading iciness.

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Dune walk

November 30, 2014November 30, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 19 Comments

Boa Vista in Cape Verde seems like a chip of the Sahara that floated out into the Atlantic Ocean. On the west coast, the lush beaches are fringed with sand dunes, ripe for exploration but not too large to get lost in.

In one direction, you’ll suddenly find the chimney stack of an old pottery factory, long since lost to the sand. An old look-out sits on top of a dune, equally abandoned, while the vast Riu Touareg hotel emerges from the desert like a palatial oasis.

Venture south, and you’re only likely to encounter scuttling sandpipers. The prize at the end of the trek is a lovely view of the entire west coast. Worth leaving your sunbed to see…