A timely reminder from life that I am not lost, I wander.
Category Archives: instagram
By the water
I find something deeply soothing and powerful about just sitting and watching the water. Maybe it’s because I where I grew up I spent a great deal of my childhood either in a pool or on a beach or by a river. My mum used to jokingly refer to us as water babies. We would as children play games where we pretended we were dolphins trying to launch ourselves out of the water and arc through the air then dive back in again. I don’t think we ever quite managed to emulate them to be honest. I learnt a great deal about myself and life through my interactions with water. I learnt how to relax my body so I could float on its surface. I learnt that to get where you want to go and not be exhausted by your efforts you work with it because it does what it does. Water is a teacher of great wisdom.
Waiting
These two old fellas wait patiently while their master pops in and outs of shops, they watch him dashing back and forth with some amusement I imagine. He seems to be in such a rush and not really appearing to get very far, I hope he remembers the dog food.
London Photo -Trackside
I continue to find myself fascinated by the workmen on the rail tracks. Is it their High Viz uniform I wonder? More likely for me it is that they are one of unnoticed millions who go about their daily jobs keeping the cogs of infrastructure moving. They are one of many professions that day after day make sure that the stuff we just expect to be there, like electricity, running water and trains just keeps being there.
London Photo – The tower in the sky
Here’s a fun one the Shard to be found in London Bridge. I love taking pictures of this building it is such an imposing structure which I am sure is what they were going for. This was one of the few times I have managed to get a shot of this building where it’s tip is not in the clouds so I was very happy to catch it. I slapped a filter on it I think it was earlybird and got this effect. It kind of reminds me of one of the orc towers in Mordor, I like it.
London Photos – Blackheath Station
I am really pleased with this shot the dirty brick wall the lady walking past in a blur and the sharp sign.
I am really enjoying playing with Instagram, I have only just really started to use it and it has really been a revelation for me. I have for the last few years been not really been working with my phone camera at all. Then I discovered Instagram and a whole new world has opened up for me. It is fantastic and I have really reconnected with my love of just taking pictures for fun and play. Now I just need a phone with a better battery life!
London Trains
Another train, another train journey into London. When they are not packed full of people, or when I don’t have to be somewhere and I’m stuck on the train, I love riding the trains. Watching the world woosh past or crawl depending on the signals is great fun. You can see all sorts of amazing things out the windows, there are fields full of horses and cows and bunnies and deer. Some of my favorite train moments have been early in the morning out in the country seeing the deer in the fields as the sun rises it is so surprising to see them and such a rush!
Today though I am coming into the city so no furry animals but there are trains and graffiti which I also love to photograph.
London Photo – Homeward Bound
On the platform of London Bridge walking up to the front of the train heading home. I looked up and saw this old gentleman wandering down the platform ahead of me. He seemed ready to head home and kick back and relax after a hard day in front of his desk. Luckily he wasn’t moving that fast so not only could I keep up with him (I’m a slow walker), I also had time to get my phone out, unlock it and take a photo before I got on the train.
Lunch Break
Another train into London, this time to Waterloo. There is a lot of construction going on in that part of the city from London Bridge Station to Waterloo East seems to be non-stop scaffolding and construction sites. As we were slowly moving by on the train I happened to catch these two guys taking a breather or lunch break (I like to imagine). I really get a kick out of catching these moments in the day when people are just taking a moment to do nothing more than be themselves. I often aim to catch people in that state when I am shooting events or parties, it can be a bit tricky because people often find it hard to relax with a camera floating around, which is completely understandable. I do my best to get people comfortable and usually after a while they forget I am even holding a camera, or even better they start to have fun with me taking their pictures.
Central London Green Tea Cheesecake
I love the bitterness of green tea and in desserts, I can enjoy that bitterness and half convince myself it both naughty and healthy at the same time. This green tea cheesecake was just the ticket after a lovely lunch in central london with friends. YUM!
We have recently found this cake and tea house on Wardour St just a few doors away from the Humming Bird Cafe. It does an impressive selection of cakes and teas and also boasts some tasty sounding breakfasts. I can’t vouch for the breakfasts as I havent had any but the cakes are good and so are the teas. It’s always busy as is to be expected in that part of London so you have to move quickly to secure a table sometimes .
He waits patiently
This very adorable old man dog waits patiently for his mistress to get her shopping (probably some dog food) and take him home so he can kick back and relax for the rest of the day until he needed again to escort her to the local shops again.
Junk Yard Cars
On the train again, I pass by this junk yard when I’m on the slow train I love the old cars on the roof of what I assume to be a junk yard. I often entertain the fantasy of taking one of them home and fixing it up to be a fancy red racer. I doubt the reality would match the fantasy though, but it is fun to dream.
NFT Busker
The NFT is one of my favorite places to hang out in the evening, there is always something going on. I was at the LLGFF hanging out in the downstairs bar. I had just been in to see a fantastic work in progress documentary on Alice Walker called Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth it is a deeply inspiring and heart warming film and I do hope that the will get the support it needs to get into mainstream distribution. You can find out more about the film here if you get a chance to see it I hope you do.
Anyway towards the end of the film the fire alarm when off and we all ended up out on the walk, the busker was out playing his saxophone and a couple of people took up as an impromptu audience, once again I’m glad I had a camera on my phone!
Lewisham Station
Another train station shot taken from a different train this time. I love to travel I really enjoy the journey from one place to another and all the moments in between. I get to catch bits of other people’s journeys and lives. It was a bit of a gloomy day this journey and I was drawn to take this shot the grey of the sky with the camera and the station sign. I find it thrilling to take photographs of the cameras that watch us in our day-to-day meanderings. In a way it feels quite connecting to photograph them almost like I’m saying hello to them.
Stratford Station
I’ve been to Stratford Station a number of times now. I find it has a certain prison camp sort of feel to it I feel the urge to shoot it almost every time I pass through on the train. I would love to spend more time with my camera there but on the few occasions I have been in there with my Cannon I have been told by the guards that I am not allowed to take photos on the station platform. So while on the train (not on the platform) I could not help but get my phone out and take a shot through the window.
Delicious Dim Sum
Delicious Dim Sum for a joint birthday in China Town.
Dim Sum for my family is the equivalent of a Sunday pub lunch. We would all get dressed in our best and head out to Dad’s favorite China Town Restaurant. We would order enough dishes to full the table and eat till we burst. All my life Dim Sum has always been the way to celebrate special occasions.
Skull jacket
Skull jacket I noticed the skull patch on this guys jacket as he walked past and I was compelled to capture it. So much so I speed walked to keep him in sight while I fumbled for my phone. Thank goodness for my current obsession with Instagram or I may have well let thus moment just pass by.
Flickr Photos
Digital Oskar 