“Spanish Caravan, Liverpool” — A beer ad on a wall in the Liverpool Ropewalks district.
This scene was on a corner near the place we stayed in the Ropewalks district of Liverpool this spring. We had gone out for a long walk and run into a bit of rain, perhaps obvious from the wet street and sidewalk. I think that the large figure on the wall is meant to look like a guy who is happy with his beer. But I think there is also something just a bit ominous about that unnatural grin on a figure towering above the street and peeking out between buildings.
“Red Boxes” — Two red boxes on the sidewalk below a street art panel, Aberdeen.
This is another street photograph from central Aberdeen, Scotland, a bit west the Victoria Dock. There are many old and narrow streets here that twist and turn in interesting ways. Some of the streets feature a lot of street art and, unlike in some places I’ve visited and photographed, much of it stands apart for better viewing and is rarely defaced by graffiti.
“FRESH” — A person walks past a Dublin wall with painted flames and a “FRESH” sign in the Temple Bar district.
I have seen Dublin’s Temple Bar district described in various ways: historic, touristy, not a place to go at night, nightlife hub. From what I could gather on our brief visit this past May, any or all of those might be correct, though I saw no real evidence of it being dangerous. Mostly it felt like one of those typical big city tourist areas, center in an older district with “character,” and gradually being invaded by chain restaurants and shops. But there are still some fun rough edges.
“Sharpsville” — A person walks by the Sharpsville store in Dublin’s Temple Bar district.
On trips like our recent one to the British Isles, I operate in at least two distinctly different photographic modes: landscape photographer (s my recent Scotland work) and street photographer. During our visit to Dublin I was almost exclusively in the latter mode. Dublin is a rich location for street photography. There are crowds of people, and the city has a vibrant, alive feeling. There are also lots of fascinating old and sometimes nicely weathered building.
