Manchester - a brief visit

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A weekend in Manchester brought opportunities for some architectural stuff with perhaps if I'm inclined some street photography. The weather didn't help. Why is it every time I fancy a day out with the camera it goes that grey flat sky giving absolutely no direct light at all. All you get is a completely flat ambient that shows nothing. Having said that I do like it at times as you get a funny neutral air to things.
An afternoon mostly in Salford Quays around the Media City had promise.

You may have noticed by now that I seem to have gravitated to a theme of geometry and deconstruction. Oh well, that's what I see so that's what I photograph. With this in mind I think the next stage is to start adding a little story element to the pics. Put some elements of time or dynamics or emotion into the proceedings.

I was travelling light so pared it down to two esentials. I plumped for the 35mm f3.5 as a good alrounder and the Asahi flex 58mm f2.4 just in case I did some night work and because I like a 50mm (ish) length. They both got used. Before the Tank it's the 35mm after that its the 58mm.

Somewhat ominous Hilton looming over Deansgate

Should have bothered to take a better pic of this building. It was a little gem

Ah the three forms of transport that made this country great!

Love the symmetry of this

Ah now we're talking. Some proper architectural stuff from the Lowry Building

And the bridge over to it

Magnificent

Erm

IWM North

The Rank Hovis building caught my eye

An a rather nice old Soviet T55 sitting outside the IWM

Hope springs eternal and all that

I like this one

The Hovis building again

IWM

This one works well I think

With the grey skies and everything painted white it didn't take much for the red to stand out in this one

The Quey West building. This is by far my favourite of the area. Wow that copper effect window thing really worked

You can hardly make out the reflection effect on this. Amazing!

And finally one that I didn't think would work at all but does. It looks like a collage. It's not at all. but a trick of the light.

I'll add some emotion and dynamics and all that next time I promise!

Windmills and Pen Hills

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I thought I would carry on the theme of a theme, local attractions and all that. First up I had seen on twitter a nice little video of a windmill. It turns out I'm not that far from it. Just the other side of Wedmore. Ashton Windmill is a cute little affair sitting right on the side of the road. It opens on Sundays after Easter and the sails turn once in a while but you can have a walk around it and the small filed it sits in any time you like. That's what I did. More info here.

Unfortunately the sun, as usual, was thin and hiding behind a vale of wispy cloud. Tantalising me with a bright but non directional light. Oh well, crack on! Lens of choice were the 35mm f3.5, 50mm f1.4 and 100mm f4 Macro Takumars. There is on using the 58mm f2.4 Asahi flex just to get those 12 flares from the 13 blades going. I had a good couple of hours wandering around and around in the still day. You would be hard pushed to get the sails going on a day like that. Not a breath.

This padlock caught my eye, quit often actually. You might notice it again....

Rough whitewashed walls, ahhh texture

The 58mm f2.4 Asahi Flex with 6 of those 12 flares

Chocolate anyone?

That watery valed sun

Just ending on a bright note

So where to next. I have a certain picture in mind, It needs planning but a hint is the location of the next shoot (Oooh I'm doing 'shoots') Another iconic landmark of these 'ere parts is the huge mast on top of Pen hill. This stuff fascinates me. Being an ex Civil Engineer you can see why. These days its more the Beauty through function that has been my mantra through all my designing life that appeals. A fork is an object of beauty not for it's own sake but because it has evoulved to be what it is though practical needs. If you changed it's fundimentals to be 'more beautiful' it wouldn't work and therefore not be a fork anymore.

Along with the lenses already used on Ashton Windmill I couldn't resist whipping out the old 17mm f4 fisheye. Well all those straight lines were crying out for a bit of bendyness

There was quit a lot of haze which spoilt the view but created an atmosphere

This is one of my favourites

Hello

Hello again

I thought I would hang around for the sunset. It was looking good unfortunately the farmer had other ideas. I made my excuses and left. I honestly thought I was able to wander around the hill but apparently not. Next time, as he suggested, I will ask. I suggest you do the same if tempted to go a wandering

Goodbye!