Watery bits… and Somerset House
I seem to be into watery elements right now (not that I’ll ever tire of clouds and skies!)
I got to visit the Sony World Photography Awards at Somerset House, London last Thursday with a friend.
After what seemed like hours of eye strain looking at some great work of professionals and amateurs (amateur level is scarily high!) we sat outside enjoying the sunshine… and the water spouts.
Last time we were at Somerset house there were many many metal flowers but this time water spouts that went through a cycle of lowering/rising, stopping and starting etc so I tried taking some photos… I ended up with a rather wet leg.
These were taken in Henley-on-Thames – another part of the Thames or any river for that matter, always draws me close!
I came across the weir at Hambleden Lock which had some interesting flowing of water… from rapid flows to shallow and flowing over steps…
I kept the colour is this one as the green is a great colour…
I have a lot more photographs from the visit but I have a backlog in personal photography projects right now.
It is very frustrating… I do like to go through any images I’ve taken straight away but when you have work and other things to do it can be awhile… then of course you take your camera out again and end up with even more images!
oh well… it does mean I can get to play with older images too… but then that makes me think of all the analogue film negatives I have in a storage box – dating back 20 years… I would like to re-scan and look at them through the eyes of someone with more knowledge and history than what I had back then… which was none of either. Taking images back then was a lot easier, naivety does keep things simple.
There was a flash hail storm while working back to my niece and nephews flat and after several shots to get the woman with the umbrella in a good spot, I managed this image…
I just worked on these images yesterday but it was taken when visiting the Sony Photography Awards.
and this was after the Photography Exhibition and I did my usual wonder around the South Bank… (some halos around the tree branches which need sorting or reworking on?!) I try not to work too much on my images… just convert to black and white – dodge & burn etc)
Related Reading:
Ansel Adams, Greenwich Maritime Museum, Thames21 and me!
Photo Walk at low-tide
The Greenwich Maritime Museum is showing the Ansel Adams Exhibition until the end of April 2013 – I visited back in November last year (see blog post here).
It’s slightly awkward getting to Greenwich from where I live but I seem to have visited the area rather a lot recently and I do get to ride (at the front) of the DLR Train.
I’ve been twice to travel on the Emirates Cable Car which is rather fun and then I went along to a photo walk with Thames21 – a charity that educates and help clean up the Thames.
Thames21 is one of the country’s leading waterway charities. We work with communities across Greater London to improve our rivers, canals, ponds and lakes for people and wildlife. (click to visit their webpage)
They run several groups and I attended one of their photo walks at low-tide – Woods Warf which is next to the Cutty Sark.
Here’s some of the images I took that day.
Shortlisted!
Out of 250+ entries I got shortlisted with 20 other photographers to show along side the Ansel Adams Exhibition at the Greenwich Maritime Museum.
This is my entry that got through:
Private view on Thursday 4th April 2013 for the shortlisted.
Ray Wise – 2nd place runner up collects his prize. (main pic) Ben Fenton gives a small speech before hand (Thames21 Organiser – 2nd pic)
My Entry at the top (main pic) Ben Fenton in the right bottom image (Thames21 Organiser)
Books – I love books!
The last time I was at the Museum I brought Adams book:
I have these three already -
and I couldn’t help myself by buying the Exhibition version at the Museum shop.
The shortlisted entries will be shown next to the Ansel Adams Exhibition until the end of this month and after this they will be at the Millers House Cafe in Bromley by Bow.
See all of the shortlisted entries on the Thames21 Flickr group if you can’t get there (with all the snow who knows but it’s worthy trying!).
Here’s the Thames21 blog post about the Competition winners - here
Related Reading:
A walk in the other direction…
I tend to walk the same route along the Thames and I thought I’d better try the other side (rather than just the South and to the West rather than East… ie: South Bank towards the Design Museum – Westminster to Wandsworth Bridge, North Side).
There is a point where you really can’t buy a coffee along that route and I didn’t realise this until I was desperate for the loo & coffee (typical) so I was relieved (literally) when I found a Sainsburys with toilets right next to Wandsworth Bridge… yay! (I’m sure this will be useful info for anyone who decides to walk that same route 
)
I would have kept going past Wandsworth Bridge except for that reason… weird but I guess I was slightly irritable so crossed over the bridge and walked back along the Thames until I got home – 13.5 miles – I didn’t mean to walk that far but seeing parts of the Thames that I haven’t been near for many many years, proved to be interesting.
The thing with London is that you find derelict homes/estates and roads/streets etc and if you turn around or look over the road you’ll find some very expensive shiny apartments sprouting up everywhere.
I do wonder who has the better deal – the view out of the apartments (except the River facing windows) will only see a crumbling council estate outside their windows whereas the council tenants get a shiny expensive building? Guess the former can jump in an expensive car and drive somewhere else.
Chelsea is close by with it’s own harbour which has the Design Center which I will have to visit again soon.
(image below shows the Council/Housing Estate named “The World’s End” in the distance behind the barge – just a few yards away you will come across the huge apartments shown in the above photograph)
Here’s a link to a handout given on tours of the Estate : page one and page two which was attended by the “Brutalism and Booze Blog” group – the Estate has a ‘walkway’ in the sky which links all the buildings!
Related Reading:
The Squirrel infestation in the Houses of Parliament…
Runners dressed as squirrels have been jogging past London landmarks to publicise the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon. They were off to St James Park after this. (click image to view a few more pics via my flickr photostream)
you do get to see weird stuff in London – I saw a giant chicken (advertising a chicken restaurant chain) the other day… it looked very dejected and couldn’t eat his sandwich!
Londoners expression never changes when they come along such sights but that’s the way we are!
Related Reading:
Two Photographs from my walk today…
Gritty and dark drama … controlled by me!
I did take more but after spending all day cleaning old 35mm positives I’m a little tired of sitting in front on my computer so I need a break!
Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth crossing over the Thames showing the Tower on the right and M16 on the left.
Vauxhall Bridge, Lambeth crossing over the Thames showing the Tower on the right and M16 on the left.
Related Reading:
Olympics London 2012
Crowded much?
After missing the torch in my local area I thought I’d have a walk up to the South Bank to see the final day of it’s tour of the UK.
well… how many people were out… blimey! I thought the Jubilee was crowded until it started raining and cleared slightly.
I’m not tall enough even with my camera waving over my head blindly snapping pics along with several million (?!) others to get a clear view but did manage to glimpse the golden boat – the £1 million Gloriana, which arrived in front of City Hall and waved its oars in the air in salute to the crowds. I did wonder how they were moving the torch to City Hall but it turned out it doesn’t go anywhere and actually ‘rests’ until later that evening where they displayed amazing fireworks… which I missed as I was daft enough not to find out what was happening before hand… I think the last image, the children in the fountain – looks far more fun than trying not to step on anyones toes and not get crushed!
Olympics 2012 Torch Final Day on the Thames
get back to work! lol
skiving staff 
Related Reading:
Jubilee 2012…
I thought I’d go for a short walk up to Vauxhall Bridge which is quite close to me … the crowds where huge so I walked down to Battersea which was just as bad… so then I walked up to Lambeth Bridge, which was slightly better but this was due to the rain and that most of the boats had already passed.
I ended up walking over 12 miles and my jeans absorbed liquid up past my knees… which was nice!?!?!?!?
hobbled home as catching a bus in rain is practically impossible and spent the next two days not going anywhere
here’s a few pictures from my walk!
Jubilee 2012 - a wet and soggy day!
I can supply prints or the digital file if anyone is interested in purchasing any of my images.
Related Reading:
Webby yarn tagging…
I have an American friend who is feeling a little alienated during her stay here in London – I’ve tried explaining that is what London is about (just kidding) but she decided to embarked on a creative journey to help her connect to London.
I don’t know if many people have heard of Yarn bombing and yarn Graffitti
“Knit graffiti” is an international guerrilla movement that started underground and is now embraced by crochet and knitting artists of all ages, nationalities, and genders. Its practitioners create stunning works of art out of yarn, then “donate” them to public spaces as part of a covert plan for world yarn domination. by Yarn Bombing
Graffiti (singular: graffito; the plural is used as a mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property. Graffiti is any type of public markings that may appear in the forms of simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Wikipedia
In Milly’s own words on her blog about this endeavor:
ReCLAIMation of the City
Graffiti is rather like marking your territory. It’s leaving a mark for others to find and identify with or against. But for the maker and the finder, it’s a bit like a conversation. For me, it’s identifying myself and claiming my existence in a city that can seem very cold and one in which I rarely feel like I belong. And I hope for the finder, they feel less alone. Alex noted that one thing that’s nice about this project is that each piece is a little out of the way, a little out of sight. So the people who are more likely to see it, are more likely to enjoy it. Serendipity.
Here’s Milly hanging up one of her webs on the South Bank of The Thames:
Webby yarn bombing in London
visit her blog here
