Visiting Bournville Village Trust with IgersbirminghamUK

by Damien Walmsley 04/04/2024 05/04/2024

IgersbirminghamUK, Selly Manor, Bournville Village Trust. March 2024

Birmingham has a long and rich history and the names of George and Richard Cadbury are linked with the story of the City Their success in creating Cadbury’s Chocolate led to the building of their factory in Bournville. The brothers created a Garden Village around the factory to cater for their employees. Sadly Richard died before seeing the project completed although this spurred on George Cadbury to complete the project. Bournville village is now run by a Trust and is a legacy which is enjoyed by both residents and visitors to the area.

IgersbirminghamUK, Bournville Village Trust. March 2024 — The Rest House which is at the centre of Bournville Village.

IgersbirminghamUK organised their first photographic Instameet of 2024 at Selly Manor which is part of Bournville Village Trust. Selly Manor also has a long story. The original building “Smythes Tenement” dated back to 1476. Over time, the building deteriorated and was split into separate dwellings called the “Rookery”. The house was saved from demolition by George Cadbury who brought the property in 1907 and relocated Selly Manor from Selly Oak to Bournville Garden Village. The House was rebuilt next to the Chocolate Factory in 1916 and opened as a museum.

Nearly 30 photographers arrived at the Museum on a bright sunny Saturday morning. We received a welcome from staff member, Daniel, who gave us an overview of the house and then encouraged us to visit the rest of the area. We were given a leaflet of the heritage trail that takes in all the notable buildings in the Bournville village. We have some excellent photographers in the IgersbirminghamUK ranks as evidenced by the pictures that emerged on Instagram. You can follow the pictures and reels from the day with the following tags and I have provided links to the relevant pages. Please take some time to visit the pages and see the wonderful pictures. Thanks to the other members of the IgersbirminghamUK team for their organisation and help with the meeting Nicky Warwickshire, LenaMac77 and James_never_Jim.

The following is a selection of my pictures from the Selly Manor and Bournville Village Visit.

Further reading on Selly Manor and the Bournville Village Trust.

Following on from Selly Manor some photographers moved onto the Bournville Quaker meeting House where one of the Quakers, Anne, was most kind and showed us around inside. The outside of the church does have a fairy castle feeling. Inside the large hall was impressive with light streaming through the windows. There is a raised platform with chairs and table from the Selly Manor museum. This, as Anne pointed out, is not used for worship as Quakers sit around in circles in the centre of the hall usually with a table. Anne then took us up to the balcony to see the organ and from here we were able to take pictures down into the hall. I was even fortunate that Anne agreed to be in my 100 Strangers project.

IgersbirminghamUK, Selly Manor, Quaker Meeting House, Bournville Village Trust. March 2024 — Bournville Quaker Meeting House.

There is much more to see in and around the Bournville Village Trust and those photographs will have to wait till another day. I spend much of my time talking to other Instagrammers during an Instameet and do not get the opportunity to take that many photographs. Catching up with others and seeing what they have photographed is a bonus with such Instameets. After the meeting we headed off to the Glass House brewery by the canal in Stirchley. We had a good catch up including talking about that elusive picture that got away!

If you are interested in the @IgersbirminghamUK Instameets then I have other accounts on my blog with the one below as a starting point.

Autumnal colours at Birmingham Botanical Gardens lights up IgersbirminghamUK Instameet

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Disco powers the beating heart of Birmingham

by Damien Walmsley 22/03/2024 22/03/2024

Our beating heart, Snow Hill Square, Birmingham, March 2024

A big, revolving, mirrored heart has appeared in Snow Hill square accompanied by lights and seventies disco music. Quite a combination when you think about it. Such retro art installations catch my imagination. “Our beating Heart” is a pop-up show sponsored by Colmore Business District and is free to view.

I hurried along after a meeting at the MAC to see the latest art installation that Birmingham has on show. Snow Hill was quiet, sparsely populated with commuters heading home. In the middle of the square was the heart slowly revolving and lit up by lights. The 11,000 mirrors reflected the light around the darkened buildings of the square. The effect was pleasing and mesmerising as shards of coloured light gave a snowfall effect on the buildings. The music was very much retro. Whilst I was there taking pictures, songs from my youth were blasted out into the night. Heart of Glass by Blondie and Saturday Night Fever by the Bee Gees are two examples of the disco style music. This an open-air disco and luckily there was no rain.

Just to emphasise the fun of the evening two people were dressed up in multicoloured swap-shop jackets and were ready to engage in conversation with passers-by. The installation was Instagram friendly and I was not alone in taking photographs. Some serious picture taking was happening and a look at the socials shows how everyone wanted to have a piece of the action. The heart was not the easiest object to photograph, very bright lights against the dark is tricky at the best of times. My humble offering of photographs may not be the best but they give a flavour of the atmosphere. There is much more information on the Colmore Business District web site and the pity is that the heart is only around for a few nights. There was a board, where you could post supplied stickers saying how the heart made you feel. I enjoyed seeing the heart but left bemused that a disco light shaped as a heart with retro hits has captured everyone’s imagination. But that is what good art does by making you give an opinion. My advice go and visit as the heart is worth seeing just for the picture taking.

More information on the Beating heart designed by Studio Vertigo and the Colmore Business District.

Light Is Coming: Our Beating Heart

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Birmingham goes green for St Patrick’s Day

by Damien Walmsley 18/03/2024 19/03/2024

St Patrick's Day Parade, Digbeth, Birmingham, March 17th, 2024

Initially the weather forecast for St Patrick’s Day was rain but someone must have had a word with heaven. The rain stopped and the sun started to show itself from behind the clouds. Bradford Street in Birmingham is as straight as a die and runs parallel to Digbeth High street. At the top of the hill by Trinity Church, the floats, dignitaries and people were congregating.

The entry code was you had to wear something green and St Patrick was there overseeing the proceedings. The Peaky Blinders were behaving themselves and they had brought their own police force. Irish dancers and marching bands were adding to the entertainment. There were a group of dancers who had flown in from Bolivia. Their costumes contributed to the colourful noise around them. The scooters were polished so well that you got blinded by the reflections from the chrome work and mirrors. The floats were being loaded up and the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress were greeting everyone and having their picture taken. With so many photographers around it was not long before the West Midland Mayor, Andy Street made an appearance. Everyone was so friendly and the atmosphere was one of excitement and merriment.

Then the parade was due to start so we rushed down the street to St Anne’s church. People were lining the barriers as you went down the hill towards the city centre. Even the dogs were dressed up in the Irish tricolour flag. The parade was long and varied, stopping every so often to let the marching bands and the Irish dancers demonstrate their skills. People waved towards the floats and people in the floats waved back. Everyone was so happy.

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Some of the big names in construction were there including Murphy’s and Mahoney’s. The Irish came over to Birmingham and contributed to making the city an industrial powerhouse. The parade reflected this contribution and everyone reacted to celebrating the rich history of Birmingham. These pictures are my own interpretation. At an event such as the St Patrick’s Day parade every type of photographer is out and about. BBC teams and local newspapers, amateur photography organisations and the casual mobile phone snapper were in their element. Everyone wants their photograph taken.

The BBC coverage is the best starting point for a record of the day’s events although a quick search of St Patrick’s Day Parade, Birmingham will open up many more.

The next parade in Birmingham will be Pride 2024 and here is my account from last year.

Joy and happiness at Birmingham Pride 2023

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A foggy start to the day in Birmingham

by Damien Walmsley 10/03/2024 10/03/2024

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.

Dorridge station in the fog.

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

I do like foggy mornings as these blog posts show.

Fog in the morning

The fog creates a black and white landscape

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I joined the RSPB and you should too!

by Damien Walmsley 09/03/2024 09/03/2024

RSPB Middleton Lakes, Staffordshire, March 2024

Situated in the Staffordshire countryside, RSPB Middleton Lakes are next door to the Aston Villa Bodymoor training ground. The area around the lakes offer differing recreation activities with Kingsbury Water Park, Middleton Hall and Drayton Manor funfair nearby. Water is an overarching theme of this part of Staffordshire with both the river Tame and the Birmingham and Fazeley canal passing through the area. However, the wildlife in the reserve are unperturbed by what is happening around them and just enjoy being given the peace and quiet away from the built-up areas of the city.

The RSPB look after the lakes and have designated different viewing areas for bird spotters and photographers. The first place that you encounter not far from the car park is a viewing platform that looks out towards the heronry and here I met Lynn who works for the RSPB. I had been meaning to join the charity for a while and after chatting to Lynn, I decided to become a member of the RSPB. Lynn pointed out the heron’s nesting in the trees over the pond from the viewing platform. I spent a lot of time observing the heron activity in the trees. I was fortunate to have my 400mm lens with me and therefore I viewed the herons as they went back and forth taking materials to the nest. There must have been around a dozen nests that I counted.

There are several bird feeders around the viewing area and blue tits, great tits, chaffinches and bullfinches were flying in and out. The track takes you along the side of a small river and there are several viewing areas. I stopped off at one and immediately there were several inquisitive small birds landing on the branches and checking to see what I was doing.

The path leads onto the Fisher’s Mill canal bridge where people leave nuts and other bird seed for the many inhabitants of the area. The path then opens up to the wetlands and having been there on a previous occasion, I headed south and explored the meadow area. This is a favoured place to see owls hunting both in the early morning or late evening evening.

https://www.justcolor.net/kids/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/nggallery/pokemon/Coloring-for-kids-pokemon-55760.jpg — A view of the wetlands at RSPB Middleton Lakes

On the way back, I brough some enamel badges for the grandchildren and set off home. Middleton Lakes reserve has so much nature on view and now as a member of RSPB I will take even more of an active interest in the area. The RSPB do such important work to maintain the natural habitats of our bird community. I joined to take an active interest in their work, I would encourage my blog readers to get involved too!

Middleton Lakes RSPB

My visit in 2022

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Night photography on the University of Birmingham campus

by Damien Walmsley 07/03/2024 07/03/2024

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.

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.

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

University of Birmingham Campus

Autumnal days on the University of Birmingham Campus

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Watching and photographing a starling murmuration

by Damien Walmsley 21/02/2024 07/03/2024

Starling murmuration, Redditch, February 2023

The message went out. “There is likely to be a starling murmuration on Sunday night. The venue will be the roof of a shopping centre car park in Redditch, Worcestershire”. This message was sent out on social media by Jim Panda who knows a thing or two about wildlife. A few years back, he had organised a meeting where over 100 people attended a starling murmuration in the same location. Now Jim let the social media world know that the murmurations were back (if they ever had been away).

On a Sunday afternoon people gathered on the top of the shopping centre car park. The time was just after four o’clock. The evening was beautiful and whilst there was initially some light rain, the main event for a while was destined to be a beautiful rainbow. People had answered Jim’s call and were turning up to see the murmuration. As we stood overlooking the southern aspect of the car park, very little was happening. Two pigeons were spotted and even a couple of seagulls flew by teasing the assembled photographers and onlookers. Besides this nothing else was stirring. Jim remained calm and reassured people who asked that the starlings had been here for the last few nights. The waiting did have its advantages as it gave many of us the opportunity to talk to fellow photographers. We caught up with the news and gossip in our local photographic community. Behind us a beautiful sunset was gathering pace and the colours in the cloud began to deepen. Occasionally one of two starlings flew past, teasing us as we waited for the main event.

Without knowing how or when it happened, a flock of around 10 starlings flew by. Then a few more groups just happened to appear and the birds started to coalesce. Then magically a larger group of starlings was in front of us with more birds joining the main group all the time. The murmuration was in full flight. Everyone lined up on the southern wall and watched the birds fly back and forth. Everyone had their iPhones, cameras and eyes on the birds.

Starling murmuration, Redditch, February 2023

The colours in the clouds from the sunset produced a spectacular backdrop for the movement of the birds. At last, I understood why it is called a murmuration. The spectacular flypast was accompanied by the noise of the flapping wings. The event was mesmerising and a few times I stopped taking photographs and just watched the birds fly around. There were several good photographers on the roof and this was demonstrated by the excellent videos and pictures that have been posted after the event.

I took some snippets of video for the family back home. I had my trusty Canon D5 MkIV and used both my standard 40-70mm and 200mm lenses. I experimented with some long exposures which did not get a great reaction from the family! See what you think. The iPhone was brilliant as I was able to take several videos of the Starlings plus a few wide angled shots. The traditional pictures of the birds against the clouds worked well. From a story telling point of view, I wanted to show the photographers on the wall taking pictures of the murmuration. There was a long line of people who were captivated by the event before them. The birds make different shapes and I saw an arrow. Also there was a snake’s head eating the other birds although you may argue the shapes are something else.

Time passed quickly and the birds were coming to the end of their fly past. The car park has a line of evergreen trees at the front entrance. Groups of birds broke away from the main group and suddenly dropped into the trees. There was a lovely fluttering sound accompanied by the rustle of the leaves as they finally came to rest. This was repeated over the next 5 minutes leaving a few starlings still flying in formation. Then this final group disappeared into the trees and the murmuration was finished.

Dusk had arrived and taken a firm grip of the last light of the day. The dark of the night was just around the corner. We made our way back to our cars and drove off chatting excitedly about the event and rushing home to see and post our pictures. If you ever get the chance to witness a murmuration then you will understand that the words and pictures do not convey the atmosphere of experiencing one of nature’s great events.

If you want some photographic tips on how to photograph a murmuration then this Amateur Photographer article is very useful.

How to photograph starling murmurations

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Borealis: bringing the northern lights to the Bullring in Birmingham

by Damien Walmsley 14/02/2024 07/03/2024

Borealis in the Bullring, Birmingham, February 2024

The Bullring centre is hosting a light show called Borealis for one week in February. This production by the artist Dan Acher is on display every evening during the week. With a mixture of dry ice smoke and laser beams, the “northern lights” are recreated in the centre of Birmingham. The performance is accompanied by haunting music which sets the scene and cranks up the atmosphere. When you stand still and look up at the colours, you are transported to a magical place where the northern lights are happening. Borealis is a photographer’s dream. As the laser beams crisscross through the smoke, colours are created and these are highlighted by the surrounding buildings. The gentle breeze in the area moves the smoke around leading to pleasing patterns against the backdrop of the Selfridges building and St Martin’s Church.

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I arrived there just as the sun was setting and the golden hour followed by the blue hour provided a changing backdrop to the scenes being created. The hypnotic music added to the atmosphere. The smoke adds to the surreal atmosphere and produces a haunting appearance to the area which is part dreamy and romantic at the same time. As it is half term week there are many people in the city shopping. The area around St Martin’s was packed with onlookers gazing into the sky. There was one child dressed in white who seemed to be leading the crowds in a service for the Borealis. The imagery could be appreciated either close up or at a distance allowing everyone to take in the spectacle.

Using both iPhone and my Fujifilm x100v, I had fun taking pictures before heading off for an evening meal in town. After dinner, I dropped by to see Borealis on my way to the train, the night was dark and there was a different take to the light show as the powerful laser colours shone through the smoke layers. I stayed around for a few more pictures. Even at that late time, there were people out and about enjoying the show.

Here is a link if you wish to know more about the work of Dan Acher.

BOREALIS

The last light show in Birmingham that I visited was in February 2020 when the world was still very young and the idea that a virus would force us all indoors was a fanciful idea. My record of the festival light from 2020 is outlined on a previous blog.

Festival of Light

About the picture taking.
I was fortunate to have a dinner booked in town at 6pm. This gave me time to see the Borealis early and late in the evening. I always have my iPhone with me and wherever possible my Fujifilm x100v. When I arrived, my mind already starts to think how can I tell a story about the show. There were several things that caught my eye. The smokey atmosphere was one. Standing at the top of St Martin’s Walk looking downwards to the Church is a popular vantage point and captures the haze above the crowds. I moved closer to take in the sunset and the source of the smoke and lasers. My photographic mind is thinking about the big picture and then the smaller things that make up the view. What amazed me were the crowds of people, so I knew that I wanted them in the picture. I swap from iPhone to compact camera when taking my pictures. The iPhone is so good but I find that it wants to adjust the shadows and compensate for the darkness. Meanwhile the x100v requires a very high ISO and wide aperture to let the light in. Fortunately post processing is done with Lightroom and the “denoise” button is a dream to use. This has rejuvenated my night time use with the Fujifilm and I am not afraid to crank up the ISO. Selecting images proved a challenge and I limited myself to just 8 pictures. As always on social media, there were some very good pictures taken by other photographers. Seeing them, I think to myself, if only I had taken that photograph but I know that they also challenge me to adjust my view of the scene when out taking photographs. A selection of them may be found on the Beautiful Productions Instagram page.

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Birmingham Demonstration for Ceasefire in Gaza January 2024

by Damien Walmsley 31/01/2024 07/03/2024

Pro Palestinian Rally, Birmingham, Jan 2024

There have been many demonstration marches across the country calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. A large Palestinian demonstration march for the end of hostilities in the Isreal-Gaza war took place in Birmingham in January 2024. These are my pictures of the march as I watched on as the demonstrators passed through the streets of Birmingham. The march came through Digbeth and finished at the end of Edgbaston street near to the Indoor market.

The war between Israel and Hamas has led to innocent civilians being killed on both sides of the conflict. My only wish is that there is peace and this is done by diplomacy not by the bullet. Whatever happens people will eventually have to sit around a table and negotiate. The January demonstrations in Birmingham on behalf of the Palestinian people show the depth of frustration. This anger will spill out into other areas of life both here and aboard. Rather than looking for peace, the spectre of further warfare will remain.

I was in Birmingham for another meeting which finished in time for me to take pictures of the rally. My pictures are in black and white. Why did I do this? When I first saw my pictures, the colours of the Palestinian flag whilst so important to the story telling swamped the visual appearance of the event. By using black and white, I was able to concentrate on the people and show their frustrations. I left the rally with one thought, there must be a ceasefire followed by diplomatic negotiation.

Whilst I did publish Black and White photographs, I do have a cheeky colour picture of two police officers. Just as I was taking the picture, one of the officers turned around and looked at me. I had been clocked.

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January may be cold but the lights burn bright in Digbeth

by Damien Walmsley 14/01/2024 07/03/2024

Digbeth is known for streets of light and the area looks it best when the sky is dark. But not too dark. An ideal time to take photographs is during the blue hour. The warm yellows of the streetlights reflect on the colourful buildings. I watched a PhotoPills YouTube video on the Art of Travel Photography. The guest photographer was Scott Stulberg who said if you want to get the best pictures then you have to go out at night. So my first blog of 2024 is all about Digbeth in January.

The blue hour is great but you must get up early and that is not easy unless you plan to go out in January. The sun rises at around 8 o’clock and therefore you can get into the city early and be ready for the golden hour. The rewards are many and I know this, as last year my photograph of Floodgate Street taken on an early January morning was “Highly recommended” in the Landscape Photographer of the Year awards in 2023. Making sure I was there at the right time helped. If you are lucky enough to be around after a night of rain then the streets light up with multiple reflections. My aim as always is to be different but also to fit in a few of those classic views.

Arriving in Digbeth early in January I was hoping that Floodgate street and Trinity Street lights would be on but I was disappointed. The lights were off but I guess it was a Monday morning. However Gibb street was ablaze with lights and this is where I concentrated my efforts on my picture taking. I walked up and down Gibb Street looking for pictures of the shop windows and the street art. There were a few people moving around and coming into work at the Custard Factory. My cameras were the trusty Fujifilm x100v and my iPhone 15 proMax. I set up my mini tripod for some of the pictures with the x100v and went for high ISO to catch the people moving around. I did move around Floodgate and Lower Trinity Street to take pictures as there were still some neon lights on to assist early risers to find their way to the Custard Factory.

Lingering and loitering is a good plan as I waited for people to pass through entrances. I aimed to catch their silhouettes against the street art. Some photographers advise to have your camera on burst function so as to capture several pictures. In this way you capture the moment. However, I like to take in the surroundings and press the shutter button when I am ready. Yes I miss a few pictures but I am generally happy with what I get.

The neon lights throw up some strong colours as my pictures show. I took many more pictures before the daylight overcame the night. The buildings reverted to a grey colour and Monday daytime was beginning. The time had come to move on and find a hot cup of coffee to warm me up.

Postscript – This is another of my Digbeth picture series which are a popular read. Please check them out below.

Digbeth lights

Digbeth Art

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