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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Birmingham Light Festival is back for its second year, brightening up Valentine’s weekend. The nights are still dark; the weather has been wet for so long that a burst of colour and light is exactly what is required to lift the mood before spring finally arrives.
I signed up for a photo walk organised by IgersbirminghamUK as part of the Birmingham Light festival. Our mission was to cover as many installations as possible on foot. Birmingham is a big city, but the artworks are placed at key spots, each linked by a brisk 5 to 10 minute walk.
Firefly Field
We met at St Paul’s Church, where the lawn shimmered with tiny moving lights. Up close, they revealed themselves as hundreds of glowing points gently “dancing” in the dark. This ‘Firefly Field’ looked magical to the eye, but photographing the movement was a challenge. A tripod and long exposure did the trick, turning the flickers into sweeping trails of light.
Ideas Happen Here
Our next stop was Newhall Square hear to the canal. Here, a giant glowing lightbulb sat beside a reflection pool. The artwork was bold, playful, and perfect for photography. The reflections doubled the impact, offering endless composition options. I had seen this at last year’s Birmingham Light Festival, but it still felt fresh when viewed for a second time.
Victoria Square
Victoria Square was packed with activity. In nearby Chamberlain Square, a giant Valentine’s heart glowed for the selfie crowd. Meanwhile, Birmingham Town Hall was watched over by huge, illuminated eyes. These were quirky and slightly surreal surrounded by the columns which were lit in shifting colours.
In the square, a silly statues x silent disco was in full swing. Dozens of people danced freely in total silence, headphones glowing. Light projections covered the Council House, inflatable figures waved overhead, and the whole scene felt wonderfully absurd. Even the Floozie in the Jacuzzi looked extra glamorous for the Birmingham Light Festival.
The Heartbeat of Brindleyplace
After more walking, we reached Oozells Square, where glowing green boxes pulsed gently with real human heartbeats from across the city. Each box represented a person going about their day creating a strangely intimate and surprisingly moving concept. Capturing their reflections in nearby restaurant windows added another layer of storytelling.
Our Beating Heart
The walk between the artworks became part of the experience as we headed off towards the Mailbox. There were canal reflections, glowing restaurant lights, and even a rogue flamingo hat floating in the water. At the Mailbox, we found a giant illuminated heart installation. I preferred the Heart’s past location at Snow Hill where there is more space, but it still made an eye-catching stop for photography.
Roof of Stars
On Thorp Street outside Birmingham Hippodrome’s stage door, strings of star-like lights stretched overhead They are beautiful to see, but tricky to photograph. Thankfully, some shiny parked cars nearby provided perfect reflective surfaces.
Reunion
Back to our walk and the 1,000 trades square had arches of light symbolising connection between people. The colourful arches outside New Street station symbolised reunions and framed the streams of passing travellers. This was a dream place for street photography with light, movement, and real human moments all in one place.
My Heart Belongs in Birmingham
By now, my legs were protesting, but there was time for one final stop. Tucked into a tree near the Shakespeare pub were glowing hearts withthe “Instagram-ready” slogan, “My heart belongs in Birmingham. We joined the long line of photographers capturing the same shot but it was worth it.
Huge thanks to Nadia, Kasim, and Jack from IgersbirminghamUK for leading such an energetic tour of the Birmingham Light Festival. Covering that much ground and that many installations in one evening was seriously impressive.
FORGED
I returned the following night to catch a fiery animatronic installation featuring pounding industrial music (Insurgent), flame effects, and dramatic mechanical movement. It perfectly captured Birmingham’s industrial heritage brash and noisy, it was spectacular and impossible to ignore.This year’s festival clearly built on the success of the first. If this is the direction that the Birmingham Light Festival is heading, then it will be a highlight of Birmingham’s winter calendar for years to come.
You may wish to compare this year’s description of the Birmingham Light Festival with the one that took place in 2025 and here is my blog of the event.
Amateur Photographer magazine held its Festival of Photography at the University of Greenwich. Getting to the south bank area of London from Birmingham was a long journey, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and efficient London’s transport system was, with tubes and buses linking up seamlessly. I arrived an hour before the start, which gave me ample opportunity to wander around the beautiful buildings of the old Navy School.
I took several pictures as the early sun began to rise, and one was selected by BBC Weather. The conference itself was very good. During the morning session, I heard several speakers, including Ron Timehin and Amanda Akokhia, both of whom gave lively talks packed with photographic advice.
One session was a discussion forum on “A Career in News and Documentary Photography.” Peter Dench interviewed Ethan Parker and James Manning, two young photographers who have quickly become established in their field. James works for PA Media, while Ethan is a recent winner of the Amateur Photographer Emerging Photographer of the Year award. The discussion covered many issues in documentary photography, and all three panellists kept the conversation engaging and insightful. All the lectures I attended were excellent and provided valuable tips on improving photography.
At lunchtime, I visited the National Maritime Museum and then had time to walk up the hill to the Royal Observatory Greenwich. The view from the summit is amazing, and I found that my iPhone zoom captured a lovely compressed image of the old Navy School against the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf. This picture is at the start of my blog and below is the panoramic view of London.
That afternoon, I took part in a photowalk with Mr Whisper, which is the subject of another blog. On the way back home, I took a river bus operated by Uber and enjoyed spectacular views of Canary Wharf lit up by the setting sun.
Enjoy this then here is another London blog posts to read.
The opportunity to use the Fujifilm GFX100RF on a street photography walk with MrWhisper was too good to pass up. The walk was part of the Festival of Photography organised by Amateur Photographer magazine at the University of Greenwich. I’d left it late to book and thought I’d missed out, but an afternoon slot appeared just in time.
The festival is a great meeting point for photographers. I’d already attended the morning talks and, over lunch, done an impromptu photowalk around Greenwich with a colleague, Peter Thompson. So the day was already off to a strong start.
At the FujifilmUK stand, I signed out the GFX100RF for the hour-long session. It’s noticeably larger than my X100VI, but still comfortable to hold one-handed. I wrapped the strap around my wrist, my preferred way of carrying a camera, and followed Bal (Mr Whisper) towards Greenwich Street Market. He kicked things off with some street photography tips, revisiting ideas like leading lines, framing, and reflections, which was a useful refresher.
A few shots in, I started to get the feel of the camera. I normally use back-button focusing on my other Fujifilm camera, so it took a little time to adjust. Greenwich Market is an enclosed square with entrances on each side, full of activity and photographic opportunities.
Near a photobooth, Bal noticed I’d accidentally set the camera to digital zoom, caused by pushing an unfamiliar dial. Once corrected, I was back on track. The GFX100RF was a joy to use as I moved through the stalls, and the time flew by.
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When we regrouped, I asked Bal if I could take his portrait, which he kindly agreed to. I took several shots by the market entrance, but again hesitated over my focus settings. Bal quickly switched on eye detection. This was another good reminder of how important it is to know your camera well and adjust settings quickly.
At the end of the session reluctantly, I handed the camera back and checked the images on my X100VI, only to find they appeared completely out of focus. I was despondent, even though I’d thoroughly enjoyed the session.
Back home, I checked the files properly on my computer. Relief! Most were in focus. My X100VI simply couldn’t handle previewing the large files many in excess of 130Mb. Processing such large images was demanding (and my laptop ran hot), but I was very pleased with the results.
Many thanks to Mr Whisper for a fantastic session, and to Fujifilm UK for letting me use the GFX100RF. Now I just need a loan to buy one. Would I get the GFX100RF? Yes, absolutely.
Finally a big shout out to MrWhisper. I would recommend going on one of his night photography courses around London. Details on his website.
If you enjoyed this blog then why not catch up on my street photography around Digbeth, Birmingham.
January offers many advantages when photographing Digbeth. The sunset lines up along many of the streets, including Floodgate Street. The main thoroughfares through the area have lights strung across the sides of buildings. The combination of the yellow lights and the blue-hour skies makes for a pleasing picture. My blog has photography of my visit last year.
When I arrived in Digbeth, I was despondent, as there were roadworks under the railway arches and traffic light controls were in place. This was going to spoil the aesthetics of my pictures. I walked around the familiar sights along Gibb Street and Floodgate street. I took photographs of the murals and other interesting features. I like the satirical messages from Fokawolf and his posters were in the garden of the Old Crown. There is so much to see in Digbeth.
As the sunset began, there were some colours in the sky, which helped create a suitable backdrop. The light faded further, and the yellow lights above became more prominent. The blue hour was well underway, and the bright lights shone strongly overhead. I found that the roadworks had turned to my advantage. The traffic lights made the cars slow down and stop. The green, red and yellow lights added colour to the scene.
Young people had finished at the local colleges for the day and added their silhouettes to the street scenes as they blocked the bright lights from the cars. Some of the street art appeared to come alive, as the silvers and yellows jumped out when stray light caught the paint.
There is a classic puddle that is ever-present at the end of Gibb Street. I am aware that the area has a high water table, but this may simply be a blocked drain. I enjoy seeing this puddle, as I like photographing reflections. Using the reflections, I captured several images that were different from those I had taken before. I was able to catch more of the Digbeth lights.
I returned to Floodgate Street and captured the lights, people, and buildings against the blue-hour sky. Pleased with the results, I walked back towards Moor Street. On the way, I noticed the bus station fully lit and, of course, took a few photographs of the scene. As I reflected on the train, photography in Digbeth always delivers.
Digbeth features a lot in my blog over the years and here are some links to get you up to speed with the area.
Marcin SZ has been leading Birmingham photowalks since 2020. An accomplished photographer, he shares his work on Instagram under Birmingham_Photography, capturing the city during the golden and blue hours in vibrant colour and bold black and white.
As part of my New Year’s resolution to explore new photographic opportunities, I joined one of Marcin’s photowalks. We met outside the Library of Birmingham, where a small group of photographers gathered before heading out to explore the city.
Despite the cold winter weather, Centenary Square was full of activity. The low afternoon sun reflected off the Library’s glass façade, creating long shadows and strong contrast—ideal conditions for street photography in Birmingham.
Our Birmingham photowalk took us through Chamberlain Square and past the Town Hall, where Marcin encouraged us to look for architectural details and light patterns often overlooked. Hill Street, bathed in winter light, offered compositions reminiscent of New York. Along the way, spontaneous moments appeared, including a group of cyclists performing wheelies near Brunel Street.
We continued towards the Mailbox and the Cube, where intense horizontal light produced striking graphic shadows. After photographing the frozen waters of Gas Street Basin, Marcin invited us to his studio on the 10th floor of Quayside Tower. From there, we enjoyed panoramic views across Birmingham as the setting sun filled the sky with warm tones and soft pink clouds.
I highly recommend joining such a Birmingham photowalk with Marcin SZ. He is genuinely passionate about photography and has a natural ability to guide people towards compelling scenes. The atmosphere is relaxed, welcoming, and suitable for all experience levels. It was a memorable afternoon, made even better by beautiful winter light and inspiring company.
If you enjoyed this account of a Birmingham photowalk then here are some links to previous walks done in Manchester and London.
There is one certainty in Birmingham: Digbeth always changes. For anyone interested in Digbeth photography, this makes the area endlessly fascinating. New buildings appear, artwork evolves, and the streets never look the same from one visit to the next.
One of the most noticeable recent developments is the new block of flats being built opposite the Custard Factory. The building stands on the former site of the old Peugeot Garage and Irish Centre. From a photography point of view, this construction is already changing sightlines and creating new contrasts between old and new Digbeth. We wait and see if these contrasts are really beneficial to the area.
As more people live closer to the city centre, Digbeth continues to evolve into a place where work, culture, and residential life sit side by side.
For Digbeth photography, the street art is a major draw. New shops and restaurants continue to open, while the artwork on the walls constantly changes. Because there are only a limited number of spaces, older murals are often painted over to make way for new designs. Some murals stay the same.
Fresh graffiti now sits alongside long-standing pieces. In some areas, heavy tagging covers earlier murals in a more random style. Even so, bold colours and striking shapes continue to dominate, making Digbeth a living canvas for urban photography.
This post is a roundup of some of the new scenes and artwork I’ve photographed recently. Wherever possible, I’ve credited the artists. If any credits are missing, please leave a comment and I’ll update the post.
I’ll be back in the new year to focus once again on Digbeth photography during the blue hour, which is one of my favourite times to capture the light and shadows in this changing part of Birmingham. One thing remains true — Digbeth always changes.
Walking through London at Christmas is always a blend of wonder and chaos. Lights spill across every street, crowds move in every direction, and here and there you stumble upon small pockets of calm. I spent a couple of hours wandering with my camera, capturing the city’s festive energy.
My companion for the evening was Peter Thompson, and we set off from Selfridges to explore the brightest spots. New Bond Street was dazzling with its high-end storefronts lit up with elaborate displays. The place was crowded, and the cars parked along the street looked like they were auditioning for a Monster Trucks spin-off. They were huge 4x4s in loud, flashy colours, with a generous scattering of BMWs and Mercedes squeezed in wherever they would fit. Amid all this noise, DPD vans were doing their rounds, delivering parcels to the shops. The upside? All those polished metal surfaces made for brilliant reflections of the lights around them.
Other iconic landmarks such as Fortnum & Masons and the Burlington Arcade did not disappoint although the latter was very crowded. Piccadilly Circus had its usual hypnotic mix of colour and motion. From there we wandered into Chinatown, where the crowds thickened and the restaurants buzzed with activity. Leicester Square had been transformed into an ice rink, cheekily named “William Skatespeare”,
Before we looped back to Regent Street, I walked along the central reservation toward Oxford Circus. Soon I found myself standing on the central reservation, tourists pressing in from all sides, traffic sliding by just inches away. I took the final shot of Oxford Circus with my X100VI, and its internal stabilisation proved impressive, letting me capture the night scene handheld. There’s something satisfying about the slice of nightlife frozen in that frame. Then it was time to mingle with the crowds and head home after an enjoyable evening.
If you enjoyed this description of the lights then feel free to visit my blog on last year’s lights.