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pauldebois

Photographer based in London. Work: Lifestyle, gardens, landscape and people.
Photos & features through: www.gapphotos.com
Alter ego: rowing coach.

Day 2 of new @putneytownrc sculling course…wort

Day 2 of new @putneytownrc sculling course…worth getting up at 5am for such lovely water!

#scullinglife #putneytownrowingclub #scullingcourse

My mum with her sister - the lost art of the photo

My mum with her sister - the lost art of the photobooth! Looking through some old photos today and this fell onto the floor.

Probably from the 1970's. They used to make all their own clothes, so they were probably sporting their latest creations, hence the photo.

There used to be a photobooth in every station, post office and probably library too. I think you can still find them if you look.

Tempted to find one now!

#familyportrait #photobooth

End of another rowing coaching year with all coach

End of another rowing coaching year with all coaches gifted a splendid hydrangea last night! Always a privilege to see young folk you’ve known since they were 14 years old move on as young adults to universities in the UK and USA.

#asl #rowingcoaching #rowinglife #eagles

Finally finished putting the second of these books

Finally finished putting the second of these books together today. An edited selection of images of the River Thames taken since 1985.

A3+ prints on Simili Japon paper.

These are images taken whilst walking or out on the river. Or with earlier examples taken whilst working as a car photographer, looking for locations.

#sociallandscape #riverthames #hiddenlondon #secretlondon #grandunioncanal #londonwaterways

Dry garden - the front garden as it currently stan

Dry garden - the front garden as it currently stands. One or two overwinter casualties, but a couple of new appearances.

1. Mexican daisy and verbena bonariensis. The verbena was originally planted in clumps (which have disappeared) but I now let it pop up wherever it chooses. The Mexican daisy has really matured this year.
2. General view
3. Salvia macrophylla with bee. One of the original plants from 2022, it has lasted well. Maybe one more year before it gets too leggy, we’ll see.
4. Curry plant and cotton lavender. In the recent heat, you can really smell the spice scent in the evening.
5. Lychnis coronaria and Phlomis russeliana. The Phlomis was planted last year and has flowered well - though in this current dry spell, it does look a bit flaky in the evenings, but recovers overnight. Still resisting the temptation to water!
6. Cistus purpureus. Another from the original planting with an evening scent.
7 & 8. Nepeta or catmint. This seems bulletproof, though it does attract the attention of a local Siamese cat!
9. Phlomis, looking through to the Miscanthus grasses which will mature in late summer
10. General view, looking through the olive trees. Maybe due a top prune as one was hit by winter storms and was nearly uprooted. The soil isn’t that deep.

The Sea thrift has disappeared, which is a shame as that was very pretty. And the red Geum from the original planting has pretty much given up now. Just one flower this year.

#flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #droughttolerant #gravelgarden #frontgardenideas

Professor Nigel Dunnett, pioneer in natural planti

Professor Nigel Dunnett, pioneer in natural planting, who sadly passed away a couple of weeks ago. Taken outside the London Olympics stadium during its development in 2011.

Yesterday I was contacted by the Times, asking if they could use this photo in an obituary appearing in today's paper. As the deadline was 60 minutes, and the fact I was at another 2012 Olympic venue, Lake Dorney, I missed the window. But a nice reminder of a day spent wandering around the site with Nigel and @veronicapeerless, discussing the planning and ideas behind the planting for Which? Magazine.

#gardenphotography #naturalplanting #meadow #wildlifemeadow #nigeldunnett

Mum with her friend, who is 102 years old. Amazing

Mum with her friend, who is 102 years old. Amazing!

#familyportraits

Taking a footpath shortcut through Richmond and St

Taking a footpath shortcut through Richmond and St Mary Magdalene Church, I found this lovely rose. No idea of the variety. And also two large trees…I think Dawn redwoods. Wondering why they were planted so close to a building! And also if these might have been from the original seedlings propagated at Kew after the tree’s rediscovery after WWII.

#urbanplanting #publicspace #rose #dawnredwood #richmond

Urban flowers, Kensal Rise and Park Royal. Geran

Urban flowers, Kensal Rise and Park Royal.

Geranium robertianum, recycled planters on house boat and foxglove mural. Urban life.

#wildlings #graffiti #herbrobert #foundflowers #urbanlife

Two Taureans. #familyportrait

Two Taureans.

#familyportrait

Thames life … a small pile of Egyptian geese. Am

Thames life … a small pile of Egyptian geese. Amazed I was allowed to get this close as the adult birds have a lot of attitude!

#thameslife #riverlife #egyptiangeese #babybirds #riverthames

Aquilegia, grannys bonnet, columbine - several nam

Aquilegia, grannys bonnet, columbine - several names, but always pretty.

Wildlings from the garden which have popped up randomly every year since 1997. And never in the same place.

#flower #flowerphotography #cottagegarden #wildlings #urbangarden #aquilegia #grannysbonnet #columbine

Black poplar - guerrilla planting, somewhere! Fi

Black poplar - guerrilla planting, somewhere!

First time I've planted anything myself.

Black poplars are the most endangered native timber tree in the UK according to the Woodland Trust. So few remain in fact that it is estimated there are only 7000 trees left in the UK. Hopefully there will be two more to add to this total.

I thought they were over winter casualties, but after cutting out the deadwood, new shoots have emerged and are currently 35cm in height.

#populusnigra #blackpoplar #guerrillaplanting #nativetrees

Mortlake - old names. When I was at school, the o

Mortlake - old names.

When I was at school, the origin of the name Mortlake was given in history lessons as being derived from a plague pit located in the area, which is quite plausible.

But apparently the name is recorded in the Doomsday Book in 1086 as Mortelage several centuries earlier. Etymology is a fascinating thing, with one explanation from old English given as 'mort' being a salmon and 'lacu' a stream. 'Salmon Stream' is a much nicer origin for the name!

Conjecture maybe, but quite a strong possibility, with a fishery in the area in the 11th century.

#mortlake #oldnames #riverthames #lowlight #oldlondon

Explaining how useful AI can be in plant identific

Explaining how useful AI can be in plant identification to my mum in her care home garden, I had to admit it’s not always right. She thought her luck had changed though, as she asked for a box of matches. 🤪

It is very clever though and can refine ID searches.

#plantnames #urbangardens #botanicalnames #gardenphotography #acerpalmatum

Shady corners of the garden. One of the best times

Shady corners of the garden. One of the best times of year for colour with everything still fresh.

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #editorialphotography #featureshoot #urbangarden #smallgarden

The Pink Lodge and Isleworth Ait - boat’s eye an

The Pink Lodge and Isleworth Ait - boat’s eye and bird’s eye views!

#rowinglife #isleworthait #richmonduponthames #riverthames

Rock pools, shapes and formations, Cape Trafalgar

Rock pools, shapes and formations, Cape Trafalgar and Conil de la Frontera.

The coastline here is permanently changing due to erosion, leaving fascinating rock forms.

#rockpools #rockshapes #naturalart #naturalsculpture #andalucia

Seville Las Setas and Parque de María Luisa. #s

Seville

Las Setas and Parque de María Luisa.

#seville #parquedemaríaluisa #lassetas #shapes #architectureanddesign

Cape Trafalgar. Wandering along the rugged coast

Cape Trafalgar.

Wandering along the rugged coastline around the lighthouse today. The Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was a couple of kilometres out to sea from this point.

#andalucia #capetrafalgar #cliffwalk #rockybeach #wandering

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