Richmond Bridge - # 78/2011

Looking through the arches of Richmond Bridge up-river towards Petersham Meadows.  Nothing execeptional in this scene - it's just an everyday sight for those fortunate enough to live here.

Multi-coloured Spontaneous Art Installation - # 68/2011

The painter's trestle in the boat-building yard at Richmond Bridge might do well in a gallery for expensive "modern" art. 

Textures - # 27/10

Richmond Bridge in June sunshine.

A Chaos of Chairs - # 24/10

I won't bore you with too many chairs, but I like the patterns and the tones.  The riverside terrace at Richmond Bridge is such a fine place to just sit and watch, and let the thoughts wander.

A Congress of Chairs - # 23/10

We seem to be stuck on the theme of places to sit.  Anyway, Freefalling of Australia will probably be pleased to see this. Glorious day, and I managed to stagger about in Richmond for a bit.  This is the terrace outside Tide Tables Cafe (again: and always great for a good photo).

Camera: Olympus C7070 wz

Boats to build - # 09/72

Skilled craftsman at work building a new, traditional design, wooden sailing vessel at Richmond Bridge. Go along and see this special boat. It's almost finished.

Boats for Hire - # 09/71

This week-end "the Season" begins in earnest. The Cricket, the Flat-Racing, the Tennis, the Open-Air Concerts, the Rowing Regattas, the Sailing, the Strawberries on the Lawn, the Broad-Brimmed Frilly Hats, "Sell in May and Go Away".

Boats ready and waiting down by Richmond Bridge, resting in the sunshine.

Grey days in Richmond upon Thames - # 09/26

When the cloud cover is constant, day after day, with no dawn and no sunset, and no feature in the cloudscape - just a flat grey - you must experiment and make the best of it.

Looking towards Richmond Bridge from Petersham Meadows we at least get a shine on the water as it tries to reflect the featureless sky, and the lens picks out the distant bridge and puts some texture into the water.

It's late afternoon. There should be a fine sunset from behind me; but there ain't.

Camera: Olympus E3 Lens: Olympus 14-35 1:2

The pleasure of living in a northern clime - # 08/293

Bright river, bright party, grey day. Tea for three by the river Thames in Richmond at Christmas.

Sunset, Richmond upon Thames - # 08/267

Every 90 seconds a plane lands at Heathrow (LHR). It was there, so I leave it there. No Photoshop for me.

Late evening produces a dramatic sunset over the river Thames. The railway bridge is just visible in the background.

Richmond Bridge under grey November skies - # 08/261

Well, we go from Birkett-Foster ( http://www.postershop.co.uk/Birkett-Foster-M/Birkett-Foster-M-Richmond-Hill-Surrey-2501391.html ) and my interpretation of his "Richmond Hill" - (thank you Richard of Zurich: I do indeed sometimes kid myself that I am a far better artist - Tee Hee!) - to this view, equally true, but on another day and looking East towards the old bridge (1778) and Richmond Hill instead of West from the top of The Hill.

The spectacular sunset and reflections on the water, yesterday, were indeed real, just as the grey overcast here, today, is real.

The "fault" in yesterday's splendid artefact is a degree of "over-sharpening". I was playing in my trial version of Adobe Lightroom 2.1 - a magnificent archiving and post-processing tool. But in spite of the over sharpening, the rest, colour, sunset, general scene are REAL!!! How lucky I am to live here.

Boat builder's paradise - # 08/180

The little workshop complex under Richmond Bridge always provides good material.

The little rowing boat seems to be a camping set-up with iron hoops to take the canvass cover at night. By the way: skiff camping on the upper reaches of the Thames from Oxford down to Hampton Court (a nice long skiff used as a tented sleeper overnight) - just like in Jerome K. Jerome's "Three Men in a Boat" - is still popular and a great way to experience the "real Thames".

Worth getting up in the morning for - # 08/169

Life is never simple and straight forward, but having a work shop like this and a job where you spend all day making useful things in wood must give you a big incentive to get up in the morning and go to work. (The boatbuilder's shed under Richmond Bridge. The colour is a bit odd because of the lighting).

Hand made boats made of wood availaible here - # 08/159

The boat builders who inhabit the arches under and around Richmond Bridge are alive and well.

I can never resist snapping this Aladdin's Cave whenever the door is open.

Another Springtime view - # 08/70

The terrace in front of Tide Tables Cafe seen from the parapet of Richmond Bridge. General O'Higgins the Chilean hero is just out of sight on the left. In an hour's time this terrace will be full.

Brilliant Friday - # 08/68

The images captured last Friday are too good to waste, so for the next day or two I'll be alternating between glorious Friday and grey, wet Saturday. (I didn't bother with snowy Sunday). This shot was taken from Richmond Bridge looking down-river. The steamer is one of many, and the umbrellas shade the tables of a terrace cafe.

The warmest January day on record - # 362

......and I think the day after was even slightly warmer.

You've seen this view from a different angle on a more sunny day. It's immediately outside Tidetables Cafe.

Over the next couple of days I will post some shots of the huge trees that grow around here (probably so old that even Karl Moritz saw them in 1782 when they were very small), and there might even be a few more people...something rarely seen in my photography.

Although the weather was very cloudy and appeared very grey, there was an enormous amount of light. For Ming the Merciless in New York, here is information on the White Balance...I set the camera on Cloudy and tweaked this setting to increase the red tone by one extra tick - I have the technology ;-). I under-exposed by -0.3 EV because the light level seemed so high. (No doubt the picture would have looked good even without all this clever fiddling...but it gives a nerd something to do).

Camera: Olympus C7070 WZ

Warm reflections - # 361

Tidetables Cafe inside an arch of Richmond Bridge is a warm and popular haunt.
I've featured it before, but could not resist this new image showing the busy welcoming interior and the reflections of the riverside houses.

Camera: Olympus C7070 WZ

Richmond Bridge, night, cold, calm - # 328

A "less often seen" night-time view of the bridge (built 1778). Often the river is surging through the arches but this time, calm weather and probably "slack water" at the turn of the tide, it is as calm as a mill pond.
About a week ago Richard at http://zurich.dailyphoto.forthmedia.com/dailyphoto/index.cfm posted a fine photo of Venice at night in which the street lamps displayed a simple and very attractive star effect. Here we also have a pleasing star burst inside a very distinct hallow bubble. Is this the effect of the camera lens, or the lens covering on the lanterns? Is it an accident, or is it the result of careful research by lighting engineers for the benefit of car drivers?

Calmer waters - # 292

We're still on the theme of "looking at things from a different angle" (it's a bit strained, I know; but this City Daily Photo thing is a tough task, especially when you are desperately trying to adapt a shrinking archive until you can get out to take a whole new series).

Here's a "less photographed view" of the excellent White Cross Inn seen from the Twickenham side looking through the arch of Richmond Bridge. Most people congregate around the White Cross and the other establishments along the Richmond bank.

It's a calm and soothing riverside scene. Compare it with my shot taken last March showing the river ripping through the arches of the bridge.

http://richmonduponthamesdailyphoto.blogspot.com/2007/03/tidal-rip-45.html