Little bits of…

August 29, 2016August 28, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

I really like to seek out details to photograph, often more than the bigger picture and grand vistas. They can be tucked away doorways, windows that are so familiar they’re ignored. I’ve visited a number of places with my camera, and have looked back over my photo archive for some of those smaller, more ordinary items. It’s anything from a line of washing on the roof of a bland building in Cape Verde to a neat beach hut on the East Anglian coast. Enjoy the significance of these little bits…

Click first image to see collection

: Abu Dhabi

: Budapest

: Cape Verde

: Dungeness

: Sweden

: Hunstanton

: Norwich

: Olympic Park, London

: Sri Lanka

: Shoreditch

: Budapest

: Oostende

: Whitley Bay

: Woolwich

: Regent’s Canal

Human interest

December 6, 2015 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

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.

Click first image to launch the gallery

Bike rides and herring

September 20, 2015July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

As the London autumn seeps in, this final set of photographs from Sweden becomes a memoir of the Scandinavian summer. We took two day trips outside Stockholm, to Gripsholm Castle and the island of Uto in Stockholm’s archipelago.

This is a snapshot of quiet little beaches and country lanes on the island, and a royal retreat surrounded by manicured grounds and lapping waters. And yes, this was Sweden – there were bicycles to ride and pickled herring to feast upon.

Click first image to view this selection

Windows of Sweden

September 6, 2015July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 11 Comments

My camera and I developed a fetish on a recent trip to Sweden. Windows. I wanted to photograph them here, there and everywhere. Why? They come in all shapes and designs in that country, framed in mustard yellow and burgundy on the outside, decorated with a luxurious drape or a simple net curtain on the inside. It was hard to resist their allure.

Favoured spots for window-spotting were at the City Hall in Stockholm, the fairytale royal castle of Gripsholm and the charming town of Mariefred nearby. Enjoy peering in and looking out…

Click first image to view the selection

Summer house

August 23, 2015July 30, 2019 / mikeosbornphoto / 9 Comments

This is a very pleasant obsession of the Swedish nation. A great love is to have a second home in the countryside or by the coast – a rustic escape from the trials and tribulations of everyday life in the city. Many Swedes enjoy a long holiday during the summer months, and the sommurstuga is a base for walks in the woods to pick berries, taking bicycle rides and enjoying an evening barbecue. It’s called getting away from it all.

The summer house I visited is a solid, rugged wooden home with an orchard and meadow surrounded by tall handsome trees. A flagpole proudly flies the nation’s light blue and yellow flag. Redcurrants and wild strawberries grow in the garden, which is a peaceful idyll for enjoying the short Swedish summer.

Thank you to Bodil and Anja for their warm welcome and allowing me to prowl around with my camera.