transport

West London hub

/ mikeosbornphoto / 17 Comments

Earl's CourtIf you live here in west London, it’s practically guaranteed that you are familiar with Earl’s Court rail station.

It’s a District line hub which reaches far west into leafier areas including Richmond and Wimbledon – and is just a handful of stops away from my neighbourhood of Hammersmith.

Earl’s Court is also a stop en route to the centre of London and far beyond in an easterly direction, while the Piccadilly line rumbles deep below the surface.

Several busy platforms and tracks head to different places, all housed under a sturdy, handsome Victorian roof.

This station is a quirky beast and at times confusing with various departures and arrivals. It retains some quaint illuminated signs indicating which service is about to arrive – but this can guide you to the wrong train.

But Earl’s Court couldn’t be any other way. It’s a piece of the landscape.

Click first image for the full gallery experience

Night lights

/ mikeosbornphoto / 27 Comments

Speeding train

A train line which runs behind your house has its advantages, although it’s taken me eight years to exploit this. It’s after dark and pleasant enough to set up the camera and tripod by an open window.

The Hammersmith and City line trains are less frequent at night and tend to thunder straight past. So these are bright, fast-moving objects under low light conditions. It was very hard to catch them.

But what I did capture were numerous colourful, thick streaks of light zipping past the sky, which I discovered can be made into beautifully neat abstract frames.

I managed to see into the carriage of one train and also turned my lens on the trees when the trains were absent, finding a beautiful ink blue sky. A good and unexpected evening’s work.

Click first image to launch the gallery

The morning commute

/ mikeosbornphoto / 14 Comments

Sat on the tracks

The train line behind my house has become a source of wonder as my departure from this place draws very near. This elevated, open stretch of the London Underground grinds past on a regular basis. I hardly notice it after all these years.

The tube trains often halt at a red light, especially during the morning rush hour. These morning shots, on a brilliantly clear day, show the odd shadow of commuters bound for Hammersmith and work.

On Sunday, day will turn to night as I continue to say goodbye to my ever-moving neighbour.

Underground, No Smoking

Boris beauty

/ mikeosbornphoto / 10 Comments

London’s bicycle hire system has become a distinctive feature of the city with its rows of little blue two wheelers at numerous docking stations.

A full, perfect line of “Boris bikes” is a sight to behold, especially when you have your camera to hand. There are many lines and shapes to capture – throw in some good light and it’s possible to turn functional machines into frames of loveliness. And no need to pedal…

Click first image for the full gallery experience

 

Plane spotting

/ mikeosbornphoto / 7 Comments

It’s the first day of 2013 and I experience something new, thanks to Dermot who is very interested in aviation. It becomes a photography expedition, so I’m happy to visit a small street called Myrtle Avenue. It’s close to the runway of London’s Heathrow Airport, a popular spot for plane spotters to gather for amazing, close-up views of aircraft in flight.

You would imagine that taking shots of aeroplanes as they land is an easy task. They’re at close quarters and are pretty big. But I soon realised this was far from the truth. Planes travel very fast, even when they’re about to land. I’m used to largely still subjects and can spend a considerably long time framing and focusing before releasing the shutter – better known as slow photography.

This was hard, frustrating work. I completely missed a bunch of arrivals, had a host of blurred shots and didn’t quite hit the mark – see the shot of a British Airways airliner perched in a tree. But in the end I managed to pull off a few exposures and would quite like to return for more – perhaps when it’s a little warmer.

Click on first image to launch gallery

Late winter light

I couldn’t help turning my camera to this sumptuously backlit winter sky while waiting for the aircraft. It could be a countryside scene, only to the right of the shot is one of the busiest airports in the world…