An Acrobat...

"The sky is often used as a metaphor
I suppose that's because it's so big and expansive
When a long stranded cloud sits just above the horizon
Leaving a strip of clear blue beneath it
It becomes the panorama
And you turn your head 360 degrees
And the same line follows you round
If the land is sufficiently flat
Really nothing can be compared to it" - Acrobat - Maximo Park

Seeing the Forest for the Trees...

Another photo from between Christmas and the New Year, taken in the New Forest. I wandered up a trail and just looked up and the woods seemed to go on and on. This photo makes me feel a little unbalanced, like I'm about to fall over. I think I took it as I quite liked the depth in the woods...

Oh So Quiet...

A new photograph for the new year. Taken over Christmas at Emsworth Harbour in Hampshire at a fairly unfashionable hour of the morning. I sat on the boardwalk for a bit mesmerised with the birds sweeping over the small boats; then I managed to catch them in silhouette. A quiet and peaceful time.

How to Disappear Completely...

Dublin absolutely fascinated me. I'm eager to go back, though I'd prefer somewhere different to reside as the hostel wasn't great... This photo was taken on St Patrick's Day 2008 looking down towards O'Connell street and the bridge at the bottom. The advantage with the poor accommodation was the motivation to get up and out for coffee and breakfast by myself in the morning, it was great to be out amongst the business traffic in the hustle and busy by myself. Wonderful city!

The photo always made me think of the Radiohead song "How to Disappear Completely", just floating down the Liffey.

Wish You Were Here

Every so often I look back over these photos, and each time I always see something a little bit new. In a small point of self-indulgence this is one of the very few pictures I've ever actually titled with something more than a bald description of the contents. Its just a reminder of a real chilled out period of time.

I should just add the picture is looking out to the Andaman Sea from Patong Beach on Phuket.

Black Dog

Many places have a story of a ghoulish, ghostly black dog that haunts the buildings. On the Isle of Man it is the Moddey Dhoo, and his place of residence is Peel Castle. Like a madman I climbed the adjacent hill to take this picture, which shows the ruins of the cathedral inside the grounds. Pretty much bent double into the wind which I would describe as battering ram strength. The state of the seas in the background give some indication, but I think that the stillness of the building clashes nicely with the ferocity of the waves!

Clover Over Dover

In a strange way I've never posted any pictures from the mainland UK, I realised that I don't actually have too many photos of the homeland. So I thought I'd post one of the more famous pictures. This picture is from the Dover-Calais ferry, I was on my way to Belgium at the time. It struck me as we sailed past just how beautiful they were - also on this occasion so close to the Remembrance Services the view they gave to troops crossing the channel and for the aircrew crossing them. Every time I take that ferry I always take time to stop, think and give thanks.

Ah Mr Bond we've been expecting you...

Once again back to Thailand. The thin island is called Ko Tapu - locally its known as James Bond Island as it was featured in the Man with the Golden Gun. Bond duels with Scaramanga on the beach in front of the island just to the right of the shot. Unfortunately its full of small shops peddling very touristy merchandise. Its real shame. The soundtrack to this photo sounds just as it should in a tropical jungle - the classic soundtrack!

So Here We Are

Another on the PhD travels... This time from Prague, more specifically Dejvica (Prague 6). I was staying in a rudimentary (travelling PhD student=as cheap a hotel as possible) but fantastic little hotel (the breakfast was something to be seen to be believed...). Its one of the first times I'd found myself alone in a city so I took some time to explore. I got thoroughly lost! Anyway winding back I came across the rail lines and this photo kind of struck me, I've never quite been sure why as I've never been one for the railways - I think it was purely to do with the straightness of the lines at that point just as the Sun went down.

Brush the Cobwebs Out of the Sky

A photo from the south coast on Cuba. A really great evening, though I got bitten to death by midges actually getting the picture. I spent the evening watching a Cuban version of Boyzone drinking espresso by the bucket load - that wasn't a great plan as I didn't sleep for about 3 days afterwards...

I had a few attempts at this picture, it isn't perfect as there is a lighthouse in the bottom left corner and I wanted to catch the light full on to counter the sunset through the tree. It worked, a bit but the light was really starting to fade fast!

In Bruges

Out of all the places that I've been, I have to say I would always be happy to go to the Benelux - not that I've been to many of them but they are somewhere I could go back to time and time again. Out of them I have only visited Belgium, but there is something about the place that keeps attracting me back. Its fair to say I'm one for cafe culture, and from that its very easy just to sink into these places. I have this very European attitude whereby I can quite happily sit in a cafe all day providing the coffee is good and watch the world go by - the same thing just doesn't seem to work in Starbucks.

The first photo is from Bruges, its quite the famous photo but taken from a different angle, just round the corner missing the clock tower. Its a special photo for a lot of reasons, not just because I like it as a picture. I also have it as a painting produced by my father which sat by my desk at work for about two years giving me something wonderful to look at!



Moving slightly further, I've only ever spent a day in Ghent. It wasn't really long enough to get a good impression and I need to go back for a while just to soak into the place a little more. But whilst wandering through I noticed some quite astounding graffiti on the side of a shop it really did stop me in my tracks.

Rockin' the Suburbs

I was flipping through a set of photos recently, and came across this one. Its taken on Koh Panyee; the island is a little touristy but not nearly as much as it might. Of the many places we visited that day it left a big impact. Yes there is the tourist restaurant and bazaar. But it was something you could get past, and when you did you ended up in a small school - bunches of kids playing football, just a bit of daily life.

Plans

A slightly older photo today - from Cuba. Its the obvious image and one many people will have photographed. The Ministry of Communications in the Plaza de la Revolución, Havana. I took quite a few photos as the image was so famous - but I noticed a horse and trap coming down the road and it seemed such a strange image that I had to capture it.

Cuba was an incredibly fun place to visit (2004) - I loved the place so full of energy and its pure musician nirvana. Every bar you walk into has a double bass player, trumpeter, guitarist and timbal player who are phenomenal. I'd heard of the Buena Vista Social Club before I went to Cuba, I didn't believe the music would be so vibrant. It was!

All at Sea

Another picture from Thailand 2008... Taken on a day of Island Hopping - I think somewhere near Phi Phi. Just another calm quiet day with a good bunch of guys floating around some islands - bit of snorkeling, some great scenery. Calm and quiet.



The photo isn't quite level as I took it overhand from the boat we were on. Calm with islands jutting out of the sea and the boat quietly anchored. All this misses is the sounds of the island we were close to; a glorious tropical soundtrack.

Connections and Play Misty...

Two pictures today, as I couldn't separate them. About 18 months ago I hiked up Tholt-Y-Will whilst on holiday in the Isle of Man (a National Glen of the island), not as hard as it sounds! On the way up I spotted a lone sheep just standing uphill from me who posed for a quick picture seeming interested some fool would try hiking up the place...



Anyway I eventually reached the top (you arrive looking out at Snaefell just down from the junction onto the Mountain Road and TT Course). Happy I did, first time I've seen snow on Snaefell in April, the road quietly steaming and the clouds drifting across.

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

Today a photo that is just over a year old from a time I was in Thailand. Just another story; sitting on the edge of the pool with a group of mates watching the sunset (note: poetic licence actual photo is from a different evening and from the beach rather than the pool... and I wanted to frame the boat under the Sun but it didn't quite happen!) not a care in the world!



These posts mark a bit of a change from the norm - I find nature inspiring, I always have and I've been lucky enough to get to some nice places in the past and work with some very inspiring people. I want to put together a bit of writing on the subject!

Memories...

...are they made of this?



The photo is one of mine that I come back and look at quite a bit - not quite sure what it captured, or why I took it, but it was just there and I liked it.