people

Human interest

/ mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

Ilias

This photograph made me pause for thought. It is my Greek friend Ilias, taken on a city walk around Hoxton. I’d imagined taking a picture of him, and this was it. I happily gave a little direction to make it happen, and it was part of the process of photography.

It made me think of my self-confessed fear of people and portraits. But looking back over my archive, it becomes clear that this problem doesn’t really exist. I’ve captured a fair few people, some in plain sight and others while I simply observed them from afar. Perhaps I feel safer with the solid majesty of buildings or objects in the control of my studio space. But humans are interesting – and sometimes need not be feared.

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The Photo Shop

Shoreditch streets

/ mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

Shoreditch

The London district of Shoreditch is just a stone’s throw away from the city’s business district. It’s become synonymous with being achingly trendy, packed with cool bars, shops and eateries. It’s the home of the Cereal Killer Cafe which serves nothing but a bewildering array of boxed breakfast delights. The demographic is young and hip, with beards and man buns a-plenty.

So I made the journey from staid west London to prowl the streets of Shoreditch with my camera. It’s urban with some rough edges and a lot of graffiti art, but has a lot of sumptuous little shops and places to eat. The vibrant facades and store fronts caught my eye, along with details of architecture. It was easy to capture people as they went about their business.

There’s a lot of see and absorb in a small area. I’d thoroughly recommend a photo walk – keep your eyes peeled.

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The Photo Shop

Golden hour Thames

/ 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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The Photo Shop

A bite of Belgium

/ mikeosbornphoto / 16 Comments

This was a midsummer jaunt across the North Sea to our continental neighbour Belgium. What should have been a sun-blistered long weekend was dogged by inclement weather, and mostly spent dodging sharp showers and regretting the decision not to pack more appropriate attire.

These photographs were gathered from two cloudy day trips, exploring the capital Brussels and visiting the coastal city of Oostende, where the promise of cycling along the seaside boardwalk was replaced with umbrellas. While blue skies were a rare sight, the wet weather provided rich reflections, dramatically leaden skies and a wealth of detail. Bravo Belgium.

Warm thanks to Bart Vandenberghe for his hospitality, humour and enthusiasm.

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Gallery entrance

The photographer

/ mikeosbornphoto / 13 Comments

A captured moment in the sumptuous gardens at Eltham Palace, a beautiful stately pile close to London. This young woman, with camera hanging from her shoulder, was taking a moment during her visit. She was standing in the right spot in this stretch of formal garden. It was my chance to take a photograph without being detected. This tends to be the only time when human subjects make their way into my photography, when the stories can only be speculated upon.

The photographer

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