Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged blossom, flora, flowers, Japan, nature, park, petals, spring, Tokyo, trees on April 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
“Spring Blossom” : Tokyo 19th March 2012
It was too early for the quintessentially Japanese cherry blossoms to have put in an appearance, but still these other varieties (sadly unidentified due to my poor knowledge of flora) made up for it with their beautifully contrasting tones.
You see – it’s not all cold architectural lines with me – I can still turn my lens to living objects on occasion 
You can see a larger version of this image here.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged architecture, Europe, flowers, medieval, summer, warmth on November 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
“Essence of a European Summer” : Strasbourg, France, 31st August 2011
After the last couple of monochromatic or sombre-toned images, I thought it was time to open up the colour palette again with a picture redolent of both summer and Europe, something perhaps to warm us up as we slide inexorably into winter (and some of you are probably there already!).
A larger version of this photograph can be found here.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged church, colour, flowers, France, nature, Strasbourg, summer on November 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
“The Colour of Summer” : Strasbourg, 31st August 2011
We can’t all live in beautiful cities, but it would be nice if more local authorities took the trouble to spruce things up the way they do in Strasbourg, where most of the bridges are lined with flower beds brimming with vibrant, colourful and well-tended flowers…
A bigger version of this photo can be seen here.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged flowers, France, night, photography, reflection, river, Strasbourg, urban on November 3, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
“Night Flowers” : Strasbourg, 29th August 2011
After an amazingly productive night of photography in Strasbourg I headed back to my hotel on the periphery of the old town and just happened to notice these overflowing flower beds on the side of the bridge I was crossing.
Actually, I’d noticed them before in the daytime, as I’d used this bridge frequently, and although the flowers were a nice touch to the iron span, they hadn’t really registered as being worthy of immortalising in a digital format.
But at night, with the distant lights casting reflections on the river and the flowers spotlit by an overhead street lamp, a magical transformation took place…
You can see a bigger version of this image here.
Posted in Photo of the Day, tagged blossom, flowers, Italy, Mantua, nature, photography, spring on October 31, 2011 | 2 Comments »
“Italian Spring” : Mantua, 11th March 2011
I’m almost too embarrassed to post these. Not because I think they’re substandard, it’s just that pictures of flowering blossoms seem such a cliché.
Too explain: when I’m travelling, I’m really doing two things simultaneously with my camera: making a record of my trip, and trying to create art.
The former is just for me, is not intended for publication, and it doesn’t need to meet any particular artistic standards or be original. The latter, destined for wider consumption, must be in some way a unique view.
So, if I’m strolling along in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, I’m going to be taking the standard shots of the Eiffel Tower like everyone else, but I’m also going to be looking for some unique aspect to home in on, to satisfy my artistic impulses.
However, sometimes the lines get blurred.
Last spring I visited the Lombardian town of Mantua in northern Italy, and unfortunately I chose the day on which all the town’s attractions were shut. Luckily, though, a helpful lady at the tourist office (thankfully open), suggested I take a long walk along the extensive lakeside promenades that surround a large portion of the town.
This was an excellent idea, as it was exceptionally peaceful, relaxing and beautiful, and I was particularly overwhelmed by the sight of these white blossoms against the delicate blue of the spring afternoon. Of course I wanted to photograph them, and of course, it’s difficult to do so in a unique way.
So, what am I trying to say? There’s nothing original about these shots, but there’s no denying the stunning beauty of the nature they portray, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Right?
