Lavish interiors

May 2, 2020October 26, 2020 / mikeosbornphoto / 5 Comments

I lived in London for 16 years before moving north to Manchester in 2016. For years I roamed around the capital city with my camera, going inside many beautiful buildings.

A favourite weekend of the year was when Open House London enabled access to many premises. There were so many lavish rooms to enjoy and photograph.

The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown has made photography more difficult. That’s why I decided to trawl my archive and revisit some favourite shots. Many have been re-edited to suit my evolving tastes and sensibilities, although architecture stands the test of time. Please enjoy!

Tap/click first image to view gallery

: Heal’s

: Fitzrovia Chapel

: The Shard

: Tate Modern

: London Central Mosque

: King’s Cross Station

: New West End Synagogue

: Strawberry Hill House

: Queen’s House, Greenwich

: Tottenham Court Road station

: Gurdwara (Sikh Temple), Southall

: Old Custom House

: Tate Modern

: Olympia

: Tate Britain

Shooting Up

March 1, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 15 Comments

This is a celebration of the thousands of times I have craned my neck to take a photograph, sometimes on my knees or sitting on the damp ground at the same moment. But there is always a commanding building or dazzling ceiling as a reward, and the chance to capture it for posterity.

Enjoy this small selection and remember a stiff neck or a pair of dirty knees is always worth it…

Click first image to view the gallery

: St Stephen’s Cathedral, Budapest

: Hammersmith office building

: Anish Kapoor’s Orbit, London Olympic Park

: Custom House, London

: Kew Bridge water tower, London

: Westminster Hall, London

: 10 Hammersmith Grove complex, London

: New West End Synagogue, London

: The old Mortlake Brewery, west London

: Regents Park Mosque, London

: Tate Modern, London

: Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham

2014 moments #8

January 2, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

I would like to share my 10 most memorable photographs of the past year over the coming days with you. These are shots that I am particularly proud of, while each evokes a sense of place and meaning from 2014.

LONER IN THE GALLERY

This is a glimpse into one of London’s grand, stately homes – a dazzling Gothic pile called Strawberry Hill House. It’s a photograph that captures the sumptuous architecture of it gallery and the order of a row of chairs set out at the end of this room. The surprise – which I didn’t notice when taking the shot – is the shoes of a volunteer guide on the right hand side, seated for a moment between visitors.

Gothic delight

September 7, 2014September 7, 2014 / mikeosbornphoto / 24 Comments

Take a train ride a little deeper into south-west London and you will find Strawberry Hill House. This whitewashed gem of a building was once the domain of Horace Walpole, son of Great Britain’s first prime minister.

This wealthy man lacked for nothing, and set about transforming his home into a Gothic palace, dripping with beautiful stained glass, ornately gilded ceilings – and even a wallpaper designed to resemble carved wood.

The house has undergone a lot of careful restoration in the last few years and is well worth a visit. Enthusiastic volunteers have a wide knowledge of its history. Photography is allowed and very little is off limits. Walpole’s many treasures were sold off many years ago, so the contours and rich details of this mansion are displayed with clarity.

It’s wonderful. Come and take a whirlwind tour here…