Landscape

El Llobregat

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A selection of images from the Llobregat river, in the area between El Prat and Sant Vicenç dels Horts, near Barcelona. These were shot on two visits to the river area, with the aim of exploring how to document an area such as this, where the river area is nominally described as a natural space and is surrounded by a mix of quasi-industrial agriculture and city infrastructure. Between the two visits there was a deluge of rain, depositing up to 40L/m^2 in this area. The result was that huge areas […]

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Landscape

Collserola

Serra de Collserola
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A set of images from a walk up on the Collserola de Serra, the ring of hills that separate Barcelona from the inland areas of Catalunya. The Collserola is not the most aesthetic of parkland areas, with low mediterranean woodland and scrub areas. There are numerous tracks all over, and navigation is easy, particularly if you use Organic Maps which unlike Google or Apple Maps, shows most of the possible paths. This particular walk started improbably from the L1 metro stop at Baró de Viver, running up through the city […]

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Landscape

Hangang

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A short set of images taken walking along the banks of the Hangang river in Seoul. This was a particularly rainy and wet time and there were few people around, often giving the illusion of an abandoned city – an illusion that is easily broken if you are just a little higher and can see all the traffic! I am still finding my feet at the moment and I will write more on Seoul and Korea when I have had enough time to understand the region better than I do […]

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Landscape

El Prat

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A set of images from a walk from El Prat to Castelldefels, at the very edge of the Barcelona metropolitan area. I much prefer the beaches in winter, when the temperature is more bearable and there are fewer people. The walk is about 20km, with quite a lot on sand, necessitating an early start from the El Prat railway station. From there, there is a short walk through the town to start of the wet lands and dunes that surround the airport, which dominates everything not least for the constant […]

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Landscape

Camí de Ronda

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A short post with some images from a gentle hike along part of the Camí de Ronda from Tossa de Mar and back through the inland forest track. Tossa de Mar was once a small fishing village, but of course now like pretty much everywhere on the Costa Brava it has become intensely focussed on mass tourism. Fortunately, this was late day in September and despite the amazingly clear skies and 30c temperatures there were remarkably few people. This was a walking trip so we did not stop in the […]

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Landscape

Eight

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A set of eight images from the eighth month of the year, shot while on vacation in northern Italy. As always, fragments of life seem to make the most interesting images. As usual, there are always the shrines: And bizarrely, I found a number of different houses with Disney characters outside. I am not sure why Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is so popular with mountain communities. I also tried some artsy fragments of scenes, with mixed success. There should probably be a lifetime quota for shots of aging […]

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Landscape

Don’t go Chasing

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Don’t go Chasing A set of images taken on a weekend hiking trip to Bielsa, in the Parque Nacional de Ordesa. The park is part of the Pirineos, with typical glacial features. We were extremely lucky to have arrived to good weather following a week of heavy rain and storms, so that the rivers were very active for this time of year. We had time for three hikes. The first around los Lllanos de Larri, the area to the west of Monte Perdido and Revilla. The area is quite busy […]

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Black and White

Five Landscapes

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Five monochrome landscape images, taken in the Italian alps. These were shot using a Leica Q2 Monochrom and various colour-contrast and polarising filters. The Q2M is a monochrome-only compact camera with a fixed 28mm lens which was bought to replace an ageing Ricoh GR for travel where carrying film is no longer practical. The Q2M has the advantage of a built-in EVF, and shooting with the monochrome sensor is essentially the same process as for shooting with black and white film, only without the chemicals. Compositionally, I found the Q2M […]

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Black and White

Signs of Life

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A short photo essay on the easing of lock-down and the (quasi) return to normal life, albeit somewhat cautiously. These images were shot on a short and cautious trip to Italy, with some hiking in the mountains both in Italy and neighbouring Switzerland. It is clear that the COVID19 situation is going to persist for some time to come, not least because there is still widespread confusion and/or refusal to take simple preventative measures against infection. Surprisingly, the flights and public transport were perhaps the lowest risk in the trip, […]

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Landscape

August

Sunset and yacht on Lago di Como, Italy.
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  A short set of Italian alpine landscape images, which seems appropriate for the time of year. These were shot in several locations, from Vall di Mello to Lago di Como, and are a pretty good summary of what August should be like. Unfortunately for us, August is going to be a busy month, and I am putting the blog on hold now until things settle down in September, when it might also be cool enough to process film again…

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Black and White

El Prat

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A short set of panoramic black and white film images taken around El Prat, just outside of Barcelona. This is a mainly agricultural area, with many walks that make a nice change from being in the city. All images made with the Horizon panoramic camera, using Delta 100 film.

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Landscape

Espai Rural de Gallecs

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A short set of landscape images from the Gallecs rural space, just outside of Barcelona. This is a large area which has been preserved as farmland, largely thanks to the efforts of the local population to resist the pressures of urban and industrial development. The freshly ploughed clay soils have an amazingly deep and rich red colour. And lastly, a bonus image of some street art in the underpass connecting the town of Mollet del Vallès to the agricultural lands:  

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