At last I get to update my blog and these are a few pictures taken on a walk from the Mailbox along the canal to the University train station. It was a warm morning but I took along my Canon 5D mk4 and my EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens. I usually do little to the pictures other than keeping an eye on the exposure and using an unsnarling mask to finish the picture. On this walk I did play with some of the pictures in Google Nik. I also used black and white. I just have a sense when a picture suits black and white treatment. My favourite picture of the day was the cyclist and the train although it was fun taking pictures in the canal bridge just before the University Residence Park.
Playing with filters and you can often forget what the original looked likeSome soft focusThe application of tinted filtersThis is the original !!!The canal walk brings out nice light and shadowsGraffiit under the bridgeA silhouette in the Edgbaston TunnelA non functional pier adds some charm to the sceneMan versus machine and I do like this photographAnother favourite view which you start to see as the curve of the canal opens upYou have reached your destination
The Birmingham International Dance Festival comes to the City every two years. There is an extensive programme of dance related events. It is the sixth festival but it was my first experience. The meeting was organised by Igersbirmingham and when the announcement popped up on my Instagram account, I immediately signed up for it. I was also unsure who would be there but the chatter on instagram told me that there would be a few seasoned photographers going to the event. On a Saturday lunchtime in June, I met the other Instagrammers outside St Philip’s cathedral. We got our wrist bands plus a voucher for a free coffee and cake and made our way to Victoria Square. The stage was set outside the Council House and we stood around waiting for the first dance act. After a few minutes, I became aware of four men in what I can only describe as balloon suits, starting to make their presence felt in the square. They started pushing against people and then slowly they began to dance. They were hilarious and with a mixture of humour and surreal movements began to do various routines. Their body suits were filled with air and made them look ridiculous but this was part of the fun. They interacted, danced and had fun. They moved on to New street, bouncing and dancing with the shoppers. I did not know whether to follow but looking at other photos from the event, I wish I did. The name of the dance troupe – Didier Théron
However, back at the stage there was another act starting about a boy and the moon. The moon was on a trapeze circle and the boy was below. The story told how he wished to get up to the moon and he also had a fight with a chimney sweep and a dragon!!! Whatever the result it was a great spectacle and was very clever in its delivery. The name of the this dance troupe – 2FacedDance
The next dance was by two women who were sat on their own bench. They were Can Do Dance and it was a thoughtful and reflective piece of dancing that caught my imagination and I hope that I have caught the intense feelings and emotions that were shown by the dance moves.
It was not possible to stay around for the whole day and there were many more acts to follow. I caught three of the acts and I enjoyed the quality and standard on display. I will be on the front row when the festival comes around in two years time.
On the eve of England’s World Cup campaign in Russia, I went with friends for a behind the scenes tout of St George’e Park which is the flagship training facility for the England football teams. It is an impressive facility situated in the beautiful Staffordshire countryside. The tour starts in the Hilton Hotel which is full of footballing memories in the form of pictures and trophies. The training facility is a short walk next door and has numerous indoor pitches. There is a state of the art Hydrotherapy suite and other gymnasiums. There are also changing rooms named after England captains. We were not able to enter the Billy Wright one as there was a football competition taking place but we were allowed to see the Bryan Robson changing room which was prepared for the England team match of Futsal. They were playing an international match against Poland. The tour finished with a hot and cold buffet at the Hilton Hotel.
For the photographers reading this. The photographs were taken with my Sony RX100v5 and processed with Photoshop. I set the Sony on Program for general shooting so as to be ready for impromptu pictures. I shoot in RAW and the processing will include sharpening via an unsharp mask and tweaking of the exposure, highlight, colours and saturation.
The entrance to the ParkThe car park space for Gareth Southgate (with Andy and Jim my son-in-laws)The centre is set in beautiful surroundingsAbstract of the front entranceTour briefing of the lecture room at the HiltonThe scene of many England Team briefingsThe inner courtyard of the Hilton Hotel on siteExterior view of the Hilton HotelA footballer sculpture in the reception areaFootballer sculpture with black and white pictures (reception area)State of the art training facilitiesAll those weightsCycling machines all lined upCounting up all those exercise bikesI know who is in that pictureAn amazing underwater treadmillThe autograph wall with many famous signatures on it including the Duke of CambridgeSet in beautiful countrysideThe Bryan Robson changing roomAll ready to be worn for the gameThe impressive indoor training pitchIt says it allThe end of the tour
A few views of St Paul’s Church, Gas Street Basin, the Library and the Cube. The sunlight always gives the local landmarks an added boost.
Light, leaves and windows.St Paul’s Spire in the treesSun flare over the long boatsEarly commuters with the reflections in the waterThe Library reflected in the International Convention Centre’s windowsA favourite picture of mine with the Cube in the background and the boats arrange in an arrowhead point to the distance.Early worker getting his long boat ready for the day
Over the Bank Holiday weekend, Austy Wood opened its doors . The wood is privately owned and is normally not accessible to the public. There is a footpath that navigates the edge of the wood and it is possible to look into the wood and imagine what it is like. Three charities came together to make it possible to visit the inside of the wood. Volunteers from Cure Leukaemia, Rotary Club and the Firefighter’s Charity helped organise and arrange for the woods to be open. It was not only the charities that benefited as there was also a donation to Wootton Warren primary school.
Austy wood boasts the best Bluebell display in Warwickshire and is located on the Stratford Road just past Wooton Warren. The route is approximately 1 ½ miles long. The walk starts at Yew Tree Farm and initially you pass over the Stratford-upon-Avon canal and then move onto the farm houses where representatives from the charities take your fee. A gentle uphill walk leads to the wood. Look back and you see a magnificent view of the Warwickshire countryside. Don’t worry about a picture as you revisit that view at the end of the walk. Entering the woods, I was excited by the sporadic displays of bluebells but this was just a taster to the real show waiting. Meeting volunteer firemen, the path moves through a meadow and skirts some beautiful carpets of blue flowers. Yet again this is just the prelude to the main event. As the path moves deeper into the wood, the carpet becomes thicker and with the sun relatively low in the morning sky, there are lovely shadows to be photographed.
The path then doubles back and drops down into varied parts of the wood. By this time, you are able to take in the bluebell vista and there are a few surprises such as badger paths and old upturned tree trunks. Then finally the path leads out of the woods and it is back to that wonderful vista of the Warwickshire countryside.
There was so much to photograph and the colours of the bluebells was intense. The light and shadows was exhilarating and needless to say many photographs were taken.
Thank you to the three charities who helped organise the event. Dave of the Rotary Club asked if the pictures could be used to advertise the event for next year. I know that I will be looking out for the dates when the wood is open next year.
The pictures include those of the different volunteers that I met on my walk through the woods.
Stratford-upon-Avon CanalSetting offVolunteers at the startLong shadows in the morningMade in Oz?Onwards and upwardsBluebells at the start of the walkFirefighter volunteerThe beautiful blue carpetGreen paths through the blueThe blue carpet thickensWide angled viewPine “fruit”Light and shadows on the BluebellsClose up and bokehThe morning sun breaks through the treesMore blue viewsThe views go on and onMore happy volunteersWho made this path?Coming to the end of the woodland walkThe arrow shows the way outNot a bad place to volunteer.Thank you to our sponsoring charitiesThe beautiful Warwickshire countrysideMore visitors arrivingIt is busy at the startThe car park is filling upA great family day outA friendly face at the car park. I will be back next year.
A long weekend break in Dublin with beautiful weather could only mean one thing, great opportunities for photographs. We stayed in a hotel near to Grafton Street which allowed lots of opportunities for street photography. The place that I particularly enjoyed visiting was Bewley’s coffee house. The last time I was in Bewley’s was as a young 19 year old student ready to hitchhike around Ireland. Trinity College Dublin is also very photogenic and the good weather brought out the people as the photographs show. Another favourite spot is Dublin Castle and the gardens behind provide great spots for not only soaking in the sun but also taking photographs. There are a few night shots thrown in and even though Sunday morning was dull in comparison to the rest of the weekend, several of the buildings still lent themselves to being photographed. A memorable weekend and once again the fair city of Dublin is the winner.
Stained glass window in Bewley’sEnsuring all is correct in Bewley’sStreet performer in Grafton StreetTrinity College DublinSphere within a sphereSelfie in a sphereA beautiful day at TrinityCommanding Cherry BlossomAn Aaron Island jumperThe ha’penny BridgeA lone figure in Temple BarThe Temple Bar in Temple BarDublin CastleColours of Dublin CastleView from the Hop off – Hop on BusSo many tourists with the GPO Building, O’Connell street in the backgroundThe figures of the Irish Famine always send a shiver down my spineDublin at night with the reflections in the river LiffeyAmazing mural of a red squirrel done as a series of “Trash Animals” by the artist Bordalo IIOne of my all time favourite Rock stars
The sun came back after a really dull week and so I jumped into the car down to one of my favourite locations for photographs. Kingswood Junction is near to Lapworth and is where the Stratford-upon-Avon canal meets the Grand Union canal via a small connection under the railway bridge. I played around with long exposure, long focal length lens and an old fish eye lens that I have. All good fun and long may the sun shine.
A small boat in the marinaWhich way?Via the Grand UnionThe connection between the two major waterwaysLong exposureLong exposure with black and white treatmentThe Fish eye viewA pleasant sunny day
Oozells Square is just off Brindley Place. It is a relatively new square and has a faceless RSB bank on the south side with the elegant IKON gallery on the North side. Either side are a couple of restaurants which have their charms and are enjoyable places to dine the night away. The square is pleasant and whilst not unique does showcase the IKON gallery rather well. For a few weeks in April, the square comes into its own with Cherry Blossom. The trees erupt in bright pink and it is an attractive sight. The flowering attracts most photographers in the area and I happen to one of those photographers that waits for this moment. This year I wanted to be different by experimenting with a range of in camera methods. I used several techniques including Intentional Camera Movement, Zooming and Double Exposure. As an added bonus my iPhone picture was featured in the BBC weather bulletin that evening.
The cherry blossom in Oozells Square. The only downside was the dull skies.This was using a Zooming technique on a 200mm lensA double exposure using the original photograph and a larger picture of the IKON towerThis is using an upward Intentional Camera MovementPicture taken on my iPhone for BBC weatherwatchersAnd it made the 6.30pm BBC weather bulletin as well.
I work in town on a Wednesday morning so I take the opportunity of pacing around the streets with my camera. The Custard Factory proves to be a happy hunting ground for pictures. The graffiti is very colourful and there are several interesting nooks and crannies that provide interesting views. Here are a selection taken from one of my Wednesday walks.
Walking down Bordesley Street on the way to the Custard FactoryA few muddy puddles on the wayInteresting window stickersThe best of DigbethI do like the way they are staring at youBack Wednesday and the artist, Annatomix, came back the next day to finish it off.Cool GraffitiColours of the Custard FactoryHighway through the factoryColourReflectionsOne of our flamingoes is missing.No entry x2Searchlights and antenna
Next stop Singapore and it is 6 years since I have visited so I was interested to see what had changed. Looking out from the airplane window flying into the country, the success of Singapore’s trade is seen by the numerous ships waiting to enter the port. The flower lined drive from Changhi airport to the city brought back memories of previous times. For this visit, I was participating in a conference at Nanyang Technical University (NTU) which is to the west of the island. To the taxi drivers, it is the furthest distance from the airport taking 40 minutes and occasionally during my stay, there would be the occasional grumble that NTU was too far out for them. The University Campus is well planned and even in the heat and humidity, most of the places are easily accessible. There are some interesting buildings including the Hive (a student learning hub), and the School of Art, Design and Media with its curving double buildings. Other interesting NTU departments that I visited included the Medical School which had a mixture of old and new architecture. If you are interested, the conference that I attended was organised jointly by the University of Birmingham and Nanyang Technical University.
During the conference, there was also some downtime and I visited an old friend, Gareth Pearson, for a drink in the Marina Bay at night. He also arranged for me to visit Altitude which is the highest bar in Singapore with spectacular views over all the city and the Island. Following this I came down to Sea Level and caught a taxi from the Fullerton Hotel to an evening reception at the Tanglin Club which is one of Singapore’s oldest and prominent social clubs. The meal and company were great and the bar was well stocked as can be seen from the pictures.
In between my numerous meetings and the conference, there was also a chance to briefly visit Clarke Quay and the surrounding area of the Singapore Cricket club which not had not changed much since my last visit. The weather at midday is hot and humid so I took some photographs but did not linger very long.
On my last night in Singapore we had a reception at the National Art Gallery. The bar in the Gallery is called Smoke and Mirrors and has commanding views over the Cricket club and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Its central position allows for great photographic opportunities of the skyscrapers around the city both day and night.
Singapore is one of THE places to visit in the world and it does not disappoint. The place is always changing yet retains that British charm that made the place what it is today.
The coast of Singapore with the ships waiting to enter the docksFounders stone for Nanyang Technical UniversityChinese Heritage Centre (NTU)Inside the Hive (student learning centre – NTU)Inside the Hive (student learning centre – NTU)The Hive (student learning centre – NTU)NTU Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineSelfie at the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineNTU Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineThe media centre at NTU University. A curving structure that provided many different views.The media centre at NTU University. A curving structure that provided many different views.The media centre at NTU University. A curving structure that provided many different views.The media centre at NTU University. A curving structure that provided many different views.The Cosmo Restaurant next to my accommodation at NTUSingapore Cricket Club surrounded by SkyscrapersStatue of Raffles in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall at Empress PlaceBoat QuayBoat QuayBoat QuayBoat QuayBoat QuayBoat QuayBoat Quay from Altitude leading to Clarke QuayView from AltitudeMarina Bay from AltitudeColours of the Fullerton BuildingTanglin ClubTanglin ClubTanglin ClubA reflecting pool at the National Gallery, SingaporeAtmospheric view of Marina Bay Sands HotelBartender busy at workThe winner is the conversation or the view?How wide is that Hotel?National GalleryShapes and lines at the National GalleryThis is a viewDiscussions before dinnerSt Andrew’s Church at nightDramatic night vista of SingaporeNight on Marina BayMarina bay skyscrapersSunset – Heat and humidity after the rain
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