Gherkin on Flickr.
A few years ago I published a shot which I entitled Finally - the Gherkin - it had taken me ages to get a shot that I really liked. The building is wonderful its shape so curvaceous - but its this very shape that made it so difficult to shoot. The shot was straight up to the top with the clouds whizzing over head. I was really pleased to get the shot. But over time I’ve looked at it and grown to think that the shot really didn’t do the building justice - it didn’t show off the beauty. So since then I’ve hunted all over the city for that view - and I’d pretty much given up it just didn’t exist. That was until recently (well earlier this year) when a view opened up as the ever changing cityscape devoured another nondescript 60s building to be replaced - well by another probably nondescript office block. I’ve no idea how long this view will last below and the right the construction is well under way (one of the reasons for the long exposure) - but for now its there - I feel this shows off why I like the building so much.
weltschmerz 2 on Flickr.
More from my angst project. This is the Shard - 5 exposures all in camera on a single frame. Its shot in the fog which seem to be perfect conditions for multi-exposures. I’m still learning about multi exposure photography of what works and what doesn’t - I’ve had some preconceived ideas about what should work - but having taken the shots they just don’t - More London is a good case in point. Anyway will be carrying on with this for a little while and see where it takes me.
Inauguration on Flickr.
I’m pleased to announce that this shot was ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges of the Take a View - Landscape Photographer of the Year 2012 competition in the Urban Category. Hugely chuffed about this. It’s going to be on display as a printed copy at the National Theatre in London from the 12th November until the 12th January 2013. The shot also appeared in yesterdays Sunday Times - which is just fabulous - over the moon.
Apparently the book is out already - I haven’t seen a copy - but judging from the shots in the Times yesterday its going to be fabulous - some really amazing shots - very much looking forward to seeing them.
As for the shot - well this was pretty much the last shot before my ill fated trip to the bottom of the Thames on the Shard’s Inauguration night, so its the last shot I have with my D300 - which was smashed up in the fall. It was taken from across the river - slightly elevated along with hundreds of other photographers - I was surprised at just how many had turned out - it seems such a long time ago now.
weltschmerz on Flickr.
Something of a different architectural style to my usual shots. This was an attempt to portray how I felt at the time - and to be honest how I’ve felt for much of the year this year. The shot is an in-camera multi exposure shot comprising of 6 frames.
spheres on Flickr.
A long time since I posted here, loads happening, but this structure really caught my eye at the olympic park. The sun lit up those curves against an intensely dark blue sky
Laban Dance Centre on Flickr.
This is a shot of the Trinity Laban Dance Centre in Deptford London. I’m pleased to announce this along with 3 other shots have been featured in the August Edition of Black+White Magazine here in the UK. Its out on the shelves on Thursday 12th July 2012.
The shot is a two shot panorama taken back in January on a bright crispy wintery morning
Inner Dock on Flickr.
Canary Wharf across Millwall Inner Dock taken early one morning on the way to work. Hadn’t planned on shooting really just had my camera with me and as I walked by the clouds just seem to be in the perfect direction so just had to shoot. Plenty of time before I had to be at work too.
This is a vertorama 2 landscape shots stitched to form a square, both heavily vertically corrected
b e z i e r on Flickr.
Taken from Old Street Station looking up at the apartments of the Bezier. For nearly 18 months I worked 5 offices down from this - and still occasionally visit that office and yet I never really took any shots of it - I could never get the composition I liked. I went back a few weekends ago and immediately saw the angles I’d been looking for - as I said recently over on Google+ - its that old adage that familiarity breeds contempt - and this is a case of walking away and coming back to the subject.
This was shot mid afternoon with the sun having burnt most of the clouds away - but the scene came alive - for me anyway.
After work on Flickr.
I think I’ve said in the past that I’ve started to take my camera to work most days now. Its a bit of a heavy lump when you include camera, a couple of lenses, tripod, filters, remote shutter etc etc - plus work gear too - laptop books etc. I started doing this towards the end of last year (bought a manfrotto bag so it all fits neatly inside tripod included). At first I wondered whether it was worth it, but I soon realised it certainly was. I can now jump on the earliest train and if the weathers right (read fog at the moment) I can shoot for 30 minutes or so and still be in work for 8am, and then after work I can get another hour or so - but its all dependent upon conditions and being ready.
So this is an example of such a shot - taken last week after work. I hadn’t planned specifically on shooting but as I left work the conditions were pretty perfect, so I wandered round the corner to shoot canary wharf reflected in the water at Blackwall Basin. I’ve been to this location countless times and have this shot in just about every condition - but this one is the best to date. It was also my first outing with my ND106 and I have to say its great. Many times in the past I’ve wanted to flatten the water but at dusk the 10 stopper was too much I’d tried upto 20 minutes but never happy with the results and then stacking 0.9 and 0.6 but this wasn’t enough - but the 6 stopper gave me 2 minutes at f6.3 - perfect.
Number 7 Revisited on Flickr.
And my last shot of 2011, this is Number 7 More London Riverside - the same building as my previous post - just to provide a little bit of context. This is 2 landscape shots stitched to create a vertorama so that the verticals could be corrected.
