Tag Archives: england

Conservation/Environment, Photographs: England, Photographs: People, Photographs: Urban/Street

Pedestrian and Cyclist

June 8, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

Pedestrian and cyclist on walkway in front of the Tate Modern, London

We were well into our stay in London in the summer of 2016 when we finally got around to going to the Tate Modern, where there was an exhibit of paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe. I think we waited because she is American, we’ve seen shows of her work a lot, and we probably wondered how new the work would be in a London show. Because of our (misguided!) thinking, we ended up here with only a few hours to spend — only to discover that this was the most extensive collection of O’Keeffe’s work that we had seen in one place and that we didn’t have nearly enough time to see it all.

At one point, perhaps while waiting for our turn to enter the exhibit, we stepped out onto a balcony that was open to the landscaped area between the museum and the River Thames, where there were many pedestrians and a few cyclists. If I watch long enough I find that the passers-by sometimes assemble themselves into interesting groupings and patterns, so I indulged myself in a little bit of overhead photography, looking down from my high perch. The walkway took on a striking blue color in the shadow of the building, lit by the gigantic blue light panel of the sky as a walker and a cyclist approached one another.

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Borough Market

June 4, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

The Light, Borough Market, London, United Kingdom

All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Barber and His Shop

May 31, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A barber takes a break on the steps of his shop, London

We spent a few late afternoon and early evening hours wandering around this area of narrow streets and small shops, killing time before a scheduled evening event. It was a warm evening, and this fellow was sitting on the steps in the doorway of his shop, probably getting a bit of fresh air, when we walked past.

From time to time I’ve read about people with some strict “rules” about what street photography is and is not. They often involve the equipment used, a preference for black and white, a challenge to get in the faces of subjects, and the desire to produce a certain “raw” look. There is nothing wrong with any of that, but I have my own notions about street photography — what it can look like, how it can be done, and even the boundaries around the subjects that qualify as street. It can be and up close, black and white image of a person doing more or less nothing special. But it can also be an urban landscape in which the wildlife is human. It can be in color. People do not necessarily have to be included. It can be produced in a slow and methodical manner or spontaneously while in motion. To make this photograph – notice the very low camera position — I held the camera down at my side and “shot blind” as we walked past.

Photographs: England, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Scene, Child, Window Reflection

May 29, 2017 G Dan Mitchell Leave a comment

A child appears to yell at a reflective window in front of a London street scene

This is one of those “either you get it or you don’t get it” photographs. We were in London for a bit more than a week, as part of a five-week period on the road through places including New York, London, Paris, Germany, and Italy. I know that not every “landscape photographer” feels the same way, but I love photographing the streets and people when I’m in places like this. In some ways it is a sort of counter to what I more typically do — I can work handheld rather than with a tripod, I tend to carry minimal equipment, and photographing “the street” often compels me to work quickly and instinctively.

We were out walking somewhere in London — I’ve forgotten the exact context — and we ended up on this busy street full of pedestrians. There is a lot to think about and to see in this photograph, at least in my view. The sky blue color figures prominently in many places within the frame. The carefree girl walking toward her reflection is the center of the scene for me, but behind we also see a couple and an older woman walking away.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: england

Pedestrian and Cyclist

Borough Market

Barber and His Shop

Street Scene, Child, Window Reflection

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.