Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged "close-up", abstract, industrial, macro, metal, paint, photo, photography on July 31, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Down near the sea in Hiroshima is a strange metal tower – I’m not exactly sure what it’s called or what it’s commemorating, but it’s great to photograph.
However, while most concentrate on the sleek shiny metallic exterior, I quickly discovered that inside you can find a pleasing range of textures and tones of an industrial nature, perfect for my style of photography…
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged Japan, monochrome, park, photo, photography, Tokyo, trees on July 30, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This shot is deceptive for two reasons: first, the condition of the trees might lead one to suppose that it was midwinter, when actually it was May and quite hot (note the parasol).
Second, the type and deployment of the trees suggests Europe, but in reality this was central Tokyo, in Shinjuku park, an oasis of green in an otherwise solidly concrete and neon megalopolis.
Monochrome can radically alter a photo’s mood…
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged "close-up", abstract, macro, metal, reflections, rings, warm on July 29, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Creamy warm colours, curves and reflections – perfect ingredients for a close-up abstract shot.
This was one of the first pictures I took when I bought my 60mm macro lens last December (the only lens I possess which was designed for full-frame cameras – ooh, luxury!).
As such, it’s clear I hadn’t really got to grips with its wafer-thin depth of field, but I still find it a compelling image.
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged birds, ducks, lake, nature, photo, photography, wildlife on July 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
I don’t photograph a lot of birds, but last March as I was strolling around a lake in Mantova, Italy, I spotted this line of ducks, beautifully silhouetted.
They were moving surprisingly quickly, so I had to run to get my shot in, much to the bemusement of some locals.
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged corridor, green, hotel, Italy, photo, photography, Siena on July 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
It’s perhaps hard to believe, but the overwhelming green in this photo of a hotel entrance in Siena, Italy, is real – that’s pretty much how it was!
Siena is a treasure trove of art, architecture and culture, but sad to say, this particular hostelry, two stars, was as rough as hell, and not up to my usual high standards 
I won’t embarrass the owners by naming the place, but if you’re clever (and can be bothered), you can maybe decipher the sign…
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged clouds, photo, photography, sky, storm, sunlight, sunset on July 26, 2011 | 5 Comments »
I’ve been photographing clouds a lot this last week, and there were some really dramatic skies, but somehow nothing came out right, and no amount of post-processing could make it otherwise.
So, here’s a shot I took exactly one year ago from the balcony of my house, looking west towards the city centre. The textures and tones here are wild, and I doubt I’ll ever top this for drama.
I sometimes think this one needs to be cropped at the right, but doing so seems to diminish it, even though the composition looks a little off.
This one really benefits from a closer look, so click on the image or here for a larger, higher resolution version.
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Diana, Isis, lunar, moon, night sky on July 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Yeah, yeah, it’s the moon, we’ve all seen her, she’s been photographed by everybody and their grandmother, but I can’t resist her mysterious charms.
Went outside just now and saw her hovering above the eastern hills and just had to run and get the camera.
I love taking pictures of the moon. I even bought a 55-300mm zoom just for that purpose.
Diana, Isis, Selene, Luna, Phoebe, Artemis, Mani, Rahko, Chandra, Thoth – many names, the same beautiful face…
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged creepy, dummy, mannequin, model, photo, photography, shop window on July 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
More late-night shop window photography, a genre which I think I invented myself!
Mannequins are very creepy – doubly so if you grew up watching ‘Doctor Who’ in the 1970′s…
Never turn your back on a mannequin….
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged "close-up", beer, glass, ice cold, photo, photography on July 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday I went to my favourite Indian restaurant in Hiroshima, where I ordered my customary spinach and chicken curry, super hot, with naan bread, and an ice-cold beer.
Super hot is, in the Japanese context, not particularly hot, and certainly weaker than what you’d get if you asked for the same in Britain (think tears and stomach pumps).
The Japanese seem unable to handle anything other than mild, which is odd, since they have no trouble with the spicy foods of Korea and Thailand.
Note how I add the human touch here, quite literally, to my often stark and inanimate photos by sticking my fingers all over the glass and ruining its glacial perfection 
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged Albi, cathedral, chandelier, church, France, photo, photography on July 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The small town of Albi, southern France, is famous for being the birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec, and for possessing one of the most astonishing and grandiose cathedrals in the world, entirely disproportionate to the size of the settlement.
On approaching the town, the enormous red-bricked bulk dominates menacingly, but inside it is perhaps somewhat less threatening, and rather stark except for gorgeous chandeliers like the one pictured here.
Sometimes the small details can be as impressive as the wider view.
A larger version of this picture can viewed here at my dedicated website and store, Andy Lightfoot Photography.
