nature

Dusk on the quays

/ mikeosbornphoto / 11 Comments

Whoever said that Manchester and its sister city of Salford are grey and rain-sodden might like to reconsider. If you take a dusk stroll by the waterways at Salford Quays by the end of the Manchester Ship Canal, you may be treated with a fantastic spectacle. The sunsets here are rich and golden and the modern buildings glint in the light.

I used my new lightweight Fuji X100T for these photographs. It performed nicely, although the fixed lens and lack of zoom means the legs have to do some extra work to nail down that desired frame.

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End of the Wirral

/ mikeosbornphoto / 18 Comments

This memorable day trip started with a train from Manchester to Liverpool and then my first ride on the ‘Scouse Metro’ which takes you beneath the Mersey to Birkenhead and deeper into the Wirral peninsula. At the end of the line is the town of West Kirby.

It sits on the estuary of the River Dee as it flows into the Irish Sea, with the north Wales coast across the water. But for much of the day there’s little water as the tide is out, creating a vast expanse of open sand. This was a day of rain and leaden skies, making the sense of space even greater.

West Kirby also has a marine lake circled by a road – a natural place for walks. It adds to the sense of place in this distant part of a great northern peninsula.

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The orchid show

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

This was an unexpected bonus of a Sunday afternoon visit to Tatton Park, a Cheshire stately home and grounds. One of its buildings was crammed with the delicious fragrance and stunning colours of orchids. These flowers came in all beguilingly delicate varieties, almost overwhelming the space. I swiftly shifted to my 60mm macro and tried to make the best of a tricky subdued light… 

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A garden in the north

/ mikeosbornphoto / 12 Comments

Manchester is a sturdy, handsome city packed with great buildings and urban power. But it’s relatively quick and easy to escape to the country and find green fields, hills and more.

Dunham Massey is a modest stately pile within the boundaries of Greater Manchester. We made a beeline for the formal gardens, which in Spring are bursting with colour. The tulips and rhododendron are out in force, while it’s that special moment of the year when the native bluebells carpet the woods. It’s soothing for the soul and easy to get snap-happy surrounded by these flowers…

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Gulf sunrise

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Getting up early to witness the sunrise takes a lot of effort, but it’s ultimately worth it. This particular morning I was in Doha, the capital of Qatar. I walked through the empty, grand corridors of the St Regis Hotel to the jetty next to the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

The tall buildings of this showcase city – which pulsate with colour at night – looked steely in the early light, but it soon gradually turned lustrous and golden, shared by the occasional bird and little else. The sunrise belonged to me and I was privileged to capture a little of its essence. Well worth the early alarm call…

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