Reflections

From self-created abstracts through movement to taking photos of real life. After dark, I was walking by a window and saw these light reflections. And I am still amazed how well they translated into a photo.

Stormy days?

Looking at photos from indicated international journalists, I noticed that some use blurring to add a note of drama to their photos. So, of course, I could not resist trying it out myself. What do you think, does this look dramatic and stormy?

Winter

Living in London, weather, as much as change of season, is an ongoing theme. Going back to the same part of the park where I took a picture the other week, I thought that this stretch allows me to follow up on the changes we go through in this part of the world, and to catch the different mood, colours, light and shades.

Winter structures

As snowy weather has settled in, I've had time to observe the impact it makes to the visual of the environment. The white has transformed the landscape. Looking more closely, I feel drawn to the patterns the snow is sculpturing into the landscape.

White landscape

By the afternoon it stopped snowing and I went out to look at different ways of working with 'snow'. What was my fascination with snow? How did it impact on the environment? I love the white, the texture, the way snow settles itself on other surfaces.

Winter mood

The weather forecast for today was 'snow'. And before I had finished my coffee it had started. Camera in hand I went on exploring different ways of working with the theme. This picture came about while simply shooting out of my front window. I think it catches the mood of the winter day and how the snowing impacts on us while we go about our every day routines.

Winter mood

Tempting to think the photo is underexposed, but it was simply another gloomy winter morning, with a bit of a hint of white on the branches of the trees.

A bit of fish-eye

Standing a bit removed, I was exploring different ways of taking photos of the crowds below and came across the fish-eye filter. I hadn't used a fish-eye lense before but thought the filter added a bit of something to the scene.

A bit of warmth

Fire, like water, is an element I can rarely resist to take photos of. It is the ever-changing nature of this element, that fascinates me. And, as I sat by the fire, out came the camera and I tried to 'catch' a bit of that magic.

From above

From the air. The visual of a winter day. Cold, wet, frosty, with a bit of haze. Taking my camera wherever I go increasingly inspires me to experiment with pictures. Can I make my experience into a visual that will inspire others? Many of my friends who live in a tropical climate and have never experienced a bitter cold winter have asked how it feels like. Is it possible to convey winter with a photo, or is the photo a reminder of a feeling for those of us who know?

Ending light

Playing with taking a photo converted into an abstract, this photo is about taking a sharp photo which may seem abstract because of it's content. Does the photo seem empty, or is it full? For me the picture leaves space for dreaming, and considering that today is New Year's eve, I thought it's a fine way to end 2012 and start 2013.

Stormy days

Continuing in my mini-series this is one other way to portrait the subject already portrait in the two other shots. Working in this way is new to me and I noticed my excitement to stay with the same subject and shoot it different ways, making each photo a unique shot, rather than changing subjects. None of the photos in the mini-series were produced using Photoshop. They were all shot exploring the impact of exposure and sharpness.

Lighting up

Staying with the same subject I went on to explore different ways to take a picture of the same reality. Fed up with the cold and dark, this is a photo of the same subject in a different light. Does it give us the impression of a different reality? Or is the light intensity still giving us a feeling of cold and wet?

Stormy days

What to do in the dark rainy reality of a London winter? Be inspired. I'm back at exploring the many fascinating patterns that emerge in a multi-layered reality of windows sprinkled with raindrops. And, I'm getting more and more excited about it. It's like using some kind of filter that adds a new dimension to the what we see. The outcome depends on our focus, close or distant. It's like visualizing my thought process.

Scenery

Feeling playful, I'm back at exploring the amazing patterns that emerge when we look up close at what exists around us. Exploring the blurred line between abstract and close-up I am amazed how the image emerges in the moment it is seen and how this transforms how we look at it.

London sunset

Back at my per-weekly visit to Southbank, I could not believe my luck when I noticed that the winter sun was setting in glorious orange. I think there is something magic about visiting the same place in town on a regular basis, just to see how different it looks each time.

Urban moments

So urban. My attention was first caught by the huge advertisement displaying a woman posing in underwear and then, as I changed angles, the scene came together showing the many cultural contradictions lived in London's everyday life.

Structures, man made

Continuing to explore structures, I looked at man made structures (this an abstract from a David Nash sculpture) and how taking advantage of the light breaking on the surface created a completely new visual of the theme.

Structures

London, Dec 2012. Inspired by David Nash at Kew Gardens, I did a little exploring of wooden structures myself which lead me to look at form, light and colour contrasts.

Dark at four fifteen

London, Nov 2012. As the days get shorter, it becomes more of a challenge to get to places in time before darkness. But then, how about the moment when dark grey changes into dark black...

Raindrops on my window

London, Nov 2012. It did not stop raining all day. And then, when it was already night, I could suddendly see the beauty of it. There on the window, catching the reflection of the street light they were, for a brief moment only ... so beautiful, so delicate ...

Moments

London, Nov 2012. This week I was left with the question "What makes a good photo?" Challenged by that question I continue wondering about the border between abstract and representative image.

Going light

London, Nov 2012. Inspired by a photo competition I saw in Fotohits' October edition, and getting slightly fed up with that dull pre-winter weather, I thought I'll have a go at lightening things up.

Photo or art?

You may wonder. But there was no Photoshoping involved. Only photo post-processing with the usual tools.

Garden visitors

London, Nov 2012. This is the time of year when spiders seem to set up webs everywhere. Walking by this little fellow I could not resist the temptation the come up close.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Nov 2012. Looking at autumn colours from another angle in another city. Amsterdam seemed to come alive with the warm tone of autumn leaves and sun giving the city a bit of a golden glimmer.

Sunset

Nov 2012.  Catching the sun just before disappearing into the clouds, I wanted to illustrade the wonder and romance of the last moment of light before the darkness of the night sets in.

Before dark

London, Nov 2012. The moment when the darkness sets in and the electrical lights come on. The vision seems a bit blurred, the moment of change between day and night ...

Another day in London

London, Nov 2012. Irresistable. Another walk across Hungerford Bridge and another photo of London's skyline. So familiar and never quite the same.

Fall

London, Nov 2012. Standing under the tree and with the wind catching the leaves, it looked as if the leaves were coming towards me and I suddendly realized why autumn was called 'Fall'.