Over the last week of January the Bull Ring area of Birmingham held a Festival of Light. There were several themed light shows and shoppers flocked to the display. There was a Chinese New Year display but I was unable to get to see that particular event. I did see the display over three nights on my way back from work. Taking photographs was not easy due to the number of people around the event and I was by myself. It did mean I could not do any particularly good selfie photographs. I took different cameras to the event and needed to rely on a high ISO as no tripods were allowed near the interactive exhibits. The light show also was either very bright such as the Neon Angel Wings or unpredictable in when the lights came on. It required a lot of anticipation on the part of the photographer.
There were five installations
Talk to the sky – This was in St Martin’s Square and similar to all the others was interactive in nature. When you talk to the lights your voice is converted into light and sound pulses that were sent up into space.
With Love – This was a bright red inflatable heart that senses the light, the temperature and the atmospheric pressure around it, and turns into a red heartbeat with sounds.
Neon Angel Wings – This installation was designed by the neon light artist, Carla O’Brien. It consisted of a pair of neon wings where you could get a selfie taken. It was a very bright installation and tricky to photograph.
Pulse – St Martin’s Walk up to Rotunda square had a series of circular structures that you were able to walk through. As you did there was an electronic sound track with a pulsing light
Birds Fly Around With You – This final light show in Rotunda Square was an interactive flock of birds. When you entered the circle then the birds starting to light up and fly around you in a circle.
Digbeth is the new Shoreditch is a saying on the Internet. I have not been to Shoreditch for a long time and I know that Digbeth is modelled on itself not on any other town or city. It has been a while since I had been to Digbeth. Furthermore, I wanted to get there early so that I could see the pretty street lighting that I often see from the train in the morning. The cultural centre of Digbeth is the former Bird’s Custard Factory which was always awash with light. Now the surrounding roads such as Floodgate Street and Lower Trinity Street have street lighting that criss-crosses the road. It gives a nice effect and entices the visitor into the area to discover more about the charms of Digbeth.
Grafitti is a feature of DigbethFloodgate Street – Under the arch down the Road Robots on the wallA puddle reflection in Floodgate Street
I took my Canon camera with wide lens with me and also had my iPhone and Sony compact. The streets were relatively quiet with a few early workers out and about. I took a selection of pictures including the graffiti and the lights. I even walked into the centre of the Custard Factory to look at the sculptures and art work. It is always a rewarding experience moving around Digbeth during the early hours.
This way to the Custard FactorySmoking on the walls in Lower Trinity StreetEarly workers at the Custard FactoryMore lights in the squareIt’s raining peopleArt on displayRanking RogerArt and food and a bikeThe Cat and the Mouse – who will win?
I was in transit from work in the City centre back to my Pebble Mill base. It was a glorious day and before jumping on the bus, I decided to go to Selfridges and see if there were any good shots of the Birmingham Icon, Selfridges.
Black and white suits this photograph (You can see a missing disc which has been a recent problem with the structure)
There are two entrances that overlook St Martin’s church and I approached the deck around the upper one. I immediately noticed the puddles and then the bright sun. I knew that there would be some good pictures to be had. The pictures are a mixture of my Sony and the iPhone. As you will gather the iPhone gave the best picture as it was possible to get the lens down close to the water in the puddle. It only took a few minutes but the sun and the puddles combined to give a great set of photographs.
The clouds add mystery to the pictureSome great reflections in the puddlesDiscs rising out off the groundThe iPhone picture that went mad on my social media
You will have gathered that one of my favourite places is the area under the arches of Snow Hill Station. I usually get to wander around Birmingham early in the morning and I finds this time the most inspiration for photographing Birmingham. I planned my visit by not getting off the train at Moor Street but waiting till Snow Hill. I then used the Livery Sgreet entrance and made my way down to the arches. The city council have installed lights that illuminate the subterranean space.
There are gated arches overlooking the canal where I presume they used to keep horses. The iron gates are designed with bars that create geometric patterns as they are lit from the inside. The light casts interesting shadows onto the wide tow path by the canal.
A cyclist makes their way through the area which resembles a giant eye.
To access the area, there is a unique white iron staircase that leads down to the tow path. It is very quiet there in the morning and in spite of the bright lights you do feel quite vulnerable. There are the occasional runners and cyclists who make their way through the area. There are also commuters starting to pass over the bridge that crosses the canal. The area has graffiti and evidence of habitation by homeless people.
On one wall is the word ORALE which someone explained to me is an exclamation in Spanish which is used to express approval or encouragement. Very fitting for the scene that greets you in the morning.
The word ORALE
Down to Photography maters. I had my normal camera set with me. I carry my iPhone for the quick picture and also my Sony DSC-RX100M5 camera which is very quick. I generally have my Sony on a program stetting to ensure that I get a quick picture. I do use on manual when I am after slow motion pictures but the program feature is very useful. For this morning, I also had my Canon 6D with a prime 40mm lens attached. This provides a crisper picture and brings out more detail.
Having said that the iPhone and Sony do produce some very good quality pictures in their own right. The prime lens makes me move around and this makes me “see” different views and angles. The Sony has a flip screen and this helps with those shots where I need to get down low. Not only do my bones creak nowadays but the tow path floor is dirty and muddy. I moved out to get a picture of the total reflections and it did give the appearance of a large eye.
The larger picture of the area
A nice set of photographs which gave many people much enjoyment when seeing them on my social media channels. Always worth a look and the post code is B3 1HA if you wish to visit yourself.
I am so pleased as when the email came through I found out that not only did I win first place in the Birmingham Canal Navigations photo competition but I also came third! After entering so many competitions and being both long and short listed, it is a lovely feeling to have won one at long last. My prize was presented at a large gala at the Birmingham Council House celebrating 250 years of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. Included in the prize for first and third was £200 in camera vouchers plus a canvas print of my winning photograph. I have included the press release below together with the 1st and 3rd pictures. I was delighted to see that my picture featured on the front of the programme that was printed out and placed on all the tables for the evening. A night to remember!
!st Prize – Running under Snow Hill Station3rd prize – Sunrise over Brindley Place
PRESS RELEASE
21 November 2019
Winners of Birmingham Canal Navigations photo competition announced
The charity, Canal & River Trust, working in partnership with the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, has picked the winners of a photo competition which celebrates the 250th birthday of Birmingham’s canals.
Over 300 photos were submitted as part of the competition which aimed to capture the unique beauty of the historic waterways across Birmingham and the Black Country. Budding photographers were encouraged to snap a wide variety of waterway images such as colourful boats, waterway wildlife, historic canal architecture or pictures of people enjoying spending time on their local canal.
The winners are:
1st place: Damien Walmsley with his picture titled ‘Running under Snow Hill station’
2nd place: Michael Landelle with his picture titled ‘Lazy Sunday afternoon’
3rd place: Damien Walmsley with his picture titled ‘Sunrise over Brindleyplace’
As part of the prize the winners were invited to a special VIP celebration event at the Council House in Birmingham where they were presented with their prize by The Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Mr John Crabtree OBE and Allan Leighton, chairman at Canal & River Trust.
Adnan Saif, director of West Midlands at the Canal & River Trust, said: “It’s wonderful that so many people took part in this photo competition. The pictures really showed how lovely the canals in Birmingham and the Black Country are and how lucky we are to have this wonderful network of canals right on our doorstep.
“I hope these pictures will encourage more people to come and discover their local canal as research shows being by water makes us happier and healthier.”
Michael Smith-Keary, from the Birmingham Canal Navigations Society, said: “It was great seeing so many wonderful pictures of the Birmingham Canal Navigations. There was a real mixture of photos from beautiful rural canal scenes, wildlife, boats and pictures that highlighted our urban waterways.
“All of the photos highlighted just how popular our canals are with local people and that nowadays they are being used for boating and so much more. Now they are very much about creating green spaces that are used for leisure and living – playing a vital role in our society for another 250 years.”
For more information on the work of the Canal & River Trust including how you can volunteer or donate money to support our work visit www.canalrivertrust.org.uk
-ENDS-
For further media requests please contact: Sarah Rudy at Canal & River Trust on sarah.rudy@canalrivertrust.org.uk or call 01908 302 584 / 07788 691 219
Notes to Editors
The Canal & River Trust cares for and brings to life 2,000 miles of canals and rivers across England & Wales. We believe waterways have the power to make a difference to people’s lives and that spending time by water can make us all healthier and happier. By bringing communities together to make a difference to their local waterway, we are creating places and spaces that can be used and enjoyed by everyone, every day.
The celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the Birmingham Canal Navigation Network took place during the first weekend in November. I took Sandy and Noah, my grandson, along to see the flotilla of boats that were to parade around the canal network passing by the NIA onto Brindley Place and the Mailbox. I am not sure what it was like 250 years ago but Saturday was cold. Luckily the rain held off and there was some occasional sun but it was a case of wrapping up ward. When we arrived there was little activity taking place although there were a few boats moored up on the bank. We made our way to Brindley place where there was a drum trope called “Someone at the Door”
Someone at the Door
Keeping the beat
They were very energetic and enthusiastic. My grandson loved the drumming and rhythm so much so that he was tapping his feet in the pushchair. After asking Peter, a nice Canal and River Trust representative what was happening, we knew that we had to head up the Old Canal Line where the boats were getting ready for the off.
The boats are getting ready…..and they are off.
As the boats made their way into Birmingham there were sounds of hooters and bugle horns from the boats. There was much excitement as they reached the National Indoor Arena where they paused to let the boats go through in an orderly parade down into Brindley Place.
A short pauseThen we are off againA few more boats head of for Brindley PlaceGoing another way and I spy a photography friend on the tow path.
I loved the personalities and this is captured in the pictures that show the people involved in the flotilla.
Playing the BugleWhat’s happening?Checking all is going wellIt could be 1769
Sadly it was getting cold and we had been there a few hours. We had other engagements to move onto so it was a few more photographs and then time to leave goodbye. However I do know it is not going to be my last time to join in the celebrations of the BCN 250th Anniversary but that has to wait until another post.
Traffic jam on the waterWater taxi The Library of Birmingham looks down on the boatsThe colour of the boatsThe detail on the boats
This series of pictures features Birmingham centre just after the clocks have gone back. Why is this so important. Sunrise for the next couple of weeks is around 7 am and that is the time that I get into Birmingham. When I took these pictures, I did not have any theme attached to them as I just felt like I needed to stroll around the city and see what is happening.
A lone figure in Victoria Square
There is a fair amount of change happening around Birmingham. This includes the next phase of the Metro tram linking up between Grand Central and Broad Street. There are also many new buildings going up around Chamberlain Square. So many changes happening. I then moved onto Gas Street Basin and caught the light from the early morning sun.
The view to Centennial Square with a lone figure
It was only when I reviewed the pictures that I noticed a figure in each of the pictures. Maybe it is the same person that was following me around the city as I was taking photographs. Whoever he/she or they were, they do add a point of interest and a story to the pictures.
Looking towards the mailbox with a lone figureLooking towards the sunrise
Every year the end of the degree ceremonies is marked by a celebratory dinner in the Great Hall. This picture taken with my iPhone gives a glimpse into the grandness of the night. It is a showcase for the University and many local dignitaries are invited to the event. The Great Hall looks magnificent as the Chancellor, Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea CBE, the India-born founder of Cobra Beer, delivers the welcoming address. The iPhone has captured the colours of the night well. The picture made explore on Flickr and received 10k+ views and was rated the 82nd photograph of the day.
Centenary square has a new water feature and it is a very large reflecting pool. It offers photographers the chance to take some beautiful pictures. Whilst it has been opened there is still work taking place on the square and it will be even more spectacular when it is completed. If you search Instagram there have been many pictures already taken with children splashing in the fountains or late night shots with sparkling lights. I am sure that I will return with even more pictures over the year to come. When I posted my pictures on Twitter, some one suggested that it could be a ready made advert for Birmingham in a similar mode to the Thames TV iconic reflected picture. I rose to the challenge and made one with Birmingham on the picture. If you are reading this then you must visit Birmingham!!
The library Reflections to the cube The ICC and the RepA lovely looking reflection The Rep theatre Doing the walk with your reflection
This has been a week of rain and the days have been dull. Even though it is wet there are still great opportunities to go out and take photographs.. My early Wednesday walk from Snow Hill took in the canals that run underneath Snow Hill. The arches under Snow Hill are a favourite haunt of photographers and one can always find a good place for a picture. With the rain there had been condensation with rain collecting on the tow path near to the ornate gates which used to hold horses. Now the activity on the tow path is bikers commuting into work and runners making the best of the early mornings. I settled my camera down on the dirty floor at the edge of a puddle and started to take some pictures. It was difficult to control the bright light of the centre of the picture and the dark recesses of the tunnel. I could see on the first few shots that there was a perfect reflection that made the exit look like an eye onto the outside world. Just then a runner came past. It gave me an idea and by trial and error I set the camera at a shutter speed of 1/100 and f/6.3. I hiked the ISO up to 640. I set it for rapid shooting and then waited for the next runner. Soon enough one appeared and I took my pictures. I had to pick up the shadows from the RAW picture and also do a bit of dodging of the runner. The picture came out very well and was well received on social media.
The train station over the canal
After this I wandered over to St Paul’s square and took a few pictures of the Church and the tree lined paths that criss cross the square. The early commuters were oblivious to the camera and I took several pictures of the area. The black and white treatment suited the day, my ideas for the pictures and set off the charm of that particular area of Birmingham. Here are a selection of the ones that I took.
St Paul’s Church The paths around St Paul’s ChurchThe Jam house with 3 Snow Hill towering over itCommuting down Ludgate Hill to the City
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
