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.
London Times is a short series of photographic blogs that record a recent visit to London. See more links at the end of the blog.
Following on from Paddington Basin my next stop was the SouthBank. Colleagues had booked dinner at Brassiere Blanc near to Waterloo station and I aimed to arrive early so I could take pictures in the area. Waterloo station was busy with commuters getting home on a Friday. This is not a station that I know well although I quickly found a couple of sweet spots for taking pictures.
Waterloo StationThe Friday rush hour at Waterloo station.
The Southbank was buzzing with people visiting the Christmas markets and the Royal Festival Hall. There was so much activity with the area under the Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges being a mixture of regular bars and eating establishments. The added addition of Christmas markets was bringing in the crowds.
Colourful lights.Festival Hall with a boat on the Thames advertising Slow HorsesChristmas markets under the bridge.
Along the Queen’s walk, there is an old carousel which draws the eye. Such attractions are always good to photograph. I was able to set up the camera to do several slow-motion pictures of the working carousel. Many people are standing looking at their loved ones sitting on the horses. As they remain stationary, they make a nice focus for the long exposure.
Spinning Carousel.Silhouettes agains the lights.
The London Eye has a commanding presence and was illuminated in pink providing a backdrop to the activity taking place around the Jubilee Gardens. There were good photographic opportunities at the entrance to the Jubilee Gardens that leads the eye to the eye. My final subject for my photographs was the Shell centre which was bathed in a contrasting deep blue and stood out as a backdrop to all the fun that was taking place in there area. The meal at Brassiere Blanc was very tasty and a set of restaurants that I will visit again in the future.
The London Eye in pink.Fish and chips anyone.The Shell Building.Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges.The Southbank at night.
I had this desire to take a sunset photograph at the seaside. With the pandemic, it has been a long time since I have seen the sea. Natasha and Rob were married in Kos, Greece last year and I saw the sea every day for a week. I had my fill of beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Therefore, the plan was to visit Weston super Mare and experience the seaside and hopefully a sunset would happen as well. The visit to Weston was with my photographic companion John Bray and our first port of call was the town of Burnham on Sea to visit the low lighthouse
Knightstone Island at high tideThe sea mist rolls inGreat evening for fishingNot many people around in the wind
Just opening the car door on arrival in Weston and breathing in the sea air was exhilarating. Hold on! The next sensation was sand being blown into my face and mouth. Yes! this was Weston super Mare and in the middle of flaming June, it was blowing a gale! It did not spoil the fun of being at the seaside. We parked on Marine Parade and then set off to take photographs of Weston. Within 30 minutes it became obvious that the weather was closing on us, and a sea mist was descending on the town. Photographs of the Grand Pier, Marine lake and Knightstone Island followed as we made our way around Anchor Head and finally ending up at the abandoned Birnbeck pier. This looked very sad and in a poor state of repair. It seems there is an ongoing saga of what is going to happen with the pier.
Birnbeck pier
Trying to save the pier
Not looking good for Birnbeck pier
The sea was being whipped up to a frenzy by the wind and the waves crashed onto the promenade. There was one person protesting at the strange times we are living in, and he was yelling at the high tide and blowing a horn. All the walking and photographing had given us an appetite and we fancied fish and chips. What else would you choose on your overdue visit to the seaside. It appears that Weston super Mare shuts down at around 7pm and nothing was open except for a few pubs and restaurants. The amusement arcades were empty, and they too were shutting down for the night. Fortunately, we found two community police officers who gave us directions to a traditional fish and chip shop. Hallelujah, at last we found one. The premises were very traditional and looked new and vibrant against the quietly dilapidated charity shop rich streets of Weston. Leaving the empty roads to the people wandering around, we returned to Marine parade and sat down to have our fish and chips. What a racket the seagulls made. They were getting ready to dive bomb us and they hung in the wind waiting for the opportunity to grab a stray piece of fish or even a chip.
The Tide is HighTraditional fish and chip shop
The busiest shop in town
Waiting for the bus
Hanging around
Images of WestonFish and Chip Supper
We then looked for the sunset. Alas that was not going to happen, although there were some occasional flashes of light and the retreating tide left beautiful reflections. But no sunset! So we decided to call it a day and head back to Birmingham. It was an enjoyable trip down but we left with mixed thoughts. Weston has a wonderful promenade but the town is so quiet at night with not a great deal taking place in the town. Maybe the poor weather was keeping people in their hotels. Maybe we should return when the people return.
Sunset ColoursTropicana amusement park
Whilst in Weston, I did enjoy finding some interesting street art dotted around the parade and the town. The street artist Jamie Scanlon known as JPS is one of the artists that features heavily in the town. There are others and here is a selection of the pictures that I found.
Street Art in Weston
Street art by JPS
Street Art by JPS
Examples of Murals in WestonSeascape off Anchor Head
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