Light hunting!

 

 

Today's London Street Photography Meetup was an exercise of searching for light in and around the Science Museum in South Kensington. For the first challenge we were to look for reflections in shiny objects and glass, possibly even of ourselves. We split up, so as not to look too much like a group, some of us strolled nonchalantly inside, pretending not to know one another.

 

Paul and a couple of others discovered a fabulously shiny tunnel in the Imperial College campus which, after seeing his shots, we all ended up exploring. Well, you can’t keep a good tunnel to yourself!

 

Inside the Science Museum we had the staircases behind the open lifts to explore, the glass walkways and ramps, glass cabinets full of science-y stuff and I even tried something with a shiny desk toy in the inevitable little shop.

 

 

The second challenge was capturing our subjects backlit. Beyond space (yes, there is something beyond) was the multimedia science news gallery with primary panels of light, an escalator leading up to the vivid blue and orange of the IMAX cinema and randomly, the world’s largest tyre (of course!)

 

 

Today's subject matter I felt demanded demanded a colour treatment though the shots around the glass tunnel were rather monochromatic. I couldn't decide how to frame one of my favourite images, the couple entering the shiny tunnel with the reflections of the surrounding buildings reflected above. Or should I just show the silhouettes and the tunnel. As I struggled to decide, I've posted both of them.

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Sun, sangria and setas in Sevilla

 

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The bright lights and windows...

This time a f-f-freezing London Street Photography Meetup on a school night, we're set lurking and mingling in Chinatown and the bright lights of Soho. We were looking for artificial light, windows - through, framed by, or reflected in.

We start in Chinatown, peering through the glass at Peking ducks and the amusement arcade lights reflected in the restaurant opposite.

We head to the slightly sleazier side and I am drawn to the lurid neon colours, the rainbow lights in Snog, and am looking for reflections and silhouette opportunities everywhere I turn.

I was skulking in front of a vibrantly lit sex shop hoping someone would stride past at exactly the perfect distance for my shot but instead I caught a customer just leaving...and perhaps serendipitously (see what I did there, Polly?) sporting a neon halo! The perfect moment, though I'm not sure he agreed!

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Day 127: Moody bluebells

I thought I’d take some bluebell photographs with a difference. I’d seen and much admired Robert Canis’ twilight/dusk series and bluebells in the diminishing light seem to take on a ghostly silhouette. There was still a few hours of sunlight left but crouched down peering under a hedge with not too much exposure to the sun netted a more interesting picture.

 

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Day 122: run squirrel, run!

There I am minding my own business crouching down photographing some flowers and a large rustling sound above my head catches my attention. There's a serious squirrel rumpus going on in the tree next to the flower bed. I whip my close-up filter off, open the aperture and see if I can capture (photographically) the noisy grey perpetrators in action. They were wily but I saw a possibility of a silhouetted image. It's not black and white but almost seems so.

 

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Day 110: Southwark sunset

I’ve managed to resist for a while but sat at my desk this early evening, out of the corner of my eye I’m beginning to see something spectacular. I’m safely away from the distractions of a window view but being surrounded by so much glass and shiny surfaces somehow the pinks, oranges and purples make their presence known. I grab my camera and go to the other side of the building where I am going to be able to view the sun departing. But actually I can’t view it. The automatic blinds have descended obscuring everything and I’m met with a wall of grey.

However, all is not lost as I know a spot that doesn’t have a blind. I’m not sure whether this is by design as it’s one of the awkward sticky out bits of the building, or it’s just a broken blind. But whatever, I have somewhere I can stand unencumbered by the blinds and take my stunning sunset photo. And as a bonus Southwark Cathedral is silhouetted against the deep purple and vibrant orange which in turn is reflected in the silver snakes of the trains going hither and thither beneath me.

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Day 67: Mystery plant

There is a plant specimen at the end of the road that leans across my path into my eyeline at every opportunity. I'm not sure what it is and I suspect the intriguing blobs at the end of each branch/leaf will eventually unfurl into something fabulous. But even now it intrigues me, looking through my archives this year, I've realised I've photographed it on four occasions. There has been the early morning light, sparkling with raindrops, all fresh and green and now, silhouetted by the late afternoon sun kissed glow. One to watch I think!

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Easy like a Sunday evening

It's one of those perfect Spring nights down by the river. I'm waiting to meet AL for a spot of Sunday night dinner and I'm drawn, as so many are, to sit by the river and enjoy the colours of the sun's diminishing rays in a beautiful setting.

We've had so much rain but we're lucky tonight we having a taste of warmer months. When I arrived there were plenty milling in front of the White Cross pub, I was rather taken with the golden halos as the buzzy crowd bathed in the golden glow. The sun's rays are dancing on the surface of the water occasionally rippled by passing ducks and row boats.

As the sun sinks lower, a local musician plays a set to an appreciate crowd lining the terraces of the Riverside Development. There's an animated group perched on the the edge of the slipway sharing a drink and a joke. Their laughter floats over to where I'm seated and I'm determined to try and catch their exuberance. After a few shots I'm happy to catch them, one of the last boats being rowed down the Thames here and above, a jet approaching Heathrow airport. I'm reminded again I live in a gorgeous place and I should really enjoy it more often than I do.

 

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Day 334: burning, burning sky

I was heading into Richmond town centre but I glanced behind me and could see a burning sky of a sunset. At this time of year the sun doesn't set conveniently parallel to Richmond Bridge making the prefect backdrop to the boats, the swans, the evening strollers on the river path. It sets over there, tantalisingly behind various buildings, houses, obstructions. But I thought I'd see if I could find something before it disappeared for the day. I carried on walking down the road staying at the sky, looking for a vantage point without all the street furniture in the way. I walked past one bus-stop but still no decent angle, I carried on walking to the next bus-stop staring fixedly at the orangey-pink streaks in the sky willing them to linger longer. I figured if I stood on my tip-toes and craned to get a view over the rooftops I might be able to capture the vibrant sky. There's a perfectly placed large tree (oak I think) framing the picture and the silhouette of the chimneys and aerials against the fiery sky.

 

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