Ocean spray

November 2, 2014November 11, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 18 Comments

Tropical islands make you think of warm, still waters and sheltered coral reefs. But the west coast of Boa Vista in the Cape Verde archipelago off Africa faces the full might of the Atlantic Ocean, and quite often the sea is king.

During my recent stay the nearest stretch of Chaves Beach was red-flagged at all times – too dangerous for swimming. This didn’t stop holidaymakers edging close to the crashing waves and others – including myself – from taking photographs. Even I lost a shoe, although the sea spat it back in disgust.

While it was hard to take a dip, the pounding ocean was welcome. I could hear the ebb and flow of the robust tide while I was heading to sleep, which turned out to be oddly soothing.

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Scarred sundown

September 13, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

Click images to enlarge

The first photograph I showed you from our new roof space was an angry, cloud-smudged sky.

There is a shift in mood here, to a calm evening around sunset, the chimney bristling with branches and the proud, upright TV aerial.

What intrigues is the cloud formation, slashing the sky and leaving a blunt but neat wound. It has obvious impact in colour but has strength in the sepia rendition, like a scar from an operation.

I’m beginning to sense that this skyline will often be featured in photographs, catching various seasonal moments…

Goodbye W6

August 10, 2014August 10, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 35 Comments

We’re leaving. Our time in this little corner of west London has been far too short. We were settled and happy but have to move on.

This place has been a surfeit of riches for photographic inspiration, from the very fabric of Brackenbury’s old houses, the pub on our doorstep and of course Ravenscourt Park, which I’ve captured through the seasons.

Actually, we’re not going far at all. It’s a change of postcode, not country, and no doubt we’ll pop back regularly. But you have to live and breathe a neighbourhood to feel part of its fabric.

Our new place in the world will no doubt provide fresh material for my camera lens. Until then, here’s a brief homage to this slither of London W6.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

: The very fabric of the neighbourhood in all its electic glory

: The first shots with my macro lens were taken in Ravenscourt Park

: Our Victorian house caught on my Soviet Zenit film camera for posterity

: A salmon pink summer sky over our street

: A Mimosa blooming in a nearby street

: An evening at the local pub, the humming heart of the community

: A storm-ravaged tree in the park, which has recovered

: WIngate Road’s delightful pastel houses

: Decline and autumn colour in Ravenscourt’s walled garden

: The sturdy railings in front of our house

: The pub across the road

: A neighbourhood building subtly captured on film

: The first flush of geraniums outside our window

: Proud but dessicated lavender as winter approaches in Ravenscourt

: The navy blue of our local pub at close quarters

: Smudged and dark – the brick of our house

: Colourful Wingate Road

Powdery pink

July 23, 2014March 16, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 8 Comments

This marks a retreat indoors, away from the hot sunshine baking this usually damp island. It makes colours more vivid, while the light can be so strong that photographs can look harsh and bleached.

The subtle pink shades are from the little flowers of a succulent, taken at very close range. They’re numerous and at the height of their powers. A long away from the rigours of summer…

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A tale of two skies

July 20, 2014July 20, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Britain is an island of tempestuousness at the moment. Sultry air has been pushing in from the south, leading to dramatic thunderstorms. While many people have been capturing impressive lightning strikes, I photographed what threatened to be the prelude to a storm.

On one side of the sky, there was beautifully pink-tinged sundown. But on the other side swirled dark, foreboding clouds. They eventually came to dominate the rooftops over my west London street, sweeping the tranquil sunset away. There was an impressive shower of rain, but the full sound and light show seemed to pass us by this time.

Everyone loves a sunset, but I am taken with the texture of the black clouds. Which do you prefer?…