Fog in Birmingham, March 2024

Pulling the curtains back, I saw the fog which lifts any photographers spirits.  Fortunately, I had to be in Birmingham early and I knew that I would be able to get some good pictures of Dorridge station in the fog before it lifted.  I was even more pleased that the fog had not lifted by the time I got to Birmingham city centre. The fog was still around the Bull Ring and Moor Street turning normal street scenes into atmospheric and mysterious places.  The silhouettes of commuters provided the focus to many of the pictures. The majority of the photographs were taken with my iPhone15 which were then converted to black and white to take advantage of the contrasts available. I used Silver Efex Pro and I like the fine art processing or occasionally the overexposed settings that are provided. I also include pictures from the start of my journey in Dorridge where the fog was even thicker.

Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Commuters outside Moor Street station and Selfridges.
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Riding a bike through the fog.
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Waiting for the train at Moor Street.
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
St Martin’s walk with buildings obscured by the fog.
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Looking foggy at the Rotunda
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Reduced visibility
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
Enjoying the morning commute.
Fog in Birmingham, March 2024
A lone figure crosses the Bullring

Dorridge station in the fog.

Fog at Dorridge, March 2024
The platforms shrouded in fog.
Fog at Dorridge, March 2024
Driving in the fog

I do like foggy mornings as these blog posts show.

Oozells Square, Birmingham, March, 2024

Oozells Square has featured on my blog over the years.  The appearance of the pink blossom on the trees heralds the start of spring in Birmingham. The square becomes a riot of pink colour and is a magnet for photographers.  This year, the blossom has arrived very early by about 2 weeks.  The warm wet winter has enabled the blossom to flower at the beginning of March.  Whenever the blossom appears then people flock to the area especially at the weekends.  On a bright sunny Monday morning, I had the square to myself bar a few people passing through. The sun was low enough to catch some of the blossom with its rays producing lovely colours. As luck would have it a few people passed by dressed in pink which matched the blossom. Taking photographs in the square is very competitive as many people will arrive over the next few weeks to get a picture. People dress up specially and families bring picnics to sit out and admire the blossom. The IKON gallery is an ideal backdrop to the blossom.  Please feel free to visit my other posts on the blossom.

Oozells Square, Birmingham, March, 2024
The Sun catches people walking through the square.
Oozells Square, Birmingham, March, 2024
Standing under the blossom.
Oozells Square, Birmingham, March, 2024
Time to move on.
Oozells Square, Birmingham, March, 2024
The blossom will be around for the next few weeks.

The blossom story from over the last few years.

2023 – Birmingham Blossom Watch

2022 – Birmingham Blossom

2020 – Blossom in Oozells Square

2018 – Cherry blossom experiments

University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024

This set of pictures features the University of Birmingham at night.  I was fortunate to be staying at the Edgbaston Park Hotel which is on campus.  After the conference dinner ended, I headed out with my iPhone and Fujifilm camera.  I used my travel tripod for some of the long exposure pictures of the Aston Webb building.  The iPhone was ideal for the pictures of the newer buildings around campus.  The sensors on the iPhone give a very good rendition of night colours.   

University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
Leading lines in the night.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The Entrance to Chemical Engineering.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The Medical School open all hours.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The expanse of the Green Heart.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The Walkway to University Centre.

The University has so many different venues that lend themselves for photography.   I did a brisk walk around several of the main buildings and paths.  Even though it was late, there were several people moving around.  Unsurprisingly the busiest area was the University Library.  The advantage to using the iPhone is that it is less conspicuous to using my camera.  Even with my long exposure pictures on a tripod, I did not attract that much attention and was very much left to myself as I moved around.  I hope you enjoy the pictures. Old Joe was telling the time at just before 8pm but that is not correct! Hopefully he will be sorted soon. The clock face is illuminated in purple colours for World Rare Diseases Day.

University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
Table Tenis table outside the School of Sport Sciences.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
Steps to Univeristy Station
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The new entrance to University Station.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
More of the Aston Webb
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
Old Joe has a purple clock face.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
The ornate gates of the University main entrance.
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
IRC Net Shape Laboratory always looks mysterious
University of Birmingham at Night, Edgbaston, March 2024
(UN)intentional camera movement – can you guess where I am?

If you enjoyed this blog then have a look at the University Campus in the Summer and the Autumn.