A dusk view taken at Pomona Strand, a rather desolate stretch of Manchester’s canalways which sits between the city zone and the new buildings of Salford Quays. Very few people alight at Pomona tram stop.
After darkness falls and you venture deeper into the quays, the light and reflections intensify, urban landscape and water play against each other beautifully.
During these long winter nights, Salford Quays is a blaze of light with its brightly illuminated modern high rises. But it’s been enhanced with a series of art installations around MediaCityUK which come into their own after dark. There are astronauts and Doctor Who icons, plastic trees and a mesmerising flotilla of little boats on the water which are bringing more visitors than usual to this corner of Manchester.
There are plenty of photographers among them, trooping around the quays with their tripods in tow. This spectacle is on the doorstep of my workplace, so I just had to join the crowd. If you’re quick you can catch the last night of Lightwaves 2016 on 18 December.
The new city, new life theme continues. Salford Quays – my home for now – is bristling with photographic riches. There is high-rise architecture that has sprung up in the last decade or so, waterways that have been here a lot longer, and the blazing yellow of the Metrolink trams that connect this area with the rest of Manchester. And just recently, a series of blistering sunsets. Enjoy these postcards…
Welcome to Manchester. Here are the first photographs from my new home city. I’m living (at least for now) on Salford Quays, an old industrial area reclaimed for the 21st century and now bristling with media outlets including the BBC, high-rise residences and amenities.
The area’s waterways and gracefully illuminated bridges make this an excellent place to take both camera and tripod out for a spin after dark. It’s quiet enough to go about your photography unimpeded, while the evenings are mild – at least for now.
