Photographs and reflections taken during a rainy evening walk around the University of Birmingham following a talk on therapeutic photography Find out more about Neil Gibson on his social media.
A Wet Evening on Campus
The University of Birmingham campus is very beautiful at night. I enjoy wandering around with my camera, photographing the buildings when the lights are on. The bright lights from the buildings and the rain-swept pavements create wonderful reflections. I realise that this may not be the best environmental practice, but the campus does look splendid illuminated after dark.
Earlier in the evening I had attended a talk on therapeutic photography by Neil Gibson, which inspired me to take more pictures of the campus at night.
Old Joe Lights Up the Night
The rain was lashing down and, at first, the idea of an evening stroll was not particularly appealing. However, when I saw Old Joe lit up in vibrant colours to celebrate 125 years, I was captivated and could not resist taking photographs. There were puddles of water that offered several opportunities for reflections of the lights from the building.
Cameras for a Rainy Night
My Fujifilm X100VI is ideal for wet nights, as I have weather-proofed the camera. The iPhone 17 Pro is always with me and is also an excellent camera for capturing wet-weather reflections.
Starting at the North Gate
As the talk began at the Gisbert Kapp Building, the North Gate was an ideal starting point. There are some wonderfully cinematic night views here featuring Old Joe. It is difficult not to become distracted by the envelope of vibrant colours surrounding the clock tower.
Student Life After Dark
The newer buildings on the right were a hive of student activity. Both the Library and the Teaching and Learning Building were brightly lit, and I stayed nearby for a while to capture students moving in and out.
The trees in front of the Muirhead Tower looked particularly striking and slightly eerie in the rain.
The Classic Views of Old Joe
Everyone takes the classic views of the clock tower with strong leading lines, and I thought, why not? I headed to the usual Instagram-friendly spots around the Aston Webb Building to capture those iconic perspectives.
A Quiet, Rainy Walk Back
After taking a few close-up shots of Old Joe, I wandered back towards the Muirhead Tower and along the walkways to the North Gate. It was a very wet night, so unfortunately there were not many people around. Once again there were several reflections creating photographic opportunities.
I like to catch the occasional silhouette in the glare of the lights, but most people were sensibly staying inside the buildings. After one last look around the campus, I made a welcome retreat to the shelter of my car.
This is the second in an occasional series on the University of Birmingham at night. Please read my first account of night photography around Birmingham campus which is focussed mainly around the railway station.