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West is east

/ mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

Damasgate signage

Welcome to my neighbourhood in west London. Uxbridge Road in Shepherd’s Bush is a vibrant thoroughfare lined with shops, always thronging with people and filled with the oxygen of everyday life. It’s a multicultural district embracing people from around the world. A glance at some of the shop fronts reveal that the Middle East has left an impression on the area, with elegant signs in Arabic and colourful displays of produce.

In the midst of this is the stately blue of Bush Hall, a music venue with 19th century roots which sits next to the local mosque. Walk further down the road and find a small group of Somali shops, Polish supermarkets, Syrian restaurants, coffee shops, clothes stores – an entire urban community.

Enjoy this pen portrait of just one absorbing London street.

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Syrian bakery

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Market bustle

/ mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Mauritius is not just an island of dreamy azure seas and golden sands. Venture to the Indian Ocean republic’s capital, Port Louis, and it’s a lively place where people go about their daily business like any other.

The central market is the place to visit, thronging with people and groaning with produce. Some of the floorspace is given over to Mauritian handicrafts made for tourists, and as a European visitor you’ll have several offers to visit stalls with vanilla, spices and fake t-shirts.

The fruit and vegetable market is an irresistible draw and bustling with activity. The two shots above show this frenetic life, smeared with colour and movement.

I chose a muted scheme for the photograph below, and like the story it tells – the stall on the left shows little movement apart from the owner glancing at his much busier rival. Why is everyone going to buy their goods there?

Sometimes you only notice these little stories in a frame long after you have taken it. While I’m not always very comfortable with documenting life and people, sometimes the rewards are richer, wouldn’t you say?