IgersbirminghamUK organised a walk around Spaghetti Junction on a warm Saturday afternoon at the beginning of August. For this blog entry, I have 24 frames which is the number of a roll of film. These pictures were taken with either my iPhone or Fujifilm x100vi. The stories and sights under the motorway are always changing and always surprising. Enjoy this photo essay.
Figures
People move around the complex concrete structures. They look apologetic for their presence as the concrete really does enjoy its own company.
Figure in the subwayA walk home with the noise of cars above.
Cyclists
People move quickly on the towpath nobody wants to stay too long as they may get lost in the concrete.
Cyclist between the pillars.There is light in the dark that guides the cyclist.
Pillars
The main feature of the concrete structures is the pillars. Reaching to the sky they hold the roads in place. If the pillars disappear then there so will the roads.
Reaching for the skyThe height of the pillars dwarfs the people who dare wander next to them.The cathedral pillars of Salford circus.Gaps between the Pillars.
So easy to lose your way under the motorway.There is signage to help.Colourful signs break through the concrete monotones.A scrawled sign lets you know where you are.
Traces of humanity
There are examples that humans have passed through the area.
Real MagicBirmingham, EnglandA smashing time.Walk this way
Nature fights back
Nature is slowly eroding the concrete jungle. Trees and greenery have established themselves amongst the pillars.
Greenery lines the paths.Trees in the sunlight.Concrete vs nature standoff.
I hope you enjoyed this photo essay of my recent visits to Spaghetti Junction. If you ever have the chance to visit the area then do take up the opportunity. There are regular tours that take in Aston Reservoir and the more interesting parts of the canal network. The interchange does become very quiet at the weekends. During the week, there is construction activity focused on maintaining the pillars that are essential to holding the motorway network together. The highs and lows of a visit around the Gravelley Hill interchange are illustrated below. The highlights include the wonders of the construction and architecture. The lows are the faceless nature of the area which has areas that are not particularly inviting.
The classical view of the pillars lined up along the river Rea.Barbed wire and undistinguished areas of the Junction.
Are you wanting to read more about Spaghetti Junction then here are more of my visits about what lies beneath the M6. I recommend starting with this blog post that sets the scene for my photo essay.
The chance to stroll around Rugby Town with my camera was too good an opportunity to miss. Whilst the family were at the soft play premises in the town centre, I was able to take photographs on the streets.
Rugby Central looks quiet on a Sunday afternoon.
Rugby town centre reflects how many small to medium-sized towns are evolving. The heart of the town is becoming lifeless and losing its atmosphere. There are people in the numerous coffee shops, but there are also many empty and boarded-up shops. This was a Sunday afternoon and, besides those shopping at the local supermarket, only a few individuals were moving around.
The majesty of Regent Street.
There are parts of the town that still have a dignified look, such as Regent Street. Other parts of the town centre are very quiet. The main Rugby Central shopping area is largely empty, with few people around.
Coffee on the streets.
During my walk, I headed down to Caldecott Park to see the large life-sized rugby ball. I then followed the road to the aptly named “The Black Path” bridge, which crosses the main West Coast railway line. This is always a good place for photographs. It is a major pedestrian thoroughfare, yet the caged structure and general grime create an atmospheric setting that is ideal for street photography.
A Rugby ball statue in the park.A cyclist on the Black Path.Words of wisdom.
While my black and white photography may have painted a bleak picture, there were some touches of colour, particularly around the yarn bombing of trees and benches. There is still laughter, too, attempting to lift the downbeat feel of the town.
There is happiness on the streets of Rugby.
If you liked this view of Street Photography in Rugby then I have provided a link to blogs on Edinburgh and Digbeth, Birmingham.
I was fortunate to visit Brighton as part of a conference. My hotel was on the seafront and in between sessions, I was able to head out with my camera and take pictures. The promenade is great for pictures, as with care and respect, it is possible to get some interesting street photos. The Lanes is also a good place for street photography. They are narrow and patches of light are everywhere. Once again people are accepting of what seems to be tourists taking pictures. However one person did show their displeasure at my camera being pointed in their direction whilst another passerby complimented me on my Fujifilm. As I mentioned earlier, take care and try not to harass people. Here are a few pictures taken on the streets suing my stay in Brighton. I did not hear any sounds such as a Brian May Queen guitar solo whilst I was photographing!
Pale body on the beach.At the pierWhich way now?Brighton CafeBrighton rescueBeach funFun on the beach is overUnderneath the 360Watch out for the cyclistsEntrance to Car Park has classical music on loudspeaker.Sights on the streetsWelcome to the LanesWindow shopping in the LanesWalkingEatingOpen window restaurantLate night gourmet foodRise and Shine
Enjoy this blog? Then you might like to see Edinburgh Street Photography.
Now I am back in a work routine, I take the opportunity to park in the city around 7am and stay until 8am just before the car parking charging begins. I set myself an area to walk around and aim to come away with 4 to 5 pictures that I can use over the coming days. These may be for my 365 project or pictures that I can post onto Twitter and Instagram. Gas street basin is a changing place and there is always something to photography during a walk on the tow paths. On this visit, it was very still and quiet and there was a hint of mist. The water in the canal was so still that it provided perfect reflections for my photography. I had my trusty Canon 5D mark VI and my ‘go to’ lens EF24-70mm with me. Initially I did not think I would get particularly good photographs but then as I got down low I started to see the photographic possibilities.
The still waters reflect the buildings of Gas Street Basin.Showing the new versus the old in BirminghamGolden buildings in the sunrise
With the reflections of the buildings, I saw that there were many different views. I took around 20 to 30 pictures and then carefully selected around 6 photographs. A selection of 4 posted on Twitter took off with many likes. At the last count it was over 20 thousand views. I see so many excellent pictures of Birmingham and I am not here to say that mine are any better. These pictures are my own personal view of the area and I am pleased that they make people happy.
Venturing into Brindley Place for the reflections of the canal waters
The Jewellery quarter is one of my inspirational places for photography. Affectionately known as the JQ, it contains so much history wrapped in its character. Old and new blend together with interesting details including churches, shops, doors, alleyways and jewellery shops. Arguably the centre piece is St Paul’s square with the beautiful Church in the centre. The spire is taller than the building making it difficult to frame for the photograph. However, there are a few areas where you can frame it correctly using the surrounding trees. I wandered around the square and then down Bennett’s Hill on a quiet Sunday morning. The only company were cyclists and joggers. A few people were sitting on the benches taking in the early sunshine. These are a few pictures taken around the square and down the hill.
There are a few places that are active on social media including the Soda Bread Cafe and up and coming photographer Rebecca who posts lovely photographs of the JQ skyline. It is sad to see the Jam House as I have many happy memories of nights out there. It will be a while before it opens again. The square holds many happy memories for me. It was here that one of my photographs first got featured as a BBC Midlands picture of the day. The Jam House, Andersons and St Paul’s House all have special family and work memories. So a quiet Sunday in June was spent not only taking photographs but reliving memories of a favourite Birmingham spot. Don’t let me have it all for myself why not visit it yourself but remember to take your camera with you.
I have occasional meetings in London and I always plan to get down early and plan a photographic walk. I have never been to Little Venice so I jumped onto the tube and made it to Warwick Avenue. From here I got on the canal. It was a beautiful morning and the light was just pouring out of the sky. Reminds me of one of my favourite songs “The light pours out of me” by Magazine. There was a wonderful haze around the canals. I had my wide angled lens with me which I find pulls in all of the scene into the camera. I moved through Little Venice into the Paddington branch where many people where moving around on their way to work.
Little VeniceOnto PaddingtonHazy sun
Bridges and people
Lines of lightsBuildings and water
Looking down the canal
There was plenty of opportunities to take pictures where water, people and sun interacted. When I got back home, I immediately converted them into black and white and found that I had captured much more than I had hoped. I will be back to visit again in the future.
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 like
Some soft focus
The application of tinted filters
This is the original !!!
The canal walk brings out nice light and shadows
Graffiit under the bridge
A silhouette in the Edgbaston Tunnel
A non functional pier adds some charm to the scene
Man versus machine and I do like this photograph
Another favourite view which you start to see as the curve of the canal opens up
Let me take the opportunity of describing my photographic week in January
SUNDAYThe End of a Perfect Day
On SUNDAY, I went out to take pictures of wildlife as I have access to a 400mm lens. My runs along the canal nearby had revealed that a heron had made its home there. So I set off with certain pictures in my mind. I went up the canal bridge near to where I knew I had seen the heron. The day was cold and bright. The time was right as well, as it was coming up to around 4pm and the golden hour was almost upon me. Then I discovered that several walkers passed me on the bridge and went into an adjoining field. I went to investigate and the view was idyllic. Path, farm house, setting sun and lovely colours. I switched lenses to my 24-70mm and set up the aperture to see if I could get a sunstar. I used my camera view and upped the ISO. A couple of shots and I got a result that I was happy with. Some minor editing followed in LR and PS. The heron? I managed a few shots but none of the shots were as good as this scene of winter’s setting sun. (postscript – as a bonus it was selected for publication in the Birmingham Post and Mail)
Camera settings – f-14, s-1/60, FL-24mm, ISO-250
MONDAYThe IKON gallery in Birmingham
MONDAY and I was at a reception hosted by the University of Birmingham at the IKON Gallery. I have a camera with me at all times and the Sony RX100 is an ideal camera to have for pictures on the move. It is very versatile and packs a lot of features into a small camera. The evening was busy and there were few opportunities during the reception and the meal with presentations. I was patient and at the end of the evening there was the opportunity to take an outside picture of the ICON gallery. This place is photographed many times especially in Spring when the cherry blossom arrives. This picture is processed in black and white. The channel leads the viewer to the central building. I did notice that it was odd to see umbrellas/parasols set out in January but they make the picture look good with them set neatly in front of the lit windows.
Camera settings – f-1.8, s-1/30, FL-8.8mm, ISO-2000.
TUESDAYTelephone Box
TUESDAY morning and I was working at the University campus. I have some time to take a detour around Brum before I jump on the train to the University Station. I take photographs of what I like and I had some good ones of the Cathedral in the light. This telephone box does nothing really and just stands near to the Cathedral. It does feature in many pictures around Birmingham and the light from the street lamp makes it stand out from the dark morning. In the days of mobile phones it is a remnant from a different era. It was this photograph that I selected over the others.
Camera settings – f-2.8, s-1/40, FL-10.6mm, ISO-2500.
Underpass
WEDNESDAY A meeting in London always opens up new possibilities for taking photographs. I had a few ideas and when I got to Baker St, I used the underpass that goes under Marylebone Rd. You have to love the red stripes and the surreal angle that they are set at. It just cries out to be photographed. I was also pleased to see that I had caught the people on the different coloured stripes which is a bonus. I also took lots of other photographs but I discarded them in favour of this one.
Camera settings – f-4, s-1/160, FL-8.8mm, ISO-2500.
THURSDAY A cube view
THURSDAY was a day of teaching and meetings. I was taking it slow making my way to a meeting at the Mailbox only to learn on the way that it was cancelled. I went slower and decided to take the towpath back into the City Centre. I am glad I did as the little bit of sun we had lit up the Cube and its reflection in the canal. I had inadvertently left the ISO at 2500 but this did allow a good capture of the cyclists on the left. A bright moment in an otherwise dull day.
Camera settings – f-4, s-1/320, FL-11.3mm, ISO-2500.
FRIDAY
Moor Street Station
Thank God its FRIDAY. I was not having a great deal of luck with taking a photograph today. It was a dull day and many of my pictures looked dull and boring. This was taken going home from Platform 1 of Moor St station. You can see the dull sky in the centre against the relatively warm lights of the station. Taken with my iPhone and it constantly amazes me how it takes a reasonably good picture under different lighting conditions. A bit of touching up done in Google Snapspeed.
Camera settings – ƒ-1.8, s-1/6, FL-4.0 mm, ISO 100
SATURDAY
Goosander
It is SATURDAY and at long last I get to use the Telephoto lens. I went to Brueton Park, Solihull, where the Warwickshire Wildlife Centre is based. There was some wildlife around and for about 10 minutes there were two Goosanders in the large pond at the nature centre. It is not easy to compose pictures and this is one of the better attempts of many I took during the morning. I need to tweak the settings a bit. This particular picture caught my eye due to the ripples. Wildlife photography is not straightforward and requires a lot of patience. I will have a few more attempts over the coming months.
Camera settings – f-5.6, s-1/100, FL-400 mm, ISO 500
And that was a typical week in January.
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