The Printworks on Fazeley street was the venue for this year’s High Vis festival. The event celebrated 50 years of HipHop bringing together Birmingham’s street artists and dancers. I went along on the Saturday afternoon and many of the street artists were nearing the completion of their street art. Printworks is on the other side of the railway bridge to HS2 and several artists were working underneath the bridge at the junction of New Canal street and Fazeley street. Security personnel from HS2 were present and a little bemused by what was taking place. The festival people were friendly and in good form chatting about the artwork and catching up with friends, some of whom were heading off to Birmingham City’s first home match of the season. The street outside the Printworks was traffic free thanks to the HS2 works although many of the signs were caught up in paint spray.
Street Art by Sioux_UKStreet Art by Tempo33Street Caravan for the Festival.Checking out the art work. (*)The streetart style of Titlegrafitti Pink is this year’s colour. (*)Street Art toolsStreet conversations in colour.
As with any street art, the colours are vibrant and the artwork eye catching. Inside the yard there was a large grinning face of Tempo33 looking down on the street art. Centre place was a caravan that was getting the Spray-paint treatment. The walls inside the yard were taken up with different artwork. Inside the building there was constant supply of HipHop music with dancers displaying their different skills. If there are any credits missing then please let me know via my socials. I have added (*) where I am unsure of artists.
Amazing dance moves.High kicks The end of a battle.HS2?LARGE (*)High Vis logo
All this activity was excellent for photography purposes and my Fujifilm x100v was put to good use. Outside the camera was on aperture priority with the colour balance set at daylight. For the hip hop dancing, I went for high ISO, f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/500. The dancers were fun to capture, with the freeze frame pictures. Their expressions tell so many stories.
Wall painting. (*)Tempo33 in the yard.The PrintworksInside the YardHi Vis Festival 50 years
Westside BID organised a celebratory evening around the photography competition for the 2023 calendar. We all gathered at the Flapper Pub near Cambrian wharf where we met our fellow winners and local business people. There were councillors from Birmingham City Council present as well. The pictures were hung around the room and the MC interviewed each photographer in turn. Then the food was served and there was a chance to meetest people. The evening sun shone over the canal allowing us the chance to soak in the warmth. The last few weeks have been very wet, so the sun was welcome. There were interviews to be done and pictures to be taken. My picture was the overall winner and is shown above, although any of the other ones could have won as well. The two videos plus the story of the night provide a great memory of the event. Thanks to Westside BID for the support of photography through the calendar.
Cheltenham Paint Festival 2023 was on my radar when it was first announced earlier this year. Having photographed the street art in Digbeth, I have ventured further afield to Bristol and Leamington Spa to look at their street art. The Paint Festival in Cheltenham has a reputation of being well organised and attracting some of the top street artists from home and abroad. The festival director and artist Andy Dice Davies (aka dice67) had produced an audio map for the phone. I downloaded the interactive map and whilst there was a bit of a learning element on how to use the software, I found it very useful. I would love it if there was a narrative that I could listen to as a continuous streaming or even a podcast of the event. Still the interactive map was very good and I have used the app for reference for this blog.
Admiring the Street Art by @n_4_t_4
North Place Car Park
Not knowing the geography of Cheltenham, I did my homework. I found on arriving that the town has NCP car parks and I needed their app to get a good rate of parking. I parked centrally and made my way to North Place Car Park. Many street artists were painting on the surrounding walls and the place was a hive of activity. There were many photographic opportunities as I walked around the walls. I struck up a conversation with one of the artists @mycutecreatures. Her work was only just being started but it was possible to see the design that was planned. I find it fascinating how the artwork develops as the artist is painting during the day. I moved down along the walls where other artists were working away. The murals were on different themes, with different images and most of all differed in colours and content. Certainly a feast for the eyes.
Painting the walls of the car park (AjaxPiper)Reflections in the glasses (@Jenksart)Street art has wings (Demoisellemm)Decisions and discussions. (Guts dc and Jimmer Willmott)Alphabet and number soup (@DFTE)Work in progress (daub.jg)
Holiday Inn
Next stop was the Holiday Inn to see both last year’s mural and the progress on this year’s wall. Last year’s mural is amazing whilst the present mural is facing towards the town. When taking pictures of the street murals, I always look to take a different picture and seeing the mural, I lined up the traffic lights with the face. This made for an interesting picture. Curtis Hylton painted the pea hen for a previous festival whilst the uncompleted work in my picture is by Epod3000. Check his Insta account to see the finished painting.
Artwork in progress @Epod3000Work on the Holiday Inn wall by Curtis Hylton
Previous Festivals Artwork
There are so many murals to visit, and I went to several places to find street art that had been completed during previous festivals. As you see from the set of pictures each mural tells a story. I visited on the Saturday and several works are incomplete. This just means that I will have to revisit at a later date! This blog provides a real time account of how the festival was taking place.
An open window. Detail of Killing Joke by Dice67.Beautiful face in the Car Park (Jim Vision)An evocative piece of street art jointly painted by Rocket01 and Faunagraphic.
Whilst I was in the area around the Holiday Inn, I met Stephen Gledhill, a street art blogger, who runs the Natural Adventures blog. This covers street art up and down the UK. Stephen was looking at the stencil done by the Street Artist Pogo Stencils UK. Stephen explained that this artwork was a wonderful example of complex multi-layer stencils. There is good attention to detail, and it is possible on close inspection to identify the layers. I love the explanations to paintings in art galleries and was indebted to Stephen for taking me through the Street art. I took a picture of Stephen next to the street art that was painted at a previous Cheltenham Art Festival.
Stephen Gledhill, Street Art blogger with picture by Pogo Stencils
Frog and Fiddle
Stephen recommended visiting the Frog and Fiddle which turned out to be a real gem of a pub. Ordering myself a drink, the bartender gave me some of the background to the place and gave me permission to wander around. I went upstairs where there is another example of the stencil work of Pogo. The positioning of the partial face against the windows adds a haunting feel to the pool tables. At the back of the pub, @Dice67 has painted a portrait of Jet Black, the Strangler’s drummer who is sadly no longer with us. There were other street artists at work in this area and were happy to chat about their work. This festival does provide a buzz to the town.
Frog and Fiddle PubPool table and light (Pogo Stencils)Jet Black of the Stranglers painted by Dice 67.Artist at work (@phasechan)Paint cans at the ready.
Leaving the Frog and Fiddle, I walked up the high street taking some detours to see previous festival work by @Zabouartist and work in progress on a new mural by @liambononi. The latter artwork was above an entrance to a factory. The artist was painting on a motorised platform with air filter protection. The tools of the trade. Having marvelled at the artwork I returned to the path down the high street and came into the Church yard of Cheltenham Minster, St Mary’s. My destination was the Two Pigs pub, the HQ of the Cheltenham Paint Festival.
To be or not to be – by @Zabouartist High rise street art by @liambononi
The Two Pigs
The pub was busy and had many artists working both in the back yard of the pub and inside. Many of the painters took time out to chat about their work and most were happy to have their photograph taken for my blog.
The entrance to the back yard of the Two PigsThe sun did show and brought out the colours of the artwork (@sophytuttle)Showing attention to detail by @wolfskulljace_art.More artists at work (Sould_ art on the left)Artwork on show (Roo art)Sign painting by Dawn and Dario Santos inside the Two Pigs
More Street Art
The festival experience is remarkable in that the murals have become an interlinked feature of the town. I passed beautiful streets filled with examples of Regency architecture. I walked around the Royal Crescent and then into the streets behind. Here tucked away in a car park are the Bayshill walls where there were examples of artwork from previous festivals.
Street Photography and artwork by Inkie who also did the Festival logo.The Royal Crescent, Cheltenham.TaxiWalking past the artwork by Beau Stanton in Bayshill car park.Work by Duo Sink at Bayshill walls
Agg Pavillion
Using Andy’s interactive map on my phone, I retraced my steps through an alley way to the Bottle of Sauce pub and Dodo establishments. I walked through the St Paul’s area, where the houses are predominantly white with some splashes of colour. My aim was to view an iconic piece of work by the street artist @whoamIrony. However, I went too far and found myself in Pittville Park. Here I discovered street artists painting on the Agg Pavilion. There were 5 artists at work, and I was pleased to meet @Titlegraffiti. I recognised his work at once having come across his work in Digbeth, Birmingham. My personal favourite was the intricate work being done by @faye.rai who explained that she was painting in a similar manner to a watercolour. Other street art at the pavilion included the painting of a Barbie doll on its side by @katiescott_creative. There were others there and I am hoping readers will fill in the artist blanks for me.
The distinctive artwork by Birmingham street artist @TitlegraffitiA lovely mural taken shape which is being painted by @faye.rai I’m a Barbie Girl (@katiescott_creative)An intricate fish mural (@PeteSheridanArtist )Aerosol paint cans at the ready,
I did get to see the iconic wolf moon mural by Irony on the way back.
Howling Moon by Irony
There were also some other artwork on the streets which were fun to photograph. I went back to the car park and came across @ n_4_t_4 with his colourful mural of a bird. I introduced myself to Nathan and he took time out to talk to me about his work. He is a well-respected street artist and this was one of my highlights in my travels around the festival. Around the corner @mycutecreatures was finishing her mural and several others were nearing completion. Members of the public were admiring the street art.
A second painting by @n_4_t_4 Nearly at the finish for @mycutepicturesDiscussing the Festival (@sophielongart)
Homeward bound
By now I was ready for home, I realised looking through Andy’s map that I had missed several other large projects such as buildings and carparks. Therefore, I will have to come back to Cheltenham and see the street art that I had missed and take pictures of those that were in progress. I did pick up on Instagram what was happening elsewhere and there is a good record on many Insta micro-blogging sites.
Thoughts are not facts – @DFTE with the nearly finished mural.
If you want to follow some excellent street art photography, then Max Johnson @Moxsblag is a must. Her documentation of the artists is first class and very detailed. Another insta blogger is @Streetartuk2023. Again, nice photography and documentation.
Many thanks both to Andy for organising the festival and all those artists that allowed me to take photographs of their work. I hope that I have got all the credits right and apologise if there are mistakes. I am happy to amend when I have the necessary information. Please contact me via this website or @dammodammo if there is anything that I need to correct. The featured image at beginning of this blog was by @sam_art_34. BBC Gloucestershire did a feature on the return of the event prior to the festival.
Camera use for all pictures was with my Fujifilm x100v except for a couple of iPhone pics. The x100v was on aperture control and colour balance daylight. For the artists out there, I was the guy in the hat wandering around with the silver retro camera.
If you enjoyed this blog then here are my Street art walks around Digbeth, Leamington Spa and Bristol.
I enjoy a photographic walk with my Fujifilm x100v camera around the streets of Birmingham. The early hours are best when few people are around and about. This series of photographs begins at Eastside where the HS2 works are taking place. Digbeth was next and I returned to Birmingham along the canal exiting again near to the HS2 works.
Digging holes and barriers around HS2
What is there to tell you about my walk? No surprises, as building in Birmingham has not finished and HS2 is still digging and putting up barriers. I took a few pictures and was interested to see BBC midlands covering the HS2 disruption in the evening news. Why is HS2 taking so long and why is there so much disruption? I do get upset with the blasé way they are undertaking the HS2 works. I am sure it will look wonderful when finished but is it worth the upheaval and time taken. The latest BBC item puts HS2 under the spotlight.
Curson street station awaits a HS2 upgrade.The empty Woodman pub awaits customers but when will they return?
Digbeth was quiet for a Monday morning and since the pandemic there is less footfall during business hours. The nightlife is always busy but there is a definite change in activity during the day. My next observation is the encroachment of high rise living around Digbeth and the loss of character with the demolition and neglect of buildings.
Micheal Jackson on a furniture shop door.
There are several brownfield sites around the area that will become large skyscrapers. Other signs of change include the former Typhoo tea building which is starting to see activity around the relocation of the BBC to the building. Change may not always be positive and one of my pictures is outside what was the DigBrew entrance. Sadly this excellent brewery has ceased trading and artwork from the street artist Tempo33 marks the spot.
Don’t go there.The former Typhoo building soon to become the BBC Midlands Headquaters.Don’t park here.
There is much chaotic colour around the streets of Digbeth and the morning sun brings out the light and shadows. The canalside is another area in Digbeth that is changing with several buildings undergoing renovation. How this change will progress will be interesting to document in future months.
I’m late for an important date. (street art Tempo33)Colours stuck to a wall in Digbeth.Cryola’s wonderful street art is still attracting attention.Standing in Liverpool Street looking up Fazeley Street.Birmingham Canal Navigation through DigbethThe details under the Great Barr Street bridge.The Fox mural by Annatomix still impressesView of the canal buildings with Birmingham in the background.
My final picture was taken on my iPhone as I went past the Selfridges building. I went low and framed the iconic discs in the background. I was in luck as a woman walked past although she was confused by what I was doing. The picture turned out well but was also a reminder not to attract undue attention during my street photography.
The Selfridges Crossing.
Returning to the HS2 theme then there are more stories about the construction on my blog. I have been documenting 16 acre wood and the damage caused by HS2 around Balsall Common since 2020. Here is my account of this part of the HS2.
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.
Blue house Music.The colours are a-changing.
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.
Figure at the end of a green tunnel.Lost in colour.Street Art in the tunnel.Artistic detail.Get down low.
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.
Early morning in Utrecht.Another early morning view.Canal reflections.A nod to Greek architecture.Flowers, bikes and the canals.Canal scene in black and white.WindmillReal and unreal.Reflections.StreetlifeThe train station.More canal scenes in UtrechtThe Utrechts Conservatorium and part of the Utrecht School of the ArtsBiking over the canals of Utrecht.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.
The streets of Edinburgh lend themselves to street photography. The natural backdrop of old buildings and captivating views of the surrounding countryside help to frame the people as they go about their everyday life. The winter light is strong and directional. The stonework reflects the light and makes for some interesting pictures. Here is a selection for you to enjoy.
Light and shadows on the junction of Fleshmarket Close and Cockburn Street.Looking up both Cockburn St and Fleshmarket Street.In a rush for politics.The view over Holyrood to Arthur’s Seat.Waiting at the corner.Detail from the Royal MileWhose scooter is it?Old Infirmary LaneJacob’s ladder with Waverley in the background.Let us wait here forever. Calton Hill.
If you liked my take of the Streets of Edinburgh then please search for Street Photography in my blog. Here are a selection for you to look through and enjoy.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Another view of Floodgate Street with the Floodgate on the left.The link entrance to the Custard FactoryMiddle of the RoadCareful who you walk past.Walking past the Floodgate.
.
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.
The High Vis 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.
In ProgressDetailsAnnatomix at workPenguinFinal touchesColourful
The street art 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 art 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.
Redbull gapTaking offMind the gapTake a lookWatch out skaters aboutThe rail
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 High Vis event is organised by Graffiti Artist and I am already looking forward to the next event in 2023.
Tea WorksDiscussing techniquesTea WorksResident DJPenguinPlanning the next stepsDiscussions
I always enjoy visiting a new city and I was excited that such an opportunity arose through my research work. The City was Southampton. Arriving in the city via the train station, it is quickly apparent how much of it is new and there is little in the way of old pre-war structures. Blechynden Terrace is one of several reminders of the German Blitz during WWII. Whilst interesting, it was not in a great state and there was a large metal ring which held the wall together. The ring was a memorial to the past but the park was neglected and a refuge for the fringes of society rather than remembering the past.
The arch in Blechynden Gardens is a memorial to lives lost in the Blitz on Southampton.
The Southampton civic centre features on many photographs of the city. The buildings are set in a public area and serve several functions. I did not have time to visit inside the Civic centre and made my way around to the Guildhall Square. Next to the square there is what appears to be an old department store building called the St James Mathews Building. It is owned by Southampton Solent University and the part that I liked is all the Street Art on the outside of the building with some of it being very colourful.
Walking upwards to the Civic CentreGraffiti around the Solent University
I only had small parcels of time to get any photography done and, on the morning of the meeting, I got up very early and went down to the Mayflower Park to see which cruise ships were in. these floating cities are quite monstrous in real life, and one wonders how they float yet alone sail. My pictures show the Spirit of Adventure in the early morning light.
Spirit of Adventure in Southampton docks
The meeting finished early, and I had a few hours before the train home. I walked down Portland Terrace setting off from the Civic Centre. The street is very non-descript with a range of shops and facades that would make you think you could be in any city. I passed through Bargate and discovered more of the old city wall. There is the Arundel tower of the old city and the forty steps. I particularly liked the statue of one of the former mayors of the city looking over the old walls.
Passing through BargateLooking over the City walls.
The next point of call was the remnants of the old town and the Tudor House and the church of St Michael the Archangel. Another part of the old area of Southampton and although only small in area full of history. There was a passageway that led down to the Pig in the Wall pub and other interesting artwork including the outlines of merchant ships Western Esplanade and memorials of the voyage of the Mayflower. I was now back at Mayflower Park and saw another of the big ships was in with the Spirit of Adventure.
A view of the Church of St Micheal the Archangel from Tudor HousePig in the Wall pub set in the old City walls.A view through the misty afternoon from Mayflower ParkWatching the ships
Time to catch my train home and as I walked to the station, I passed derelict areas where planners of large shopping centres had not realised that a change of tastes and economy would make them quickly redundant. Southampton is a city to visit but it does portray a history of a changing city.
The demise of Toys R Us
Pictures were taken mainly with my Fujifilm x100v and Silver Efex was used for the black and white conversions.
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