Photographing the streets and canals of Utrecht

by Damien Walmsley 01/05/2023 05/05/2023

Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.

I had the opportunity to take pictures during a recent visit to the streets and canals of Utrecht

Utrecht in the Netherlands was the base for the Ultrasonics Industry Association conference. My research group were presenting at the international conference and I was there to support their activities. We stayed in the Karel V hotel which has a picturesque view of the adjacent canal. There were many opportunities in the early morning or during conference breaks to explore the streets and canals. This Dutch city is very photogenic and I had brought along my Fujifilm x100v to accompany my iPhone13 for the photographs. For the readers of this blog, I will just show a selection of the many pictures that I took during my short stay. At the end of the blog, I have provided some links to Utrecht which provide ideas for your travel to this ever-surprising city.

So many pictures of this city and here are some more from both iPhone and camera.

Do you want to know more about Utrecht? Here are some links
Discover Utrecht
Holland Travel Guide

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Walking Regent’s Canal

by Damien Walmsley 31/01/2023 03/02/2023

Regent Canal to Camden Market, January 2023

I had some time to visit the canal in North London and my starting point was just north of Kings Cross Station,accessing the canal from York Way bridge. Making my way north I passed Coal Drops Yard and under the railway bridges. There was a Canal and River Trust stand near to Gasholder park and whenever I see them then I always stop and have a chat. Abeselom was one of the three representatives from the Canal and River Trust on the stand. I struck up conversation with Abeselom and mentioned my 100 strangers project. I was told that all my subjects smile and an artist friend said that my strangers should look more interesting. So Abeselom provided a suitable expression for me causing some merriment.

A few steps on and I noticed some striking reflections of the boats in St Pancreas Canal Basin. The boats, trains and buildings made for some fascinating pictures. I move on along the towpath. There were interesting people, buildings and activity all along the route. It is a people thoroughfare. There was a photo workshop, people with suitcases and some intriguing buildings.

Eventually I reached Camden locks and browsed around the Market which linked underneath the railway arches. This was a great place to visit and the range and diversity of the shops was amazing. The place was great for street photography plus there were interesting statues and displays as you will see in the pictures below. Finally I moved down the road to Camden Tube station and made my way down to Fitzrovia where my meeting was taking place.

If you liked this then I have other blog postings that you may like.

London Streets

Wheels of London

Photographing London

Finally I recommend the Canal and River Trust web page if you want to know more about Walking along the Regent’s Canal.

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network/regents-canal

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Top 4 in 2022

by Damien Walmsley 08/01/2023 08/01/2023

My Top 4 pictures of 2022, Damien Walmlsey

Each year photographers share their top photographs and I am no exception in doing this. I wrote a blog about my personal favourites for 2021. Now it is the turn of 2022 and I have limited to my top 4. Why four? Well the arrangement works well for Instagram and I am not such a fan of the Top 9 where the pictures are even smaller. The four pictures that I have selected all have a story to tell. The picture may have done well in national or local competitions. There may have been some nice comments about the style and composition that were pleasing to hear. I hope you enjoy the selections.

Regency Wharf
This picture received a commendation in Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2022 and was featured in the published book. This was quite an achievement for me as this is a very competitive competition and a place in the book is very much sought after. I wrote a blog about this picture and it explains how and why it was taken.

Regency Wharf, Birmingham, Commended in LPOTY2022 picture taken January 11th — Regency Wharf, Birmingham, My picture of Regency Wharf, Birmingham that was Commended in LPOTY2022

Selfridges 2022
This iPhone picture was well received by many people on my various social feeds. The picture celebrates the new look Selfridges after the discs has been replace. “The discs are back in town” is a blog I wrote about this and other pictures of Selfridges.

Selfridges July 2022 — An upward view accentuating the symmetry.

Westside BID winner
Last year I failed to get shortlisted for the inaugural Westside Business District Calendar competition. So this year, I entered in again and I came first which was I was so pleased about. The prize was £175 voucher to an exclusive restaurant next to the ICC Birmingham. The winning picture is below and a description of how it was done in covered in my blog.

Broken Life
I am not very good at Still Life photography and it was one of my assignments in a 52 week photography group that I belong to on Flickr. I am not sure why I went for this picture approach and it was well received on the Weeklies. It was my only shortlisting last year for #wexmondays. I am going to do more photography like this for 2023 so watch this space. Also read my blog about how it came about.

Broken plates — A place setting with broken plates and cups. What has taken place?

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Regent Street Lights

by Damien Walmsley 23/12/2022 28/12/2022

I was fortunate that I was in London during Christmas week. My reason for being there was to undertake a photographic assignment for the British Dental Association Museum. Once I had completed my task then I set off for the Christmas lights. I walked from Wimpole Street along Oxford Circus taking in Bond Street, New Bond Street and Piccadilly. Whilst I took many photographs on this journey, my main destination was Regent Street. The Angels were strung across the street and were a beautiful feature of the Christmas lights. The theme was the ‘The Spirit of Christmas’ and covered both Regent Street and St James’s neighbourhoods.

The place was very busy with people on both sides of the road and in the central reservation taking pictures of the Angels. My x100v was set up with a high ISO3200 and an aperture of f/4. The shutter speed was set at 1/125. I brought along my travel tripod to help me. However I did forget that the ISO was on high for some of the motion shots. It was difficult to think with being in such a dangerous position in the middle of the road and so many people around you. Whilst the pictures do look pretty, there are many obstacles around the area such as the shoppers and traffic. I kept my wits about me and did not look for pictures that may have put me in danger.

I came away with a story as there were a few couples in the pictures and the story looks as if I have followed one couple up from Piccadilly to Oxford Circus. I enjoyed seeing the lights and experiencing the atmosphere of Christmas Shopping.

London is a wonderful city to photograph and you may wish to see my other Blog entries on photographing the UK capitol.

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Westside BID Calendar winner 2023

by Damien Walmsley 08/12/2022 08/12/2022

In January 2022, I spent the morning walking around Gas Street Basin. The area was bathed in beautiful sunshine and I took several photographs with my Fujifilm x100v. Several of the photographs came out really well. I was lucky with the light and the weather. Plus there were several people walking along the canal tow path. There were two stand out pictures that I took that day. The first was from outside the Tap and Spile public house on the west side of the basin looking towards Regency Wharf. This picture was highly commended in the urban view category of UK Landscape Photographer of the Year. I also took pictures on the other side of the basin. One part of the basin that used to be difficult to access is The Wharf which has access to various offices including the Pakistani Consulate. On that morning I found that the barriers had gone and there is now public access to the area where you can access the canal bank. This gives you a great view of the Bistrot Pierre restaurant building. The morning was still and quiet providing excellent conditions for reflections of the restaurant. As luck would have it, a passerby came into the picture and looked backwards. I snapped him and found that he was centred perfectly. The picture turned out well and did not need much adjustment post processing. There was a good reaction on social media when I posted the picture. Therefore when the Westside BID calendar competition came up then I entered this one along with several others. I was pleased to learn that I was the overall winner for the competition with my Bistrot Pierre picture and my prize was £175 vouchers for the Craft restaurant in Brindley Place next to the ICC. There was also a cheesy write up of my win which I include here. The title was “Dentist ‘reflects’ on top prize in Westside BID’s 2023 calendar competition”.

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Time to Reflect with my Key

by Damien Walmsley 20/08/2022 03/10/2022

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, Hall Green Library

The following visits were quiet and enabled me to reflect on my journey around Birmingham with my #keytothecitybrum. Two different venues, but each allowing a key holder to stop, pause and take in life.

Robin Hood Cemetery

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, Acocks Green Cemetery — Approach to Lavender walk

The key took me to Robin Hood Cemetery near Hall Green, a place I have visited several times previously saying my respects to good friends who have passed away. This time it was for the #keyofthecityBrum project. The place was relatively quiet as usually when there is a large funeral taking place, access is difficult. When I arrived, there was a funeral in process and I kept discreetly in the background. Passing the main buildings, I made my way to the pergola over a path called Lavender walk. Here the overground vaults were laid out along the walk. The key opened one of these vaults. There were no signs or indications of where this would be. After 5 minutes I looked up a photographic colleague, Elliot Brown who had already discovered the vault. Reading his account, I realised which vault I should focus on. Immediately I saw that there was one vault which was slightly different to the rest and it had a lock on the front. My key opened the vault and inside there were drawings, ceramic pins, and other objects. There was a lovely poem about the sea and a few other notes. An interesting find that made me pause and reflect.

Hall Green library

All the public libraries in Birmingham were participating in the #keyofthecityBrum project. You just needed to visit one of the listed libraries to access a lock.

As it turned out Hall Green library is not far from Robin Hood Cemetery. I arrived just after lunchtime as the Birmingham libraries close for an hour and reopen at 2pm. The place was busy, but the librarian showed me the metal box which was padlocked. My key opened the lock allowing me to access a red book. Opening this book, I found that I was asked to write down a list of my experiences of visiting the various places in the #keytothecityBrum. The book was brand new, and the librarian informed me that I was the first person to visit Hall Green Library and ask to see the box. I wrote down my entry replaced the book and locked the padlock. I left thanking the librarians. Outside I took several pictures. Once outside I wondered how libraries are surviving in the present era of digital changes. This library may look a little dated on the outside, but it was very much part of the community judging by the number of people who were using it.

My Journey with the Key
If you wish to review my journey then I have published all my visits on my blog as follows.

Key to the City Brum
Three keys in Birmingham
Key to the trains and the football
My key opens another three locks
Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy centre
Time to reflect with my key (This article)
Key to Green Lane Mosque
Route 61 and two more keys
The popular key – 103 Colmore Row
Open all hours with my key
No Ghosts were harmed by my Key
The key opens a special meal
Whistling a Birmingham success

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Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy Centre

by Damien Walmsley 15/08/2022 03/10/2022

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, Blyden's Garden

My next two venues for #keytothecitybrum were close to each other and both were intriguing. They took me to a part of Birmingham that I have rarely visited. I have had no previous reason to visit the area and I have only passed through on the dual carriage way onto Perry Barr. The north west part of the City is relatively unknown to me and I was about to find out that I had missed some hidden gems.

The Blyden’s Garden

This was a delightful place to visit. A private garden in the middle of Birmingham. When the #keystothecitybrum were released, this place was the most intriguing. A small plot of land was going to be shared with the larger Birmingham community. I did not know what to expect and headed out to the garden. Finding Brooklyn Avenue, I went along to the end of the cul-de-sac and located the road that went behind house 63. The place did not look inviting and one of the houses on the street had a stack of rubbish on the front lawn. I turned the corner and at first did not register anything except an open gate. As I took in my surroundings, I saw a shocking pink door with a welcome sign.

This was nothing like the picture in the booklet! My key fitted the lock. The door needed a good pull as it opened towards me and once inside I discovered a quiet oasis. The place was set out with herb plants including strawberries. There were motivational words hung up on the surrounding fences. There was a large bench where you could sit down and survey your surroundings.

A blackboard was set up near to the door and someone had written in chalk a question of the day.

“If you could go back in time and meet your 10-year-old self. What advice would you give yourself?”

I am not sure that my answer was profound enough for the board, but it was fun to participate. I took a few pictures and then sat down. I took some time out to reflect and soak in the ambiance of the garden. Then I took some pictures and before long (around 10 minutes later), I decided it was time to move onto the next venue on my #keytothecitybrum quest.

Thank you to the Daniel and Rebecca Blyden for making this happen. A lovely experience and one to treasure. I found this link about their garden and gives more insight into their vision

Legacy Centre of Excellence

The Legacy Centre of Excellence is on Potters Lane, Birmingham. Upon arrival, I was made welcome by Sarah who showed me what my key unlocked in the building. The room I entered had pictures made from card cut-outs hanging on the wall. These were drawn by Dr Martin Glynn, lecturer in Criminology at Birmingham City University. The collection of pictures was called “Moments and Memories” and were inspired by the Covid19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

Key to the City Brum, Fierce Festival, 2022, the Legacy Centre — Moments and Memories

Dr Glynn investigated the themes of reflection and during his journey wished to immerse his audience into his work. Dr Glynn’s pictures resonated with my own reflections. I have done a series of articles of life during and after the pandemic. In a similar way, I have been on a part of Dr Glynn’s journey. His cut-outs provided very powerful imagery.

Sarah gave me details of the Legacy centre and showed me the main stage that was set up for a B2022 Commonwealth Games Community Engagement event: A journey through Windrush. Sarah agreed to having her picture taken and I discovered that she is an artist in her own right and examples of her work are on her Instagram site @whitecanaryillustration. Another fascinating place on my Journey with the Key.

My Journey with the Key
If you wish to review my journey then I have published all my visits on my blog as follows.

Key to the City Brum
Three keys in Birmingham
Key to the trains and the football
My key opens another three locks
Keys to the Blyden’s Garden and the Legacy centre
Time to reflect with my key
Key to Green Lane Mosque
Route 61 and two more keys
The popular key – 103 Colmore Row
Open all hours with my key
No Ghosts were harmed by my Key
The key opens a special meal
Whistling a Birmingham success

Link to the Legacy Centre

https://legacycoe.co.uk

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The discs are back in town

by Damien Walmsley 20/07/2022 25/07/2022

The Selfridges building is now back to its full glory after a period of renovation. The silver discs were causing problems by becoming detached and falling off the building. All this was happening prior to the pandemic. There were additional problems as the original manufacturer of the discs was no longer operating and a new supplier needed to be found. When the contractors were ready, they covered the building in a spectacular pink and black cover designed by Osman Yousefzada and underneath this “skin” replaced the discs. I liked the Infinity Pattern 1 design as it was a such a different take on the building.

The repair work continued during and after the pandemic. Finally, the scaffolding came down revealing the new replacement discs. I take part in a weekly photographic project and the week’s theme was geometry. The Selfridges building is perfect for this theme and I went out and about with my camera taking pictures to accentuate the amazing patterns. There was also the chance to get some interaction with reflections of people sitting next to the building. There was a good reaction to the pictures and I find that many people love the design. There are many people who dislike the building but everyone agrees it does put Birmingham on the map.

I have included some past posts which will provide details of my previous photographic blogs that have involved this iconic building.

Selfridges Study

The Changing Face of Selfridges

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Sunrise in Kardamena

by Damien Walmsley 19/07/2022 25/07/2022

Several mornings during July, I ran into Kardamena from where I was staying. My hotel, Acti Beach, is around 2 miles away from Kardamena. Getting up early and watching the sunrise develop during the Golden Hour is an unforgettable experience. Two years ago I was here in August and the sun rose over the sea. In July, the sun rises behind the mountains. Therefore I saw the sun start to rise by the golden colours appearing on the white buildings of the town as I ran towards Kardamena.

I run with my iPhone13 and I was able to stop for a few minutes and capture the golden rays. The fun is getting back to the hotel and seeing what the results are like. These pictures were taken on different mornings and when posted on my social media, they received a positive response. I certainly want to get back to Kos in the future and experience more sunrises on this beautiful island. This is the last of my Kos Island sequence and hope you enjoyed them.

Here are my links to Kardamena and Kos

I love Kardamena 2022

Reach for the sky

Back in 2020 when I first visited Kardamena

And where it all started with my daughter’s wedding on the beach in Kos

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Birmingham Blossom

by Damien Walmsley 01/04/2022 01/04/2022

Oozells square in the westside of Birmingham is unremarkable other than the IKON gallery which is on one side of the square. The IKON is a highly acclaimed contemporary art venue and when you have finished looking over the latest exhibits, take a well earned rest in Yorks coffee shop. However in the months of March and April the square erupts with cherry blossom and becomes one of the most photographed squares in Birmingham. I also took many photographs. The square was featured in a BBC news and my photograph was included. I have also added a few more of my own in this post.