One Way Photoblog

These two paintings are by my friend Scott Turp, and are shown on display at last night’s opening of the Untitled 3 exhibition at the Candid Arts Trust in Angel, Islington. The exhibition runs all weekend and features contemporary work by ten artists.

I am trying to avoid Photoshop work on my images, but on this occasion I had to clone out the corner of a small table that was unavoidably creeping into the image in the bottom left corner. This is the original:

Canon 400D, 1/60sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600, focal length 41mm

I shot this unconventional no-entry sign at Farringdon station, London, yesterday.

Canon 400D, 1/60sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, focal length 64mm

Another one from Chinatown London earlier this week.

Canon 400D, 1/100sec, f/6.3, ISO 200, focal length 24mm

I was attracted to the bright colours of these window displays in a Chinatown London food store yesterday. Three separate shots of the same store.

All Canon 400D, ISO 200
Top: 1/100sec, f/7.1, focal length 47mm; Centre: 1/125sec, f/8, focal length 38mm; Bottom: 1/100sec, f/7.1, focal length 57mm

This shot of an office building reflected in another office building was taken on my way to work through the City yesterday morning.

Canon 400D, 1/200sec, f/10, ISO 200, focal length 44mm

A nice colourful image for a Monday morning. This is detail from one of Dale Chihuly’s glass sculptures at his Gardens of Glass exhibition at Kew Gardens, London, about 18 months ago.

Canon Ixus 500, 1/80sec, f/4, focal length 15mm

I know shots of graffiti are a bit of a photoblog cliché, but I do like this monkey face painted on the side of a building off Tottenham Court Road, London. And besides, it was chucking it down Friday lunchtime and I didn’t want to spend too long walking around.

Canon 400D, 1/50sec, f/5.6, ISO 800, focal length 47mm

With England’s football team playing an important qualifying game today, I thought this image of a north London pub would be appropriate. I took it last summer during the World Cup, and for me it just about sums up the sad, forlorn optimism of England’s football fans.

Canon 300D, 1/500sec, f/16, ISO 400, focal length 60mm

This is the H&M store at Oxford Circus, London, yesterday lunchtime. I waited ages for somebody colourful and interesting to pass by; as soon as I left three old ladies walked past and would have been perfect. Anyway, I think this is the best of the shots that I did get. The lady in the middle is throwing down bread to attract pigeons, by the way.

Canon 400D, 1/100sec, f/7.1, ISO 400, focal length 31mm

Today’s image shows part of the ongoing demonstration on the pavement opposite the Chinese Embassy in central London, in protest at the Chinese government’s suppression of Falun Gong. The person in the shot is meditating.

Canon 400D, 1/200sec, f/10, ISO 400, focal length 70mm

This image, taken today, shows some of the continuing renovation work on the outside of the St Pancras Channel Tunnel Rail Link terminus in north London. It’s due to open in November this year.

Canon 400D, 1/100sec, f/6.3, ISO 100, focal length 24mm

I spotted this discarded Lyons Maid ice-cream freezer in a central London street today.

Canon 400D, 1/100sec, f/7.1, ISO 400, focal length 44mm

On the weekend, I went down to Old Leigh in Essex with a couple of friends, with the intention of shooting some of the boats and landscapes. However, the weather forecasts were completely wrong and it was very overcast so the only interesting shot I got was of these blackboards at a fish stall. Being out of season, the stall was closed and so the menu is empty.

Canon 400D, 1/60sec, f/5, ISO 100, focal length 47mm

I shot this Mothers’ Day window display last week. I’ve no idea why a French deli in England (the Villandry in central London) uses the word ‘Mom’ — surely it should be either ‘Maman’ or ‘Mum’? I like the reflections in the window and the guy in the shop looking for a present. Unfortunately I just cut the top of the ‘L’ off of ‘Love’

After I shot it, I was looking on the internet for other examples of glass reflections and found this great gallery by Marie-Jose Wolff.

Happy Mothers’ Day!

Canon 400D, 1/25sec, f/4, ISO 800, focal length 29mm

There are now thousands of surveillance cameras in the UK, watching your every move. I snapped this one on the Euston Road, London, yesterday lunchtime.

Canon 400D, 1/80sec, f/16, ISO 100, focal length 70mm

Las Fallas is also a very religious festival. Members of all the local communities dress up in their best traditional costumes and parade through the city bearing carnations. Each of these seemingly never-ending processions arrives at the Basilica in the Plaza de la Virgen where the flowers are offered to volunteers. They are then used to cover a huge pre-constructed wooden framework, turning it into a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary. For more details, see the ValenciaValencia.com website, under ‘Offering of the Flowers’.

Most of the traditional costumes are very colourful and elaborate, but this woman’s costume struck me as being very sombre. I like the simple pose and her contemplative mood - her group are preparing to set out on their flower-offering parade through the city.

Canon 300D, 1/320sec, f/6.3, ISO 400, focal length 300mm

I also liked the compostion of this shot, but unfortunately I had the subject out of focus.

Should I post candid images?
I don’t often take candid shots and so wondered about whether I should post this image. Since I’m not using it for profit, and since she’s taking part in a public parade, I decided that there wasn’t any ethical or legal problem in posting it. I’ve seen lots of other photoblogs that post candid images. If you have any thoughts, please post a comment below…

Another Beatles/Sixties-inspired falla at last year’s festival.

Canon 300D, 1/160sec, f/9, ISO 100, focal length 25mm

Whilst a bullfight is something that personally I would never go to see, it is a big part of Valencian life, and Las Fallas in particular. I took this shot of people queuing to buy their Plaza de Toros tickets at last year’s festival.

Canon 300D, 1/100sec, f/8, ISO 400, focal length 47mm

Peace-loving hippies George and Osama were probably the most photographed ninots at last year’s Fallas festival, especially as they formed part of the main falla in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. This is just a small detail from the falla itself, which was based on the John Lennon song ‘Imagine’.

My shot is not particulary original; I’ve shot it from the same angle as practically everybody else, but I do like it anyway.

Canon 300D, 1/60sec, f/4, ISO 400, focal length 22mm, cropped

All day long at Las Fallas, bangers and crackers of various descriptions explode in the streets all around you. These two children were completely engrossed with their mini bangers.

Canon 300D, 1/250sec, f/8, ISO 400, focal length 100mm

Another ninot from one of last year’s Fallas. I think this is Poseidon, god of the seas.

Canon 300D, 1/60sec, f/4, ISO 400, focal length 28mm

This man was dressed in traditional outfit, and was proudly watching his local neighbourhood ‘mascleta’ with his two daughters. La mascleta is a huge daytime display of firecrackers and bangers, hence the white smoke in front of them.

Canon 300D, 1/60sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, focal length 55mm

More detail from one of the ninots at Las Fallas. I like the juxtaposition of the giant bird with the building.

Canon 300D, 1/200sec, f/10, ISO 400, focal length 54mm

Around this time every year, Las Fallas festival takes place in Valencia, Spain. Each neighbourhood of the city spends months designing and constructing a ‘falla’ - large, colourful papier-mâché statues that represent a theme, often satirising politicians or celebrities. In the days leading up to 19th March, these are placed around the streets of the city for people to admire, and on the last night they are set on fire and burnt to the ground in what is known as the ‘cremà’. Only the winning falla is spared each year.

Huge fireworks and pyrotechnic displays accompany the festival fortnight - taking place at all times of day and night - as well as numerous parades and religious celebrations.

More information about this year’s festival can be found on the Fallas official website.

Las Fallas is a photographer’s dream… light, colour, fire, and lots of people. Last year I was lucky enough to spend some time there, so over the next few days I’ll be posting one image a day to coincide with this year’s festivities…

This ‘ninot’ (character) is detail from one of the fallas at last year’s festival.

Canon 300D, 1/125sec, f/5.6, ISO 100, focal length 41mm

Just lately I have been having a good look around the internet at other people’s photoblogs and galleries. It’s made me jealous because my shots are nowhere near as good, but it does give me some encouragement and incentive to keep going!

Here are just three shots I liked… Winter City, Red Coat and Swiss Re Tower.
And I love this simple opportunist shot (Multicolore) — it just goes to show that you need to carry your camera all the time, just in case.

Also have a look at Wendy O’s gallery — I have added a link on the right. I especially like the Mexico and Ecuador shots.