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Photographing Bristol

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I was invited to Bristol to give a talk to a National Dental Society.  I was looking forward to the visit as I had not spent much time in Bristol in the past and I knew that I would have some opportunity to look around the City after my talk.  I arrived in Bristol Temple Meads station and it is the imposing station roof that immediately catches the eye.  I spent some time taking pictures at the start and end of my visit.  The station has lots of character together with obliging passengers who set off the backdrop to the station.

Bristol Temple Meads

The talk was in the Watershed a cinema theatre and it is in the heart of the Bristol docklands.  The interaction of people with bridges, water and architecture caught my eye and as it had been raining there was some puddle reflections opportunities.  

Puddle Reflections
Bikes on the Docks

I liked the “we are curious” sphere that was near to the docklands and on my walk back to the hotel.  The hotel was in Clifton and to reach it there was an uphill walk.  It did not prove too strenuous but again there were many camera opportunities.  On the river I passed by the SS Great Britain.  I started to get a glimpse of the graffiti street art that adorns some of the Bristol streets. I enjoy street art but realise it is not to everyone’s taste.  Some of the artwork is intricate, colourful and often has a great message to put across.  The streets on the way to Clifton have interesting buildings.   It is the setting of the houses in the Georgian to the Regency style.  The hills surrounding the town provide the backdrop with the buildings following the curves and undulations of the geography.

Bristol Docks
We are Curious – Science Exhibition
SS Great Britain
Interesting Street Art on the way to Clifton
Bristol Architecture
A church on the hill
A single chair, many house
My destination for the night in Clifton
Categories blog

GWA

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

The Great Western Arcade is situated near Snow Hill Station and in the morning is a throughway through to other parts of the city. It is lit up to show the different shops that are in the arcade. In the morning Greggs attracts many people to its store. There are lovely smells of fresh bread from the No1 the Bread collection. There is also the colour of Miss Macaroon. I loved the guy in glasses cleaning the opticians windows. The wedding dress shop window dressing is lovely but the passerby is more intent on her mission to get to work. The arcade is a reflection of the history, the present and the future of Birmingham.


Categories blog

The Birmingham Oratory

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I have never been inside The Birmingham Oratory during my time in Birmingham. This is surprising given that I am a Catholic and visited several churches around the West Midlands. Therefore I was very pleased that one of my photographic friends Kevin Maslin had arranged with Brother Zechariah of the Oratory to hold a photographic meeting there. It was under the Brumtograpahy meeting group. I will have a separate post on that in later weeks.

It was a cold rainy day when we arrived at the Oratory and there were 10 enthusiastic photographers all ready to go. The Cloisters outside the Church were interesting to photograph and immediately you could sense St Cardinal Newman’s presence in the statues around the outside of the church. When I got my first glimpse of the interior it was with excitement and awe. The church is in an Italian style and the light streams accentuate the high domed ceiling and the numerous side alters.

There was a christening taking place so whilst that was taking place, I took the opportunity to visit the Cardinal Newman museum. There were relics and momentoes of his time in Birmingham. His chalice and Cardinal’s hat. I did have the pleasure of visiting Univeristy College Dublin Newman House, located at 85–86 St. Stephen’s Green a few years ago and it was interesting to link these to his activity in Birmingham. I found some of the exhibits really fascinating including a wig of his hair, following his illness with Cholera. The picture depicting him talking in the centre of Birmingham caught my attention and I loved it that he could hold an audience with his wit as an orator. His glasses and various letters were on display. It is a very personal and engaging museum.

We also toured the vestry where the priests get ready before mass. The Cardinal Newman chapel was bright and colourful.

The oratory is beautiful and I took so many pictures using a full repertoire of cameras. Wide and telephoto lenses. I included my lens ball as well in the pictures.

Categories blog

Photographing London

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I travelled down to London to undertake a PhD examination viva for an academic colleague and friend.  I planned to arrive an hour early as the venue was Kings College.  The area between Kings College and the Shard has become very photogenic.  It is a mixture of new buildings and old buildings.  Many of the older buildings have been repurposed and turned into shops and restaurants.  The day was cold but very bright with the sun shinning.  In spite of the harsh shadows it was possible to get some interesting pictures.  I had my Canon D4 and my trusty 24-105mm lens.  It is a heavy combination but it feels very comfortable in the hand.  I also used my iPhone Pro 11.  BBC London featured my picture of the Walkie Talkie with the Guns of HMS Belfast trained upon it.  

Shard and a bus
The shard between buildings
A range of architecture
More of the shard
When I worked in London the Shard was not there!

I walked past Hay’s Galleria onto City Hall then past Tower Bridge.  I had not visited the Shad Thames street before and found that interesting for photographing.

Playing in the water fountains
The Tower of London
Light and Shadow
Vista of Canary Wharf
Vista of the North Bank
Tower Bridge

The light created some great shadows for the landscape photography and there were many photographs that I was very happy with.  My hands were frozen by the time I reached the restaurant but it was well worth it.

Propeller
Mooring
Chains
Anchor
Old Docklands
Criss cross pathways
Categories blog

A Glorious Day

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

Saturday was a glorious day so I ventured further afield to one of the Warwickshire country parks.  The one I was interested in was Burton Dassett Hills Country Park. There was no sign of the impending Storm Ciara and the skies were clear.  When I got to the park, I was a little annoyed as the payment machines took my £2.50 but did not give me a ticket to display in the car.  It happened last time I was there as well.  It just unsettles me but I put a note in the windscreen and set off with my camera and tripod.  Why I bothered with the tripod I do not know and I guess it just feels comfortable holding it.  I never used it as the light was very strong.  I brought my camera rucksack with all my filters and other lenses and the only item I used was a polariser that I put on the 24 to 105mm lens.  I do like this lens.  It is heavy but it does produce wonderful results.  I have really worked it in recent days especially as my Sony Compact has started to really play up on me.  

The sun was bright and it created lovely contrast of the underrating hill tops

The light was fantastic but I could see the impending weather change in the west and therefore I moved briskly around the park.  Burton Dassett Hills Country Park has an interesting history which dates back to Saxon times.  There has been a windmill on the site until just after the war.  The hill tops are uneven and with the strong light there were some wonderful shadows to be photographed.  It was very windy but not too cold.  Some of the hills required a strenuous ascent and writing the blog today my legs and other muscles below the waist are very sore.  

There are several high hills to climb and explore

I enjoyed the views and also taking photographs of several silhouettes of people walking along the hills.  I did not get a chance to go to the church but that will be my goal for my next visit.  Overall I was very pleased with myself and thought my photographs were looking good.  

The structures are interesting and can be seen for miles around
The sides of the hill still have the scars of the old Saxon style farming methods
Climbing the hills

I knew I was near to Chesterton Windmill and I did not want to miss the opportunity of not getting a quick picture of the magical place.  I set off and saw that the weather was turning.  There was less blue skies and more dark clouds coming in.  I took a cross country route to the Windmill and as I approached cracks appeared in the crowds letting rays of sun through.  I rushed to park the car and raced to the Windmill.  Two sets of sunrays were bathing the sails and it looked to my eye as a great opportunity.  Then indecision set in.  How should I  position the Windmill against the sunrays.  I tried several vantage points before the scene changed and I had to go back to my car to get my phone that I had left on the dashboard.  When I returned the cloud formation had really changed.  I took a few more shots and got home.

Sun rays coming through the sky

Burton Dassett Hills Country Park pictures looked great on the Mac and I tidied them up.  Imagine my surprise when I saw the Windmill pictures they looked amazing.  However I posted the Burton Dassett Hills Country Park pictures and left the others to the morning.  Even then I asked Sandy what she thought of them.  I was thinking everyone has seen a picture of the windmill before, this one will be no different.  When I posted the picture Instagram went crazy and scored many “likes”.  I have a slightly different edit for #WexMondays and I will see how that performs.  As it happens the Burton Dassett Hills Country Park ones did well on Flickr.

People around the Windmill add some interest to the pictures

A good day for photographing and I would never have guessed that I would come back with such a story about the pictures that I took.  

My Instagram picture

Epilogue for the Geeks out there.  Pictures taken on the Canon D4 with a 24-105mm lens.  All the pictures were taken on manual and the Lightroom/Photoshop was my normal run through.  Maybe that is another blog on how I process my pictures.

Categories blog

Festival of Light

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

Over the last week of January the Bull Ring area of Birmingham held a Festival of Light. There were several themed light shows and shoppers flocked to the display. There was a Chinese New Year display but I was unable to get to see that particular event. I did see the display over three nights on my way back from work. Taking photographs was not easy due to the number of people around the event and I was by myself. It did mean I could not do any particularly good selfie photographs. I took different cameras to the event and needed to rely on a high ISO as no tripods were allowed near the interactive exhibits. The light show also was either very bright such as the Neon Angel Wings or unpredictable in when the lights came on. It required a lot of anticipation on the part of the photographer.

There were five installations

Talk to the sky – This was in St Martin’s Square and similar to all the others was interactive in nature. When you talk to the lights your voice is converted into light and sound pulses that were sent up into space.

With Love – This was a bright red inflatable heart that senses the light, the temperature and the atmospheric pressure around it, and turns into a red heartbeat with sounds.

Neon Angel Wings – This installation was designed by the neon light artist, Carla O’Brien. It consisted of a pair of neon wings where you could get a selfie taken. It was a very bright installation and tricky to photograph.

Pulse – St Martin’s Walk up to Rotunda square had a series of circular structures that you were able to walk through. As you did there was an electronic sound track with a pulsing light

Birds Fly Around With You – This final light show in Rotunda Square was an interactive flock of birds. When you entered the circle then the birds starting to light up and fly around you in a circle.

Categories blog

Digbeth lights

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

Digbeth is the new Shoreditch is a saying on the Internet.  I have not been to Shoreditch for a long time and I know that Digbeth is modelled on itself not on any other town or city.  It has been a while since I had been to Digbeth. Furthermore, I wanted to get there early so that I could see the pretty street lighting that I often see from the train in the morning.  The cultural centre of Digbeth is the former Bird’s Custard Factory which was always awash with light. Now the surrounding roads such as Floodgate Street and Lower Trinity Street have street lighting that criss-crosses the road.  It gives a nice effect and entices the visitor into the area to discover more about the charms of Digbeth.

Grafitti is a feature of Digbeth
Floodgate Street – Under the arch down the Road
Robots on the wall
A puddle reflection in Floodgate Street

I took my Canon camera with wide lens with me and also had my iPhone and Sony compact.  The streets were relatively quiet with a few early workers out and about.  I took a selection of pictures including the graffiti and the lights.  I even walked into the centre of the Custard Factory to look at the sculptures and art work.  It is always a rewarding experience moving around Digbeth during the early hours.

This way to the Custard Factory
Smoking on the walls in Lower Trinity Street
Early workers at the Custard Factory
More lights in the square
It’s raining people
Art on display
Ranking Roger
Art and food and a bike
The Cat and the Mouse – who will win?
Categories blog

#wexmondays

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I am very pleased as one of my pictures featured in the wexmondays shortlist (January 21st 2020). This weekly competition requires you to tweet just one image that was taken in the previous seven days. You need to use the #wexmondays hashtag.

I have been attempting to get onto the shortlist for the last 3 years with little success. My image was neither a milky long exposure nor was it a spectacular landscape photograph. I quietly dispaired that I would ever reach the dizzy heights of being shortlisted. In my line of work, I know that you have to have lots of perseverance and keep putting the work in and perfecting your photographs. It is not easy and many times I have thought of giving up. Therefore today I am very happy to be shortlisted for #wexmondays and will bask in the glory for a couple of days. However I know that you are only as good as your last photograph and so I will try again to see if I can get on the coveted shortlist. I hope you enjoy the photograph as well.

Categories blog

Selfridges Study

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

I was in transit from work in the City centre back to my Pebble Mill base. It was a glorious day and before jumping on the bus, I decided to go to Selfridges and see if there were any good shots of the Birmingham Icon, Selfridges.

Black and white suits this photograph
(You can see a missing disc which has been a recent problem with the structure)

There are two entrances that overlook St Martin’s church and I approached the deck around the upper one. I immediately noticed the puddles and then the bright sun. I knew that there would be some good pictures to be had. The pictures are a mixture of my Sony and the iPhone. As you will gather the iPhone gave the best picture as it was possible to get the lens down close to the water in the puddle. It only took a few minutes but the sun and the puddles combined to give a great set of photographs.

The clouds add mystery to the picture
Some great reflections in the puddles
Discs rising out off the ground
The iPhone picture that went mad on my social media
Categories blog

Under Snow Hill Station

by Damien Walmsley Posted on

You will have gathered that one of my favourite places is the area under the arches of Snow Hill Station.  I usually get to wander around Birmingham early in the morning and I finds this time the most inspiration for photographing Birmingham.  I planned my visit by not getting off the train at Moor Street but waiting till Snow Hill.  I then used the Livery Sgreet entrance and made my way down to the arches.  The city council have installed lights that illuminate the subterranean space.

There are gated arches overlooking the canal where I presume they used to keep horses.  The iron gates are designed with bars that create geometric patterns as they are lit from the inside.  The light casts interesting shadows onto the wide tow path by the canal.  

A cyclist makes their way through the area which resembles a giant eye.

To access the area, there is a unique white iron staircase that leads down to the tow path.  It is very quiet there in the morning and in spite of the bright lights you do feel quite vulnerable.  There are the occasional runners and cyclists who make their way through the area.  There are also commuters starting to pass over the bridge that crosses the canal.  The area has graffiti and evidence of habitation by homeless people.  

On one wall is the word ORALE which someone explained to me is an exclamation in Spanish which is used to express approval or encouragement.  Very fitting for the scene that greets you in the morning.

The word ORALE

Down to Photography maters.  I had my normal camera set with me.  I carry my iPhone for the quick picture and also my Sony DSC-RX100M5 camera which is very quick.  I generally have my Sony on a program stetting to ensure that I get a quick picture.  I do use on manual when I am after slow motion pictures but the program feature is very useful.  For this morning, I also had my Canon 6D with a prime 40mm lens attached.  This provides a crisper picture and brings out more detail.  

Having said that the iPhone and Sony do produce some very good quality pictures in their own right.  The prime lens makes me move around and this makes me “see” different views and angles.  The Sony has a flip screen and this helps with those shots where I need to get down low.  Not only do my bones creak nowadays but the tow path floor is dirty and muddy.  I moved out to get a picture of the total reflections and it did give the appearance of a large eye. 

The larger picture of the area

A nice set of photographs which gave many people much enjoyment when seeing them on my social media channels.  Always worth a look and the post code is B3 1HA if you wish to visit yourself.

Finally the cover picture was selected for England’s Big Picture which was a nice conclusion of my early morning visit to this interesting place.

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