Manchester summer

July 30, 2023July 30, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

July. While southern Europe battled wildfires in intense heat, Manchester and the UK were stuck in a rut of cool temperatures and torrential rain.

Here’s an ode to June, when dry and sunny weather graced this city.

It was an era of warm photography walks in my neighbourhood of Castlefield.

Wearing shorts was the norm, local waterways were still, and the colours on new apartment blocks pinged deep into the long evenings.

What will August bring? Inevitably more worrying signs of climate change which are a huge deal for us all.

How has the weather been with you? It’s less of a banal question these days…

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Southport: A day of two halves

May 7, 2023May 7, 2023 / mikeosbornphoto / 2 Comments

Here in the UK, if the weather forecast for the next day is good, you make plans.

On this particular occasion I decided to travel from Manchester to the seaside resort of Southport for some sunshine.

It looked like the forecasters had got it wrong. Heavy clouds and the threat of rain made the Mersey coastal town look dramatic rather than calm.

But a fish and chip lunch later, the clouds shifted to make way for beautiful blue skies and had me scurrying back to Southport’s expansive beach and lengthy pier. There’s always hope even in the north of England!

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Chasing fog

January 23, 2022January 22, 2022 / mikeosbornphoto / 4 Comments

We’re in the grip of winter in the UK, including thick fog which occasionally shrouds our cities and countryside.

I woke up to this one recent Sunday morning, quickly got dressed, grabbed my camera and went out into the cold.

It was swirling around the modern skyscrapers of my Manchester neighbourhood but seemed to be moving away with unexpected speed. But I could still see it creeping in the distance.

So I chased it over to our twin city of Salford, where it lay very deep by the Irwell river and an area called The Meadow. Wandering back into Manchester, I noticed the mist was having a second wave around the high rises.

Photographing the ghostly pall of fog isn’t always easy – have you tried? Please leave your comments below

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Salford blues

May 2, 2021May 3, 2021 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Stunning blue skies and water. Reflections galore and sunshine. You’d think it’s the Mediterranean, not Manchester. CONTINUES BELOW

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A vibrant spell of glorious Spring weather prompted me to take my first walk along the Manchester Ship Canal’s ‘left bank’.

The pathway opened up after a new tram line to the Trafford Centre started operating and offers a new perspective on the architecture of Salford Quays.

The startlingly blue sky turned the canal a beautiful colour, which became a mirror for the lines of modern buildings. Add swans serenely gliding around and this made a successful photo walk.

Do you also find the lure of ‘reflection porn’ irresistible?…

Pots of gold

July 7, 2016July 6, 2016 / mikeosbornphoto / 6 Comments

Summer in London hasn’t exactly been a hot, dry affair so far. The advent of July brought heavy showers interspersed with sunny spells – and a spectacular show. A vivid double rainbow occupied the sky over this corner of the metropolis. It remained solid and steady before inevitably fading away, more than enough time to capture it from my roof space. This was one occasion when monochrome simply didn’t get a look in.