The Market

It is often said “All roads lead to Rome”
A good number of years ago we followed one of those many roads and got to Rome.
We traveled with my Board members so it could hardly be described as “Budget trip”.
From our Hotel Ponte Sisto we began to explore that ancient City. One of our walks took us to a Market close to the hotel. It was a busy place filled with people, both locals and tourists. I especially noticed this elderly Lady making her way with her modest purchases and wondered what she was going home to. Perhaps some shared room or maybe one of her favourite places for sleeping rough?
It is perhaps strange, but when I travel I become more aware of the people around me and begin to think about their background. Each of them on their own journey beginning as an innocent baby and finishing, who knows where and when? A journey filled with happy and sad moments. With success and failure?

London Railings

London Railings
You see them at elegant terraces and squares. To me they are almost “Iconic” of London.
They are the cast iron railings, painted in a glossy black. They spread out from the elegant front doors and as often they are guarding the steps leading downstairs (the servants access)
During the second world war most of them were removed to be used in the war effort. As it turned out, the authorities had overestimated the need for iron or some administrator had fouled up. I have read stories about them being dumped at some lonely coastal area. In my latest search on the net I found, that many were dumped in the Thames estuary in such quantities that Tugs had to be used to navigate, as the huge quantities of cast iron threw the magnetic compasses out. whatever happened to them, they are back again in all there glory and together with, the now rare red telephone booths, say welcome to London.

King’s Cross Station

When we visit London, we like to stay at The George Hotel in Bloomsbury. To get there we catch the Piccadilly Line from terminal 5 at Heathrow. We will get off either at Russell Square or King’s Cross Station. Russell Square Station is crowded and serviced by slow lifts, whereas King’s Cross, recently refurbished, is spacious and effective. The modern concourse is buzzing with people filling the shops and restaurants. This is a shot of a few of the travellers spending time on the mezzanine floor under the large domed roof.

A Copenhagen Street

I spend much time looking at the old photographer’s pictures from the fifties and earlier. Many of grey and gritty streets with children playing and mothers chatting. What most of them have in common, is the almost total absence of cars. I have spent much time in Copenhagen and other European cities photographing in the streets and every street of interest was choked with cars. The other day my son and I went into Copenhagen and came across this short stretch of street. It just had to be photographed.
Camera Sony RX 100 MK 3

A time to play

It was Saturday and our little town was full of activity. All of the political parties and many of the voluntary organisations such as Red cross, Save The Children, The Heart Foundation, etc etc, had set up stalls and were canvassing for their cause. There were also a number of clubs helping to the fill the street. The main street was packed with people. This little lad had obviously decided to take a break and sat quietly playing with some toy. He looked content and concentrated.

A day in London Town

London Town
I do love going to London. For various reasons my wife and i have not been able to visit for a couple of years, so the next best thing is to look at photos from previous visits. This is from Piccadilly Circus looking down Regent Street to the column with the Duke of York perched on top. The Palace of Westminster is in the background. It was a typical London day in 2008 and the light in the sky appealed to me. http://www.thelostphotographer.dk

 

Copenhagen Central Station

I like photographing at stations. They are so full og geometric shapes. I like the shining rails curving away from the platform, knowing that they stretch continuously to so many cities and towns. I enjoy seeing the arriving and departing passengers and their different personalities.

In passing

While the hairdresser beautified my wife, I walked around in our little town playing with my Nikon D750. I have had it for about a year, but I have still got a lot to learn about it. Among the things I tried was the manual setting. The last time I tried that was, with my Nikon D700, several years ago in London. It may well have been my imagination, but I could swear that I got better results that way. I set the camera back to aperture priority (my normal setting) and wandered about photographing streets, buildings and people. Close to the station I came across this scene. Back home I converted it to black and white and quite liked the result. At one stage I was very keen on street photography with people in the picture. NO MORE. I believe, that the photographer can tell strong and compelling stories about people by showing where they live or lived and the artefacts they have left behind. Still I liked this on, so I am sharing it here

A cold day in Copenhagen

It was cold in Copenhagen the other day. The benches on the City Square were deserted, but the pigeons made good use of warm air from a ventilation shaft
Camera Nikon D750
Lens 50mm f 1.4

Power

Lately I have been catching the train to Copenhagen. It beats battling the traffic on the roads and searching for parking. Coming out of Copenhagen central station is a comglamoration of rail tracks. In the background is the power station named after the Danish discoverer of Electro Magnitism H. C. Ørsted. It was here in 1956
The IL-14 operated on an international Aeroflot passenger service from Moscow-Vnukovo (VKO) to Copenhagen (CPH), Denmark with an en route stop at Riga (RIX). Impacted a chimney and crashed into the southern harbour of Copenhagen killing all 23 people on board.
The light was very special so I quickly snapped a picture through the train window