The look of Hanoverian England - # 141/2011

Marble Hill House - classic 18th C England.  Night shot. 
 http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/marble-hill-house/

Bath - Pultney Bridge - # 139/2011

A short trip to Bath this week supporting club members presenting their panels to gain Licentiate of Royal Photographic Society distinction.  All three gained the Licentiate.

I took this night shot of the Pultney Bridge in Bath which, as many of you will know, is famous for its hot water springs enjoyed by the Romans:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset

Lamp light at Richmond Lock - # 105/2011

Night falls and the lamps at Richmond Lock light up.

Slack water - # 104/2011

Slack water - that period when the tide is neither flowing in nor out. The water becomes calm and the lighting effect becomes special.  The setting sun begins to flood the sky with remarkable colours that change by the minute. For about 20 minutes every photo will be different. The air is still. The scene holds its breath waiting for the night.

Night fall at Richmond Lock - ~ 103/2011

It's the time of year when night photography is getting interesting again thanks to the earlier hour and the rewarding bursts of colour in the sky.  I missed the sky. Was using a fixed focus lens, but my companion, using a lens with a wider angle got a similar but far better shot which included a magnificent red sky.

Anyway, as the lights come on, the lock head watch house takes on a magical appearance.

Menton Old Town - night - # 59/2011

A night-time foray up through the Old Town yielded this. (Not the finest of night time shots, but it still captures some of the atmosphere and the pleasing tonality of a night time-walk through the alleys - actually that's "climb" not walk.)

I've been neglecting the blog and my loyal "lurkers".  I'm quite precoccupied weeding and reorganising my photo collection and still trying to short out my strenuous physical exercise programme to try to overcome the limitations caused by my fall on the ice at Christmas 16 months ago.

Urban experience - # 40/2011

Once a royal hunting park where deer roamed, the "Old Deer Park" car park has few charms.  On the other hand, it does have a strange atmosphere as a piece of "Urban-Techno" art about it - at least, that is how it is at night. It conveys a strangely comfortable feeling of "cosy alienation". It somehow says "Yes, this is home.  Like me or loathe me, I'm yours".  I really have tried to do my best with it.

Muscat Moments 18 - # 14/2011

Sunset behind the mountains that cradle Mutrah, the port of Muscat. The fort and the watchtowers take on a special form.

Muscat Moments 17 - # 13/2011

Night shot of the Corniche at Mutrah, the Port of Muscat.

Muscat Moments 8 - # 4/2011

The Arabic arch and the long shady colonade set the scene for this "Happy Families" shot. An Omani family enjoy the cool late night air and are walking the colonade for pleasure. Typically, as far as it seems to me, the Father is carrying the baby, (or happily pushing the buggy). This night shot is hand-held so a bit skew-whiff, but nice nevertheless.  We are down in the old Muscat harbour area known as Mutrah; a fine natural anchorage used for millenia by sea-farers on the Indian and Arabian seas.  

When we walked on streets of gold - # 09/165

And do you remember when we walked on streets of gold?

Out late last night to photograph the party season crowd milling around the night club area.  The severe weather warning came true and left Trevor and me slaving over a freezing cold camera seeking sites that were a bit sheltered from the icey blast.  The car traffic was down to a miserable trickle and the bouncers were cowering in the entry doors.  Trevor struggled to keep the umbrella in a position where it shielded the lens, stayed out of shot, and was not at an angle that allowed the wind to catch it and whip it away.  Just remember one thing..........night shots are fun.  (Note and afterthought: wives were a bit quiet and unwelcoming when we finally got home. Must get to the bottom of that.)

Camera: Olympus E3. Fully Manual settings. ISO 100 f11.0 Shutter various around 3.5 to 10.0 secs.  Lens Olympus 14mm - 35mm f2.0.  White balance auto, tweaked later to slightly enhance blue and gold.  The B&W version lacks impact, so chose colour. 

Done and dusted - Baroque style - # 09/162

The toil of the last couple of weeks is done, and the great baroque house (1610) by the Thames is illuminated and decorated,  ready for its Christmas programme.  The Emperors around the wall seem to look satisfied with the treatment we've given them.

Here's a quick shot of the finished result, lights on for testing the effect, and last a minute check for correct alignment of the spot lamps, early this evening. Guests for the first evening programme will soon arrive.

Night time at Barnes Pond - # 09/152

The title speaks for itself.  The mediaeval riverside community of Barnes has a pond and an ancient church, many centuries old (and much re-built after ravages of fire and age).  The pond is surrounded by elegant late 19th century villas and the Sun Inn (a great "Bar Fly" venue) looks out towards the water.

Barnes now part of the Borough of Richmond and can be counted as part of London's great "Suburbia".  Is it nice in Barnes?  Again, let the photo speak.

Stop messing about! - # 09/151

You probably wish I would post some nice photos of the Borough of Richmond upon Thames, I can only assure you I'm keen to get back to that point.  But it's not always that simple.

Anyway, I took a friend out to Barnes Common to play about with some night photography.  Things got out of hand and we ended up messing about with the lighting along Barnes railway bridge across the Thames.  Sorry!

Urban landscape - # 09/124

The Charity Shop, The (benefit) Cheque Casher and the Bookmaker - # 08/291

The former investment banker at the far right seems to have taken up a strategic hedging position.

Superficial affluence - # 08/288

Photo from a country currently at war. I could add a few other things but that'll do for now.

Bentall's Centre, Kingston - # 08/286

I've been trying to capture a number of things by after dark photography. It's cold, and being down by the Thames, it's damp. Added to that, my "Best Boy and Grip" has got himself a consulting contract that has taken him off to Turkey, so I'm on my own in the cold, damp dark. Worse still...............the Bar Fly is now bereft of support!!!!!

I've also been asked to compile a "coffee table photo book" and this is taking a fair bit of time at the moment.

So, because I'm not producing anything on Richmond upon Thames DP that is in the slightest bit engaging, annoying or amusing at the moment, I think I must step back for while and re-group and rebuild my strength. I'll be back, but I'm not sure when. Thanks to all of you who have been such good companions.

Cold comfort - # 08/280

The dark river looks very forbidding and unattractive. The quayside is deserted, and the bright lights cry in vain trying to attract visitors to the restaurants and bars. Some will come a little later in the evening, but it's mid-week, and quite cold in that sort of damp unpleasant North-East Wind kind of way that you get used to if you are British.

If you are not sure what a North-East Wind is like, find the city of Hull on the map, and go there in winter. The wind blows straight out of the arctic and bites you in half. It's good for your moral fibre. Eskimos will understand.

Rushing homeward - # 08/279

Just a snap looking from Kingston Bridge (one of the oldest bridge crossings over the Thames - even a Roman bridge? I must check it.) towards the centre. As you know I generally don't "do" people, but I like to show an ordinary street scene now and then. As a town with both a university and higher education colleges Kingston has a large population of youngsters around about. It's also a major retail shopping centre. The street scene reflects all this.