Lux Fine Photography: Light and Shadow

Showing posts with label Light and Shadow. Show all posts

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

The Arts Quarter, Leicester

More of Leicester's architecture, this time a lovely building across from the Athena building, in the Arts Quarter. It houses a cinema I think, and a number of cafes etc. I liked how the building even though it was very modern didn't look too out of place in amongst the Deco, and Victorian buildings. Leicester is beginning to grow on me.

Sunday, 15 May 2011

May Day Parade, Quorn

These fine pairs of legs belong to members of the Quorn Pipe Band in the May Day Parade, 2011. You could hear them well before you saw them coming down the street, kilts swings, tassels flying.

Friday, 13 May 2011

No. 18

Thursday, 5 May 2011

I went out walking...

It's funny when I was fifteen and full of grace - or is that face? I painted a picture of an imagined tree - it looked very much like this one. It is a very cool tree. The fields behind are hi-lighter yellow and very, very pretty. This was taken on the pathway from Shepshed to Belton, Leicestershire.

Monday, 2 May 2011

Spring has sprung!

I took this as the sun was setting and we were on the final leg of our evening walk through a field full of lovely flowers. I liked the movement in this shot, I tweaked it a bit with a golden yellow filter, the flowers were yellow to start with so it just deepened it a little. I think it works.

Saturday, 9 April 2011

No. 12

Fresh off the boat so to speak. We walked to Mount Saint Bernards Abbey, just outside of Shepshed, Leicestershire. It was a lovely day today, very sunny with a hint of breeze. We walked through the Broadmarsh Reservoir and slogged up the hill - this is halfway up the hill in between the reservoir and the abbey.

Friday, 8 April 2011

Jewish Memorial, Berlin

Perspective is a wonderful thing.

From Berlin.de:

"Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial, located in Mitte on a stretch of the former “death strip”, where the Wall once stood near the Brandenburg Gate, is Berlin’s stunning monument to the Holocaust, dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide of World War II. Impressive in its awesome grey soberness, rather than sombreness, it includes an underground Ort der Information (Information Centre) located on the south-eastern side of the memorial grounds, accessible via two flights of stairs or a lift.  

The 800sqm Information Centre complements the abstraction of the memorial with personal documentation about individuals and families. This includes biographical details, recordings and information about memorial sites throughout Germany and Europe. Documenting the universal issue of genocide, the centre represents a central focus on the diverse memorial sites across Germany which stress the living memory aspect of remembrance. In Berlin an examples of this is the Stolpersteine (tripping stones) initiative – plaques on street pavements, usually outside the house’s main entrance, commemorating deported Jewish residents.  

It took 17 years for the Memorial to be completed in Berlin. Its foundation stone was a Bundestag resolution passed on June 25, 1999 to erect a Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This was followed by years of discussion and deliberation, until the Monument was completed on May 8, 2005. US architect Peter Eisenmann conceived the winning design consisting of 2711 rectangular blocks of concrete laid out in grid formation, recalling tombstones. The monument is open day and night and it is possible to walk through the concrete slabs at one’s own pace. Visitors are not allowed to climb on them though, something which is particularly hard for younger visitors and small children to resist. The effect is that of inner dislocation in a destabilising maze as the ground is uneven and the blocks vary in height and size. An ideal setting for quiet contemplation."

Monday, 4 April 2011

Just Playing

When I was a kid i liked making prints with potatoes and paint, cutting out patterns in the potato. When I got to be a teenager it was lino cutting and ink prints which was kinda cool. Today it is photoshop and I am still just playing and making interesting visual stuff. I don't usually play with my photos to this extent, usually the photo that you get is pretty much what I saw in front of me when I took the picture. This was a photo I had previously played with, so think of this as flutterbies 2.0.

Friday, 18 March 2011

Southbank, London

The Southbank is full of things to do and places to be, including being eyeballed by the friendly merry-go-round guy. The Southbank is touristy, but when the Thames is lit up like a christmas tree its very pretty! They do good Italian food as well, even if the wait was excessive.

Wednesday, 16 March 2011

The River Liffey (An Life), Dublin

I visited Dublin last March - freezing cold but lots of interesting things to photograph. I really liked the River Liffey reflections - of which I took a number of pictures. This one I played with a bit - I like it tho'.

From Wikipedia:

"The Liffey (An Life in Irish) flows through the centre of Dublin. The river was previously named An Ruirthech, meaning "fast (or strong) runner". The word Liphe (or Life) referred originally to the name of the plain through which the river ran, but eventually came to refer to the river itself. The Liffey rises in the Liffey Head Bog between Kippure and Tonduff in the Wicklow mountains, forming from many streamlets. It flows for around 125 km (78 mi) through counties Wicklow, Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at its mouth at the mid-point of Dublin Bay, on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks.

The earliest stone bridge over the Liffey of which there is solid evidence was the Bridge of Dublin (on the site of the current Fr. Mathew Bridge), built by the Dominicans in 1428, which survived well into the 18th century. This bridge with four arches included various buildings such as a chapel, bakehouse and possibly an inn and replaced an earlier wooden bridge (Dubhghalls Bridge) on the same site. Island Bridge (a predecessor of the current bridge) was added in 1577. With the development of commercial Dublin in the 17th century, four new bridges were added between 1670 and 1684: Barrack, or Bloody Bridge, (the forerunner of the current Rory O'More Bridge), Essex Bridge (Grattan Bridge), Ormond Bridge (O'Donovan Rossa Bridge) and Arran Bridge. The oldest bridge still standing is the Mellows Bridge, (originally Queens Bridge) constructed in 1764 on the site of the Arran Bridge, which was destroyed by floods in 1763. The first iron bridge was the elegant Ha'penny Bridge built in 1816. The newest bridge is the Samuel Beckett Bridge opened in December 2009. A suspension bridge, it swivels to allow river traffic to pass."

Tuesday, 15 March 2011

No. 8

Saturday, 12 March 2011

Royal Festival Hall, London

The way this building and others on the South Bank were lit up was very cool. I just liked the pretty colours in the night sky. The South Bank is pretty touristy even on chilly nights. Still the lights passed the time while waiting for the bus to arrive.

From Wikipedia:

"The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected (in April 1988). The London Philharmonic Orchestra performs the majority of its London concerts in the hall.

The foundation stone was laid in 1949 by Clement Attlee, then Prime Minister, on the site of the former Lion Brewery, built in 1837. The original plan was that Arturo Toscanini would conduct the opening concerts, but he was unwell, and the inaugural concerts were conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent and Sir Adrian Boult. The hall was the venue for the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest, hosted by Katie Boyle. The first general manager was T E Bean who contributed greatly to the early success of the Festival Hall.

The hall's design is unashamedly Modernist, the Festival's commissioning architect (Hugh Casson) having taken the decision to appoint only young architects. It was designed by Leslie Martin, Peter Moro and Robert Matthew from the LCC's Architects' Department; Martin was just 39 when he was appointed to lead the design team in late 1948. Martin designed the structure as an 'egg in a box', a term he used to describe the separation of the curved auditorium space from the surrounding building and the noise and vibration of the adjacent railway viaduct. Sir Thomas Beecham used similar imagery, calling the building a 'giant chicken coop'.

The building was substantially altered in 1964 by adding the foyers and terraces to the river side of the building and more dressing rooms to the rear. Alterations to the facades facing the river removed the playful Scandinavian Modernism of the building's primary public face in favour of a plainer and hard-edged style. The building's original entrance sequence was much compromised by these changes and the later additions of raised concrete walkways around the building to serve the neighbouring Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room and The Hayward, built in 1967/8 and also part of Southbank Centre.

The building underwent a substantial renovation between 2005 and 2007 led by Allies and Morrison Architects aimed at improving the poor acoustics (which Simon Rattle said made performers 'lose the will to live'), production access and flexibility of the auditorium and the general quality of fabric, entrance spaces and cafe and the layouts of the foyers. The interior of the concert hall space was almost entirely intact until this re-modelling, which saw its stage canopy and walls rebuilt in plainer more rectangular forms. This was carried out in the face of opposition from conservationists, led by the Twentieth Century Society. While musicians report improvements in their own experience of the acoustic from the stage perspective, some audience members report disappointment that renovations have failed to improve the acoustics of the hall, largely due to conservation imperatives which are noted by the acoustic developers."

Monday, 7 March 2011

Place de la Concorde, Paris

We had ran to catch a hop on hop off bus and spent the last hour roaming around Paris on it. Because we were late to the bus we were waved up to the top floor and told to pay when we came down. When we came down we went to pay, only to be told 'no I have finished for the day', and briskly walked off the bus. And then there was a lovely vibrant sunset over the Place de la Concorde and all the surrounding areas.

From Wikipedia:

The Place de la Concorde, is one of the major public squares in Paris, France. In fact, in terms of area, its 8.64 hectares (21.35 acres) make it the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées. The Place was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 as a moat-skirted octagon between the Champs-Élysées to the west and the Tuileries Gardens to the east. Decorated with statues and fountains, the area was named Place Louis XV to honor the king at that time. The square showcased an equestrian statue of the king, which had been commissioned in 1748 by the city of Paris, sculpted mostly by Edmé Bouchardon, and completed by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle after the death of Bouchardon. The stone is made of a combination of lime and blue stone.

At the north end, two magnificent identical stone buildings were constructed. Separated by the rue Royale, these structures remain among the best examples of Louis XV style architecture. Initially, the eastern building served as the French Naval Ministry. Shortly after its construction, the western building became the opulent home of the Duc d'Aumont. It was later purchased by the Comte de Crillon, whose family resided there until 1907. The famous luxury Hôtel de Crillon, which currently occupies the building, took its name from its previous owners; it was the headquarters of the German High Command during World War II.

During the French Revolution the statue of Louis XV of France was torn down and the area renamed "Place de la Révolution". The new revolutionary government erected the guillotine in the square, and it was here that King Louis XVI was executed on 21 January 1793. Other important figures guillotined on the site, often in front of cheering crowds, were Queen Marie Antoinette, Princess Élisabeth of France, Charlotte Corday, Madame du Barry, Georges Danton, Camille Desmoulins, Antoine Lavoisier, Maximilien Robespierre, Louis de Saint-Just and Olympe de Gouge.

The guillotine was most active during the "Reign of Terror", in the summer of 1794, when in a single month more than 1,300 people were executed. A year later, when the revolution was taking a more moderate course, the guillotine was removed from the square. The square was then renamed Place de la Concorde under the Directory as a symbolic gesture of reconciliation after the turmoil of the French Revolution. It underwent a series of name changes in the nineteenth century, but the city eventually settled on Place de la Concorde.

Sunday, 6 March 2011

Intervention #1, Marieke Van Diemen

This installation is by Marieke Van Diemen and this was the first European Art Museum I ever visited and it is still memorable. The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam was just wonderful and had a perfect number of visitors when I went there - very few. It was the first time I saw a Rodin, and I stood there transfixed and wanted very much to touch it. I restrained my self, but enjoyed all the lovely, preciouses very much.

Thursday, 3 March 2011

No. 7

A day or two this side of spring 2011 on wander to the train station we passed the All Saints with Holy Trinity Church. We stopped for a minute and noticed the ravens jostling for position on the tower. It had a great atmosphere.

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Buffalo "European Launch Party" - The Phoenix Foundation

The Phoenix Foundation is a band hailing from New Zealand, with a very large worldwide fan base. Buffalo is their fourth album and to my mind some of their best work to date. These photos are from the last gig on their European tour and the European Launch of Buffalo at Borderline in London. This gig was fierce - just awesome, haven't walked away from a gig so hyped up - ever. Would completely recommend going to see them should they ever be in your area!

You can find them here:

The awesomeness, that is, The Phoenix Foundation...

Friday, 11 February 2011

Nottingham Canal

The canal runs close to the Nottingham railway station which you cross to get to the station. I grabbed a filled roll and went for a walk, and this made me do a double take. I like reflections and interesting buildings.

From Wikipedia:

The Nottingham Canal was a 23.6 kilometres (14.7 mi) long canal between Langley Mill in Derbyshire and Nottingham, England. It opened in 1796, and most of it was closed in 1937. The southern section is now part of the River Trent Navigation, and the northern section is a nature reserve.

The idea for the canal first rose in 1790. The opening of the Cromford Canal would favour coal transport from Pinxton over pits nearer Nottingham. Moreover transport to Nottingham itself was by the circuitous route down the Erewash Canal and along the River Trent. It was also felt that the canal proprietors would exploit their position.

In 1791 the charter group called in surveyor William Jessop, who had experience with the successful Cromford Canal. Jessop himself was ill at the time and employed James Green of Wollaton to carry out the actual survey, with Jessop preparing the report and assisting its passage through Parliament. The canal would begin at the Cromford Canal, just north of its junction with the Erewash, and proceed to the Trent at Nottingham with a branch to the river at Lenton. In 1792 the canal was promoted through Parliament, opposed vigorously by the Erewash owners who were fearful of possible loss of their water. Jessop proposed a reservoir at Butterley, which would provide a sufficient supply (not mentioning that it would alleviate his own problems at Cromford).

At first, the canal was praised by the citizenry, who saw shipments of building materials, coal, and agricultural tools come in to the area. However, the canal owners' tolls soon became excessive, and led to mass discontent. When the first railways arrived in the 1840s, a number of shippers quickly abandoned the canals. Throughout the 19th century the canal was in continuous decline as a transport route, and it was finally abandoned altogether in 1936.