The sky colour got more unreal the darker it became. The three other photographers on the same hill top had long gone by this time.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Betjeman statue and TV unit
This photo is made by the low angle and the guy in the suit spotting me as he was talking.
Magdelene College at night
The punts are a wonderful mix of colour and surface texture, making a really powerful foreground.
Cambridge Market
I love the sky and Great St. Mary's church silhouetted. A really atmospheric scene.
Camera shake abstract 2
Some Christmas lights hanging in the escalator well of John Lewis, with a bit of judicious camera-waving. I love the smudged colours of the baubles behind the arcs of the fairy lights.
Greenwich Pier, Canary Wharf
Another lighting contrast. I love the gorgeous colours in the water leading down to the stark white of the floodlit ferry pier.
One mercury lamp
You'd never guess that the buildings are all the same colour - I love the way the sodium-lit buildings frame the mercury lit part.
Passing ferry lights
More technical thrill than artistic triumph, although the result is satisfying. After a few goes, I managed to time it so that the self-timer opened the shutter just before the ferry entered the shot, and kept it open until it had passed. All you can see of the ferry are the trails of its lights and the reflection off the shiny hull.
In the tavern
I like the gorgeousness of the interior light contrasting with the dull and slightly worn exterior.
Tavern reflected in puddle
I like the way the reflection of the Trafalgar Tavern is sharp, but the cobbles framing it are softer - making it feel like we're looking through a torn hole.
Nelson and Canary Wharf
Probably not what the sculptor had in mind when he had Nelson gazing across the expanse of river at Greenwich.
Blue close-up 5
Sitting in a shaft of sunlight in an otherwise shady corner, this head of tiny flowers was simultaneously delicate and strong.
Tattooed dad
A lovely late afternoon domestic scene, as the family pack up to leave the beach. I got lucky that he turned and squinted into the sun like that. The dark grey of the water really accentuates his skin tone.
waterfall
A classically pretty shot, with thanks to the camera's VR capability allowing a reasonably long hand-held exposure stay sharp where it mattered.
peanuts
Strong contrast between the symmetry and pattern of the fenced peanut plot, and the brooding pile of jungle backdrop. Knowing that the peanut field is so transient (during the rainy season a few months later, it will be under at least 5 metres of fast-flowing Mekong river) it signals the vulnerability of the human existence in this part of the world.
village girl with dog
I adore the pride and love in this girl's face, and the way she's hefting the dog.
moored reflection
I like the way the misty, almost monochrome light allows the delicate colour of the boat hull come through.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mekong sunset
The colouring of this is as shot, and a close-up of the sun's smudged reflection next to the moored boats has a very impressionist feel.
sunset carving
The intensity of the setting sunlight coming through an open doorway onto this carving is great, enhanced by the fact that it was shot in an otherwise gloomy interior.
Puddle
The reflection is unusually clear in the late afternoon light, and there's just enough of the "dry" in the frame to unsettle the viewer.
bougainvillea horse
I likethe framing of this one, and the slightly sombre colouring adding to the gravity of the statue in the background.
hangover
A candid shot of a sight-seer at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. The hangover is imagined...
beach sweeper
The burnt-out sea was necessary to expose the sweeper correctly, but it also serves to pick her out very strongly.
boy & sister
There's something very touching and sad about the boy's care for his baby sister and his weary expression.
Hotel reflection
Perching the camera on the edge of the pool for a long exposure shot gives a great finish to the reflection.
Amputee
Two aspects of Cambodia's history captured in one shot. The morning light added something too.
tourists
It was great to get this candid shot of the young monks turning the tables on tourists like me!
distant crests
Dawn at Preah Vihear, and the distant misty hills add drama to this detail of the temple roof.
mother & toddler
Snapped while passing in a bus, so not as sharp as I'd like, but a really evocative picure of Cambodian domesticity. This was the family "kitchen/diner".
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Angkor Wat bas relief
I love the way the shiny bits stand out, through centuries of being stroked by visitors.
Police pose
A hurried, candid shot of two offguard policemen and their friend. I like the incongruity of it.
Elliott at the pillar
I like the strong vanishing point and the subject halfway in. I noticed the sweeper on the grass on the left of frame, and included her, but the sunlit ground is unavoidably over-exposed, burning her out.
Angkor Wat reflected
Not very travel-guide-ish, but I like the texture added by the scum on the water.
Tonle Sap canoe
I was lucky to get their faces framed by the paddles in this way, and also their expressions speak volumes about their attitude towards the necessary evil of tourists like us (my interpretation - they may have been really happy to see us, just working hard!).
Cigarettes
I have to admit it wasn't until later that I realised the child was playing with his mother's cigarette packet, as if he'd just offered her the one dangling from her lips.
Sunset fishing on Tonle Sap
I love the way the horizon is blurred, increasing the sense of the enormity of this lake.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Carving interlock
I love the way these faded carvings hint at former extravagance. The different tones add a lot.
Broken posts
One of my first photos at an Angkor temple, but it seems to sum up so many aspects of these amazing places.
Hong Kong group
The movement in the group really picks out the girl front and centre with the red shoulder straps. With one or two of them in focus, the rest can be as blurred as they like without losing coherence.
Hong Kong glass
Unusual to see such a jumble of shapes in a modern building. and this angle amplifies that.
Kowloon clock tower
I like the weird colours in the sky, caused by the Chinese New Year illuminations, and the depth of contrast with the tower.
Sunset surf
The sky was a remarkable colour, making the surf appear like snow. The scale would be impossible to judge without the figure standing there.
West pier sunset with seagull
It's good to capture a cliché every now and then. The gull is a particularly lovely shape.
Jogger from above
Her arm must have been swinging backwards, so it was stationary above the road. That elbow seems to lock the composition.
Rockerfeller Centre at twilight
The dark sky was a real bonus, making the building seem much taller.
La Pedrera's loft, Barcelona
I like this composition, with the window bottom centre adding a little contrast to the precarious nature of the lines.
Sunrise from my bedroom
I have a thing about sunrises and sunsets, and this is one of my favourites for the fullness of it and the seething nature of the clouds. The small amount of light on the rooftop adds a feeling of awakening somehow.
Water-lily, Kew Gardens
This is a beauty, with the reflection of the glasshouse roof adding to the geometry of the composition.
There are a few specks in the water which could be touched up, but apart from that it's a very complete shot.
In the Lily House, Kew Gardens
A nice sharp image, and the dark water behind makes it look like a studio shot.
Bishop's Rock Lighthouse
It was tricky keeping the camera level in a speeding boat, but at least I managed to capture something of the ghostly light and the milky water.
St. David's Cathedral, from the Bishop's Palace
Another tricky exposure job. The ruined window could almost be a silhouette of the bishop, complete with mitre, and with the cathedral Photoshopped in.
The Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
The rocks mimic the waves they resist, and it was eerie looking over the edge. They seemed to be moving.
Below the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path
Unusual to see regular geometry in a setting like this. The clear water and colours are a bonus.
Gravestone, St. David's, Wales
It looks like the palette for an urban interior design company. I loved the different textures too.
Light through stained glass, St. David's Cathedral, Wales
I struggled to hold the camera steady in the dim light, so it's a bit "soft", but I love the subtle colours.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Alcazar Real, Seville
I took this as a framing exercise, but I love the detail and texture of the marble floor.
Alcazar Real, Seville
I just rested the camera on the edge of this pool. I like the contrast with the sunlight hitting the grotto at the far end.
Sun and Shade, Alcazar Real, Seville
An interesting exposure challenge, but it captures the contrast between the searing sunlight outside and the contemplative interior shade.
Interior, Seville Cathedral
I loved the way the light dramatised this carving - particularly the small likeness of a suffering Terry Waite on the left hand side.
Fenland Cloud
This reminded me of the mother-ship from Close Encounters. It just seemed out of place.
Sashimi, Tokyo
A picture of a picture, and a record of the best part of the most expensive meal I ever disliked.
Sunrise from my bedroom window
An interesting rug of clouds, and great colour-grading from yellow to purple, bottom to top.
Joe, Crabbing at Freshwater Bay
I like the sun on the rocks behind, and the fact that when you find the end of Joe's crabbing line in the water, it suddenly pulls the whole frame together.
Sunset at Brighstone Bay, IoW
The colour of the water and the arrival of hundreds of birds made this. The sea bed seems to be bulging upwards and pushing the water off.
The Beach at Brighstone Bay, IoW
I usually avoid putting the focus in the middle of the frame, but it seemed to work for this.
On the shore at Freshwater, IoW
This stood out among all the grey stones. An amazing palette of colours.
BA 747 over Sydney Skyline
I'd waited for over an hour to take this, and there were no second chances, so I was really pleased with the framing.
Sydney Opera House at night
My favourite of the MANY shots I took. There is no best angle to this building - and it's still unmistakeable even when just picking out a detail.
Eroded rock - Sydney Botanic Garden
I loved the complex textures and subtle colouring, Nicely framed too.
Albi Cathedral interior
A detail of the amazing complexity of the Catherdral's medieval painting. It's hard to believe that it's all still in its original form.
Ely Cathedral
Again the dark clouds behind add lovely contrast to the warmth of the stone in the late afternoon light.
The colours are as shot, but the converging verticals have been corrected.
Razor Shells, Holkham Beach, Norfolk
Looks like a composed abstract work, but in fact it's just a sample of a mollusc "graveyard" the size of a tennis court.
Marram grass at Holkham Beach, Norfolk
The swirling of the marram grass persuades you that the gull has just been thrown off balance by a gust of wind.
Sunset from Joe's Window
I really like the combination of pink and blue, and the way the eye is drawn to the "faults" in the frame.
Chimneys from my bedroom window
The dark storm cloud in the background really threw the bright chimneypots into relief.
The Cam at sunset
I love the difference in detail between the left and right halves, and the metallic nature of the surface in the lower right corner.
Magdalene College, Cambridge
I thought at the time this was quite touristy, and this was confirmed when it was chosen for a Schmap online tourist guide!
Wysing Arts fire show
I like the way the people seem part of the earth, as distinct from the "live" part of the scene.
Fire show at Wysing Arts
The flying sparks were hardly noticeable live, so this was a bit of a surprise.
Moonset from Joe's window
It's unusual to see the moon like this, and the mist over the Common gives it a wintry feel.
Shame about the slight camera shake causing the car headlight traces to wobble - easy to lose them though.
Sunset from Joe's Window
I particularly like the contrast between the black and white clouds at the top.
Tenerife hotel bar tables
Tesselated pattern of tables and shadows - contaminated by randomly placed people.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Imperial Dunes, Southern California
A visual joke, where the clichéd image of the noble, inhospitable landscape has been subverted by a seemingly meaningless human intervention, corrupting every square inch.
Joshua Tree in Arizona
This evoked a shaggy scarecrow to me, with disembodied head and hands on stalks, and I like how the clouds echo the wind-blown grass at its feet.
Grand Canyon
The Sun's dying rays pick out the frozen rocks at the foot of the bush and light up a strip of the north rim, seven miles away. The ice seems to contradict the warmth of the colours.
Grand Canyon
Adding the human scale should be reassuring, but losing the horizon destabilises it, making the canyon seem unmeasurably deep and wide.
Grand Canyon
A classical view that might feature in any holiday brochure. The absence of people means it lacks scale.
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley California
The unique nature of the rocks makes it difficult to judge depth, so it looks more foreshortened than the lens actually achieved.
Alec getting soaked
One of those photos that reveals what can't be seen with the eye, and yet is immediately familiar.
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