London Canals

Continuing in my little series about London canals, I find that the long boats add a romantic touch to most sides, blurring the lines between living on land in a house and on land and living on the water. Two worlds existing next to each other.

London Canals

One of the integral parts of the London canal world are the house boats which are anchored everywhere and which form part of the landscape.  

London Canals

For me one of the great charmers of London are the many canals which offer endless possibilities for walks, wonders and simply give the city a lot of charm. As a photographer they also give me the opportunity to explore the city from a different angle and to play with reflections.

London Patterns

Building on my mini-series, this is another look of London. And while I was drawn to the patterns the lines, colours and shapes make, I continue to wonder what this says about London. Would you know this is London, if I had not said so?

London Patterns

Another aspect of London I like to explore photographically is that of patterns I find in buildings or combinations of buildings. What do they tell us about London? This is a very typical traditional street in London. A pattern all of us staying in London for longer will grow used to.

Urban contrasts

Home in Rio de Janeiro. More often than not, one window indicates the space of one apartment.

Urban contrasts

And then there are the neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. High buildings filled with small apartments, these are the homes to where many will return after a day of work or a day at the beach. Many of those who can still afford to live in the areas near the beaches, the Zona Sul, live in tiny apartments in tall buildings.

Walk in the park

Fascinated by the reflections, I thought this photo tells its own story.

Street photography

Late afternoon commute at London Bridge. What happens if I'd point the camera and shoot randomly at a crowd coming towards me on a busy afternoon at London Bridge? Nobody seemed to care. And I thought it was an intriguing and liberating experience.

End of day

Urban structures at sunset. It's the geometry and light notion of sunset that first attracted me to the scene. It felt like such a strong contrast to the awakening urban nature I have been concentrating on for the past weeks. And yet, there was this definite glow, that indicated the setting of a warm day.

Different perspectives

The place we stayed in while in Rio de Janeiro had a safety net across all windows. Usually done as a safety precaution for families with small children,  I thought this was an interesting new challenge to my photography. And since it prevented me from taking photos by looking down into the streets, I soon became fascinated to work with this different perspective.

Little Souvenirs

Rio de Janeiro is a rather seductive city and it is tempting to stay with the clichés of beautiful beaches and tropical colours.  But within most neighbourhoods the visual is defined by tall buildings standing next to each other.

Urban colours

Time for some colours! It's been grey and cold and I needed some colour in my life and on my blog. Street art photography is quite a big thing now and there are many sites such as flickr where the photographers share their latest findings. And, having enjoyed this little hunt myself for some years, today I feel drawn to settings where art and city meet and the art is touched by the city.

Black and white

Back in the streets of London, I've taken my little project onto the platform and into the train. To me this environment had a similar feel to the pedestrianised areas and tunnels - anonymous, timeless and lonely. On our own, on our way, without looking much around or connecting to the world around us.

From above

Inspired by my street photography project, I took exploring anonymity and distance a step further, and, looking down onto a specific area, I observed how people walking in and out of my picture field created a flow, a pattern, a continuity.

 

Reflections

Another recurring theme, I adore catching the city looking at itself in the window.