Arctic Manchester

January 15, 2023January 15, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

How’s the weather where you live today? January has been mostly grey, miserable and sodden here in Manchester.

But in December there was a prolonged blast of frozen weather with bone-bitingly chilly temperatures.

The city turned into a different place, with stellar light throwing out glossy blues, industrial plumes of steam and strong reflections in still waters.

I spent a day with photographer William Perugini on his first visit to Manchester. It was a very cold, productive day filled with Arctic magic.

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Manchester at dawn

June 26, 2022June 24, 2022 / mikeosbornphoto / Leave a comment

Summer mornings start very early, so I got up, grabbed my camera and had a wander around Manchester city centre. But this wasn’t a normal Saturday… CONTINUES BELOW

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This was a extra long weekend to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Both Thursday and Friday were designated public holidays, very unusual in the UK.

As I wandered around the centre of Manchester from 5am in the early summer light, I got the distinct impression that this was the morning after the night before.

The streets and squares were practically deserted as most Mancunians decided to sleep in after their celebrations.

It meant I had the place to myself and could go about photographing some familiar landmarks that can be difficult in a bustling city centre.

What gets you up early to go out and take photos? Let us know below!

An empty Deansgate in Manchester on an early summer morning

You can’t usually stand in the middle of Manchester’s busy Deansgate

Christmas in Manchester

December 20, 2020December 19, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Christmas may be a smaller celebration in 2020, but it hasn’t stopped Manchester putting on its finest illuminations, bringing bling and bokeh to the city. READ MORE BELOW

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: The Ivy, Spinningfields

: Manchester Cathedral

: Exchange Square

: Exchange Square

: Spinningfields

: Royal Exchange Arcade

: Exchange Square

: St Peter’s Square

: House of Fraser, Deansgate

: Deansgate

: Spinningfields

: Deansgate Square

: St Peter’s Square

: Manchester Cathedral

I chose a dry, mild evening to walk a large circuit around Manchester city centre, stopping often to capture the lights.

There’s restaurant The Ivy’s declaration of love to the city, which has become an Instagram hit.

But my favourite is the cathedral tree which is a glittering frame with not a pine needle in sight.

The scourge of Covid is on the rise again and this Christmas is like no other. No matter how you’re spending it this year, have a safe and happy one.

Georgian splendour

August 25, 2013August 25, 2013 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

To be honest, King Street in Hammersmith is not the prettiest shopping thoroughfare in London. It’s blighted with some drab architecture and feels a little down at heel.

But venture beyond the shops and towards neighbouring Chiswick, and just off to the left you’ll find a real gem of a place.

St Peter’s Square was first laid out in the 1820s, and to this day retains its Georgian charm. Large, handsome white houses are set around a central garden, lush and well established. These buildings are proud, with symmetrical windows, ornate ironwork and bold flourishes of plasterwork. The square also has an imposing church with a distinctive blue clock face and entrance columns.

But modern London has caught up a little with the square – a very busy traffic route runs along one edge now, perilously close to the church. Both this building and the gardens were both locked and inaccessible. That wouldn’t have been so in the much more tranquil 1800s.