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Tag Archives: Digbeth

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My best pictures are taken with my iPhone

by Damien Walmsley Posted on
Reflections in Digbeth

Should I be worried? Should I ditch my big camera? My most popular photographs are all taken by an iPhone. My most recent one of Gibb Street in Digbeth has been published by several outlets including BBCMidlands, Independent Birmingham, IgersbirminghamUK, Bhamupdates and Source investments. All very pleasing but I would like to talk about my aperture and shutter settings. The camera ISO and how I held it to take in the picture. No all I did was dip the iPhone into a puddle and the resulting picture then gets a life of its own. Getting down low certainly led to more impact to the picture. However, I am pleased that I can brag about my composition and that it caught the spirit of Birmingham!

Categories blog

Lockdown in Digbeth

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

Venturing into Digbeth proved to be very interesting.  I had a project to do on street art and therefore I wanted to get pictures around Digbeth.  Sunday morning seemed to be a good time to venture forth now that government rules had enabled you to venture further afield for your exercise.  I was apprehensive when I got to Digbeth as it was very quiet and Floodgate street which is normally full of cars was disserted.  

Not a car to be seen in Floodgate Street
The odd person is around
We are looking out for you!
These notices are all around

After taking pictures I then drove around to Lower Trinity Street and strolled into the centre of the custard factory.  Again, it was very quiet with a few people taking exercise.  There were two people taking pictures of their high-performance car in the street.  There was no one around to stop them.  I took my pictures and then went back to the safety of my home.  Every day for the last few months has been a surreal and different experience.  I do not think I will see Digbeth so quiet again.

NHS heroes
Empty Coffee Bars
A few early walkers
No entry
Empty and quiet except for a few reflections
We are watching you – Street Art by Justin Sola
Categories blog

Digbeth lights

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

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 Digbeth
Floodgate Street – Under the arch down the Road
Robots on the wall
A 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 Factory
Smoking on the walls in Lower Trinity Street
Early workers at the Custard Factory
More lights in the square
It’s raining people
Art on display
Ranking Roger
Art and food and a bike
The Cat and the Mouse – who will win?
Categories blog

Graffiti – Graffiti – Graffiti

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I love the colours of a good artistic graffiti painted on a wall or derelict building.  I am not a fan of “tagging” such as scrawling letters or child like drawings scribbled around bridges and walls.  Digbeth in Birmingham is regenerating and the focus is the old Bird’s Custard Factory.  The streets in and around Digbeth are full of clever street art.  Here are a few examples of them.  They have been taken with my Canon, Sony compact or even iPhone.  There is a fish eye lens used in a few of them.  The artists I particularly like are Annatomix and Golden Boy but there are countless others on the scene.  I have included a few here that I took on my early morning walks around Digbeth.

Made in Birmingham – Car Park, Bromley St End

Custard Factory – Floodgate St entrance

Fish eye effect – Floodgate St entrance to Custard Factory

Fish eye effect – Custard Factory

Scary teeth (look like they are lower incisors in the upper jaw) and staring eye – Floodgate Street

Grafitti Map of Digbeth – Little Ann Street

Flying Fish – Meriden Street

Dig those sunglasses

Street Scene, Digbeth with Golden Boy

Golden Boy Details

Custard Factory Graffiti

Four ghost like images and a real human – Custard Factory

Windows and tie – Custard Factory

Digbeth Coach Station Car Park

Categories blog

My Custard Factory Beat

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

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 Factory

A few muddy puddles on the way

Interesting window stickers

The best of Digbeth

I do like the way they are staring at you

Back Wednesday and the artist, Annatomix, came back the next day to finish it off.

Cool Graffiti

Colours of the Custard Factory

Highway through the factory

Colour

Reflections

One of our flamingoes is missing.

No entry x2

Searchlights and antenna

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