Category Archives: photography

V1 and V2 bomb sites from WW2


With my fascination with anything from WW1 or WW2, I was quite pleased to have stumbled across the site of a V1 flying bomb on Saturday. I was taking photographs of woodland in Kent, and the owner pointed out a large round hole in the ground. At first, it was difficult to see clearly, as there was fairly dense tree growth. But with an expert eye, he pointed out the raised edge around the hole, indicating the soil had been thrown up in a blast. This is different from ancient mines or quarries which are generally level and also haphazard […]

Land Girls


During the  autumn of 2010 I started photographing a few people I knew for a personal project, initially inspired by a Land Girls poster from WW2. Like the Gardeners’ Hands project from a couple of years ago, it gathered momentum, slowly at first, but by word of mouth it has grown from the original six portraits taken last year, to a surprising 30 portraits. And I only seem to have scratched the surface! Not a literal interpretation of the original poster, the connection with everyone is that they grow edible plants or plants for cropping in some form – whether in a […]

Conil to Cape Trafalgar


The coastline between Conil de la Frontera and Cape Trafalgar, Spain, is something I am quite familiar with. The lighthouse at the Cape is visible from the house we stay at in at Fuente Del Gallo, and beyond that, on a clear day, you can see Morocco. Swinging round to the right, looking out to sea, is where the Battle of Trafalgar took place. 200 years ago, the top of the cliffs may have given a grandstand view to any spectator. I have planned the walk to the lighthouse many times, but it was only recently that I tried to […]

The holiday snap


I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked by people to take snaps of them in front of  important landmarks. A camera is thrust in my direction, usually a very small compact, with an impossibly slow shutter release, which makes me look as if I’ve never touched a camera in my life.  I fumble and eventually get an image, often after some quick tuition by the owner, showing me how the camera works. My recent holiday was no exception. Though this time, I kept a record with my camera too. This happy group ran up  saying, “Foto, […]

Giverny


A few weeks ago I had the chance to visit Monet’s garden at Giverny. Despite being grey and drizzly most of the time, it was still beautiful. Here are a few out-takes. The bit Monet missed – the tunnel that leads to the bridge. Some water lillies – the shop was doing brisk business with umbrellas. I stayed at a B&B called La Maison Bleue, run by a lovely lady called Françoise. Apparently Claude Monet bought the house and created an extensive vegetable garden there. He also rented it out to his friend, the impressionist artist Guy Rose, who painted many […]