The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.

There is a tunnel in Utrecht that leads from the Ganzenmarkt to the Oudegracht wharves.  I discovered the tunnel by chance after a late night in the town as part of the conference dinner.  Walking back to my hotel, I passed by the restaurants and the bars.  My eye caught a flashing light and I looked over the railing and saw colourful lights radiating out of a tunnel close to the canal.  I walked down and found this colourful psychedelic tunnel.  The lighting of the tunnel kept changing and there were three people dancing in what looked like a trance.  They were oblivious to my presence and so I took some pictures and then headed home.  

The next morning I retraced my steps to the tunnel. The location is a photographer’s dream site for pictures especially as the colourful lights are constantly changing on a regular cycle.  The street art is colourful and the illumination provides a changing backdrop.  I asked a colleague to return with me so that I could place him at the entrance then use his silhouette to provide a focus to the pictures.  Enjoy the result.  Sorry if it is somewhat self-indulgent but it was such a great place to photograph.

The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Figure at the end of a green tunnel.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Lost in colour.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Street Art in the tunnel.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Artistic detail.
The tunnel in Utrecht, the Netherlands, April 2023.
Get down low.

Want to know more about Utrecht and this amazing tunnel.
Discover Utrecht
Ganzenmarkt
Student life in Utrecht

Also please see my companion piece to my visit to Utrecht.
Photographing the streets and canals of Utrecht

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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.

Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Early morning in Utrecht.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Another early morning view.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Canal reflections.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
A nod to Greek architecture.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Flowers, bikes and the canals.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Canal scene in black and white.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Windmill
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Real and unreal.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Reflections.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Streetlife
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The train station.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
More canal scenes in Utrecht
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The Utrechts Conservatorium and part of the Utrecht School of the Arts
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
Biking over the canals of Utrecht.
Streets of Canals of Utrecht, The Netherlands, April 2023.
The holocaust memorial to people murdered in Utrecht during WWII.

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 in Digbeth, Floodgate St, January, 2023

“Walking after you” is a line from an old CCS song called Walking that was released in 1971. The band CCS was led by Alexis Korner and was my introduction into blues music. The song mirrors my photography as I walk along the streets of Digbeth. Arriving early on a January morning before 8am, the street lights were still on in Floodgate street and there were not many distracting cars around. I quickly got out and started taking pictures. In my excitement, I did not get the right focus on my Fujifilm x100v but my iPhone came to the rescue. The opening picture caught the reflections in a large puddle formed from the overnight rain. This is a classic view of Floodgate Street and one that fortuitously worked very well. It did not need much processing and the cropping was critical to remove lettering and stray reflections.

Walking in Digbeth, Gibb St, January, 2023
Gibb St provides many photographic opportunities plus reflectionshots.

Having parked my car in Selfridges multi story, I wandered back to Digbeth as I had time before my morning appointment in town. I used my x100v exclusively for the majority of the pictures. The streets were shiny as the rain had been heavy the previous morning. Puddles were grouped along Gibb Street and Floodgate Street providing more photographic opportunities. My visit included a wander to the edge of Deritend to see the sunrise and then back down Upper Trinity Street which completed my trip around of the area.

Walking in Digbeth, just off Floodgate St, January, 2023
Mind where you park

Constant change is synominous with the area. Shops have changed hands, new restaurants and night clubs have sprung up. There is new Street Art and old graffiti has to survive the constant mindless tagging that takes place. Around there are new building projects and Digbeth High Street is still scarred with tram works although one lane is open for traffic.

Walking in Digbeth, Gibb St, January, 2023
Street Art, arches, lamposts and people, all add to the photographic mix.

For street photographers, there is a constant stream of scenes forming in front of your eyes and most of the inhabitants seem resigned to being photographed as it goes hand in hand with living in such a creative district. Walking after you is my theme and we have several people set against the backdrop of the Digbeth buildings. There are also pictures of the latest street art on the different buildings. The street mural highlighting Parkinson’s disease was previously advertising Peaky Blinders. This wall next to the High Street has become a sought after location.

Parkinson's Disease Mural, Deritend, Birmingham, January 2023.
Parkinson’s Disease Mural.

There are more pictures below taken during my visit to Digbeth. At the end, I have put links to several of my past Digbeth blogs for further reading.

Walking in Digbeth, Floodgate St, January, 2023
Another view of Floodgate Street with the Floodgate on the left.

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Welcome to Digbeth, Birmingham, January 2023
Welcome to Digbeth

Looking back through my blog, I found that I have an extensive collection of pictures that feature Digbeth. This includes a few more pictures of Floodgate St and Gibb St as well. Please feel free to browse through my pages and comment on what you see and read.

HiVis Festival, Digbeth, 2022

The HiVis festival this year was at the Tea Works on Canal street. The wide open setting allowed for a range of Graffiti artists to ply their trade on the surrounding walls. I went to the festival with my family on the Saturday afternoon.

The graffiti painters were in good form as well, with many ready to chat with you and let you know what they were painting. All the walls were in action and several artists were already working when we arrived. Seeing Annatomix painting was a bonus. The family were keen to get back to the shops and I only discovered her working on her scorpion design on the way out. There were many different art works on display but due to timing, most of them were works in progress. I will go back later in the week to check out the finished artwork. Stay tuned. The queues for the children’s graffiti painting were slow moving and we did not get a chance for the grandchildren to try out some painting. There was just a high demand in that area and we will be ready for next year.

We loved the skate boarding and the energy around the place. The skate boarders were excellent and there was the opportunity to get up close and see them in action. There was a gap which the skaters jumped over before turning around on the ramp. All the skaters negotiated the RedBull Road gap successfully and there was also a rail to skate along as well. The boarders are very skilful and also fun to photograph.The HiVis event is organised by Graffiti Artist and I am already looking forward to the next event in 2023.

If you want to see my report on the HiVis festival 2021 then please take a look. All of my Birmingham Graffiti posts are popular and I love to support the artists’ work and the HiVis festival.

HiVis Festival, Digbeth, 2022
Welcome

Fargo Market, Coventry

Just off Sky Blue Way next to a street called Far Gosford, there is a trendy village called Fargo.  The area is an up and coming part of Coventry and it is the place where a craft market is held at the weekends.  I first heard about the FarGo market when I went along to meet my daughters there. 

Fargo Market, Coventry
What a cool robot!
Fargo Market, Coventry
The variety of stalls in Fargo Market.
Fargo Market, Coventry
Iconic design and colours.

My youngest daughter was helping her friend Gemma on a stall. Gemma is an excellent baker and she is the owner of Love Lane Brownies.  If you are a lover of brownies then I would recommend the blondie version, so a visit to her stall is a must.  The FarGo craft market is a busy friendly place and I took the opportunity to buy some of the produce there. My main purchase was a locally produced Gin from the Warwickshire Gin company.  I did not forget to buy my Love Lane Brownies although most of them had already been brought by an appreciative public.

Fargo Market, Coventry
There is some great street art at Fargo
Fargo Market, Coventry
Something for everyone

I enjoyed my visit to the FarGo market as there was much to see. The market is decorated by colourful graffiti from well known local artists and there is a rather cool looking robot ready to great you in the front yard.  There is a riot of colour on the walls which I have captured with my camera.  There is a pleasant atmosphere to the place and if you are looking for a different style of gift then the market will not disappoint.  If you are interested in craft markets and produce with some spare time on your hands then I do recommend FarGo market. Enjoy the photographs and hope to see you at there as well the next time I visit.

Fargo Market, Coventry
Market going well
Fargo Market, Coventry
The street art of Fargo
Fargo Market, Coventry
Lady Godiva rules
Fargo Market, Coventry
Love the colours on this car

If you want more information about FarGo market then just click away. If you like Brownies then visit Love Lane Brownies Instagram page @lovelanebrownies

Mural Leamington Spa

I just love taking pictures of street art around the West Midlands. As a companion piece to my photographic walk around Royal Leamington Spa, this is a detailed look at the street art around the Grand Union Canal area.  There are several wall murals that are worth highlighting and many are curated by the Brink Street Art group.  Each is interesting and whilst I know some of the artists, the vast majority I am unsure about.  I have put down the Instagram link to Brink Street Art Group if you wish to find out more about these images.  I will update the blog to give the recognition to the artist and their mural so please contact me. If you are visiting Leamington Spa, then they are worth a visit to see.

Leamington Street Art
Those eyes!
Mural Leamington Spa
The pen is mightier….
Mural Leamington Spa
Almost Neon light eyes
Mural Leamington Spa
Cheese, cat and a mouse. @JulesMuck
Mural Leamington Spa
Balancing
Mural Leamington Spa
Across the canal.
Mural Leamington Spa
A pair of eyes.
Mural Leamington Spa
Crow in the moonlight.
Mural Leamington Spa
The beauty of swans.
Mural Leamington Spa
Colourful street art by N4t4

If you liked this then take a look at the street art in these cities.
Birmingham – Digbeth Art and Hi-Vis festival 2021
Bristol – Clifton to Bedminster

Some of the artists featured Jules Muck, N4T4, (to be continued)


Jephson Gardens, Leamington Spa

Royal Leamington Spa is long associated with the family. We used to visit in the late 1980s and think it was so exciting with the Parade and the Parade and the Royal Priors shopping centre. Returning over the years, the town still looks impressive with the Georgean and Victorian buildings looking clean and impressive in their whitewashed coatings. The opportunity to do a photographic walk around Leamington Spa was organised by my fellow photographer buddy, John Bray.  I arrived in the town inbetween two storms, Dudley and Eustace. The sun came back during the lull which whilst welcome, created strong shadows during our morning walk.

Royal Leamington Spa Bowls Club
Royal Leamington Spa Bowls Club
Blossom on the trees, Leamington Spa
Blossom on the trees along the River Leam, Leamington Spa.
Bandstand, Leamington Spa
The Bandstand in the Royal Pump Room gardens.

Our first stop was the home of bowls, Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club. The groundsmen were preparing the greens for spring and the greens looked beautiful. Our walk followed the river Leam and we passed through the Royal Pump Room gardens with the impressive Bandstand.

Moving over the river again we headed past All Saints Church where there were some opportunities to take reflective photographs. We went onto Mill Road and then Mill passage lingering on the impressive iron pedestrian bridge over the river. It was here that we encountered our first street art with a mural of elephants painted on an electricity substation hut near to the entrance to the bridge.  This work was painted by the Brink Contemporary Arts group and makes a feature of three elephants who used to live in Leamington

The river Leam was full following the recent rains and there was a strong current under the bridge.  There was also a fine mist of the spray from the waterfall crashing over the weir.  Having photographed the bridge and the river our next destination was the Grand Union canal.

Our walk took us through the streets of the town and we commented several times at the hidden gems of architecture.  Just before the canal there is a mixture of light industry and new buildings that leads onto an old factory where the Brink art group has facilitated more street art.  The pedestrian canal bridge has curved steps and provides views of the street art.

Pedestrian Bridge over the canal
It is in this area around the Pedestrian Bridge over the canal that the Leamington Spa Street Art is concentrated.

A selection of the murals is featured in my next blog.  My favourite was a mural painted by @n_4_t_4 on the side of the canal.  There were several others that are featured and part of the Brink Art group.

Street art by N4t4
Street art by N4t4

Making our way back to Jephson park, we stumbled upon a small oasis of crocuses in bloom showing that spring was well on its way.  Following on from Jephson park, we took in coffee in the city centre before heading off to Clarendon Square where many films are filmed including Upstairs, downstairs.  The latest TV series to be filmed there is “Stonehouse” based on the MP who faked his own death. 

Clarendon Square
Clarendon Square

Royal Leamington Spa is well worth photographic attention as there is much to see from the beautiful architecture to the contemporary street art. All the pictures were taken mainly with my Fujifilm x100v compact camera unless otherwise stated.

If you found this interesting then please take a look at the following site for more information about Leamington Spa
The street art in Leamington is overseen by the Brink Street Art Group.


Hi-Vis-Festival, Digbeth 2021

From my social media feeds, you would think that the whole of Birmingham was at the HiVis Festival. The date was released with much anticipation and then the BBC Midlands today programme ratcheted up the excitement several notches more by featuring Panda of Graffiti artist talking about the festival. Big Artist names were released and social media was overflowing with comments about the weekend activities.

Hi-Vis-Festival, Digbeth 2021
n_4_t_4 and his astral traveller. Loving the blue colours and the reflections

The festival was held over the Saturday and Sunday in September 2021. I could only make the Saturday which meant that I would be viewing much of the artwork in its early stages. Still that means another visit later in the month to see the finished artwork. Visiting Digbeth always provides photographic opportunities and the Hi Vis festival was no exception. On arrival my first stop was at Milk street where a few artists were working. Surprisingly one of the bouncers at the local club asked why I was taking pictures. I must have looked suspicious! I moved onto Floodgate street – so many artists out painting the walls. People walking around, hen parties, loud noisy cars cruising and street artists. Many of them were intent on what they were creating and were happy to have their photos taken. The street was full of cars but they made for great reflections.

Moving onto Gibb street over the gangway that spans the river Rea. More people plus music and generally great vibes. There was so much to describe and taking pictures with the camera was on overload. Skateboarders provided a gritty backdrop to the arches. Seeing the artists close up and watching them work allowed you to get a good perspective of their approach. Watching @cryola1 paint a vibrant portrait was a highlight.

As you walk into Gibb street, you enter the heart of the Custard Factory and boundless energy is pumped around the cafes and shops. Weddings are taking place at the Old Library and people out enjoying the sunshine. I walked around the arches onto Heath Mill Lane and caught a picture of Panda on his scooter! Thanks to Panda and his team bringing together such variety of street art onto the streets. On Digbeth High Street, there were many more artists painting walls and billboards. Just great to see them in action. I moved back into Floodgate street and saw other well known local artists such as n4t4 and Snub 23 painting. I know I have not credited all of the street artists but I can add names if requested. There was a focus of activity down Little Ann street and there were several artists working including I.am.sprite with her mural of Tiny Roar.

Hi-Vis-Festival, Digbeth 2021
I.am.sprite with Tiny Roar

Ladders and even mechanised platforms were being used to ensure that the painting quality was enhanced. I find it amazing that the street artists are able to keep the bigger picture in mind whilst painting the smaller details. The Pop Art nature of the pictures is a colour frenzy and stand out against the old factories that are a feature of the Digbeth architecture.

Hi Vis Digbeth 2021
Hi Vis festival by plague

Overall the walkaround was very enjoyable, I met several friends, people were friendly and the atmosphere lifted the spirits. There will be a post script on the Hi Vis Festival and all the finished pieces of street art when I get the chance to get down there again. It you are interested in street art then there are a few other blog posts on the street art that I have done including Digbeth Street Art and Digbeth, Digbeth. There is also some pictures of the Bristol scene which I visited in 2020. As you can see, it is a fascinating subject.

Postscript – Digbeth High Street and Selfridges

As I moved back to the car, I thought to myself, “let’s spend 5 to 10 minutes looking around Digbeth High Street” which will include a few pictures of Selfridges in its high visibility cladding. The high street is making way for the tram so it is being dug up. The traffic was stationary and there were pink reflections in the car windows. I was unable to capture the scene well and made do with a couple of pictures of Selfridges.


The custard fatoiry, Digbeth

Another of my regular visits to Digbeth found me taking pictures of a few of my favourite street art murals. I also got to see several new paintings as well.  Recent visits have been anything but normal and this visit was taken during Lockdown#2 and there were few people around. Parts of the Custard Factory were cordoned off only allowing access to Gibb Street. Parking my car in Floodgate Street I made my way through the alleyway over the river Rea to Gibb street. The area is always changing and I wanted to see The great reset by Gent48.  A van was parked partially blocking the mural but I was able to get a close up of it. The artist does capture the mood of the times with the phrase “the sky is falling down”

The Great Rest
The Great Rest

Following this I made my way under the arches and on the way captured several murals. The car park is empty at this time of the day so I was able to get a picture of the Spiderman mural followed by an old favourite Golden Boy. My list of photographs was almost complete but I had one more to do and that was the Black Sabbath mural in the car park by Digbeth Coach station. As I passed the station I saw how deserted it looked with no buses inside, I like the picture of the empty coach station as it sums up the Lockdown#2 atmosphere prevailing around Birmingham. All pictures taken with the Canon 5D markIV and my 24-70mm lens. I try to take different views of Digbeth, as it is so often photographed.

Digbeth Fazeley Street
Looking up Fazeley Street near to the start of Floodgate street.
The custard fatoiry, Digbeth
The Glory of Custard
Map of Digbeth
There are maps available part of the street art
Golden Boy on Hack St
Golden Boy on Hack St
Palm Oil equals...
Palm Oil equals…
Birmingham Coach Station Empty
Birmingham Coach Station Empty

I love the new features of Word Press and being able to play around with before and after images of the street art is great fun. My first go is with the Black Sabbath picture that is amazing street art by the Artist N4T4.

The positive and the negative of Black Sabbath
Spider Man Street Art
Spider Man Street Art, Trinity Street Car Park
Heath Mill Lane
Heath Mill Lane
Gent48 on Floodgate Street
Gent48 on Floodgate Street
Thinking about Rankin Roger
Thinking about Rankin Roger
Birmingham Screwdriver Factory
Down the River to the Screwdriver Factory
Street Art and Birmingham Icons
Street Art and Birmingham Icons

Further Browsing
Do you want to know more about Digbeth?
Visit InDigbeth for the latest news and views
Try my past blog on Digbeth Art as it too has some nice pictures and links


Reflections in Digbeth

Should I be worried? Should I ditch my big camera? My most popular photographs are all taken by an iPhone. My most recent one of Gibb Street in Digbeth has been published by several outlets including BBCMidlands, Independent Birmingham, IgersbirminghamUK, Bhamupdates and Source investments. All very pleasing but I would like to talk about my aperture and shutter settings. The camera ISO and how I held it to take in the picture. No all I did was dip the iPhone into a puddle and the resulting picture then gets a life of its own. Getting down low certainly led to more impact to the picture. However, I am pleased that I can brag about my composition and that it caught the spirit of Birmingham!