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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.

Mortlake and Strand-on-the-Green. Water margins

Mortlake and Strand-on-the-Green.

Water margins - Purple loosestrife, water hemlock and Mexican daisy.

#wildflowers #wildlings #naturephotography #landscapephotography #londonsriver #urbanriver #citywaterways #londonsbridges #chiswickbridge #beautifullondon #strand-on-the-green
#mexicandaisy #waterhemlock #purpleloosestrife #thamesfootpath

Orchid cyanotype prints, c 1997-8 A simple proces

Orchid cyanotype prints, c 1997-8

A simple process derived from architects blue prints, Victorian photographers adopted it for continuous tone images.

A light sensitive solution is painted onto paper in a darkroom and allowed to dry. You need a negative the same size as your final print which is placed directly onto the paper and exposed to a UV light source. More often than not, sunlight. The print is then developed in water.

Complete with tests and darkroom notes written at the time. After 25 years, an addendum would be never use cow gum to stick down prints as it stains!

#historicphotos #documentaryphotgraphy #fromthearchive #traditionalprint #darkroom #journeyswithfilm #cyanotype #alternativeprocesses #fromthearchive #orchid #phalaenopsisorchid

Wandering, Kew Gardens. I rarely take a camera in

Wandering, Kew Gardens.

I rarely take a camera into the tropical or temperate glasshouses at Kew. The humidity and temperature change can cause condensation to form inside lenses. But the ambient conditions outside over the last week have almost matched those inside!

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #floral #temperategreenhouse #tropicalgreenhouse #kewgardens

First tentative paddle in 10 days..getting back to

First tentative paddle in 10 days..getting back to normal at last!
A lovely evening to be on the river.

#ptrc #scullinglife #riverthames @putneytownrc #chiswickbridge #mortlake #barnesbridge @putneytownrc

Boxes of things. Prints, envelopes, card folders,

Boxes of things. Prints, envelopes, card folders, albums, frames and loose negatives. Leftovers from my mum's house clearance a couple of years ago.

Always fascinating rummaging through old photos, though finding negatives that have fallen out of their protective sleeves always bothers me!

A rare photo of my dad, who was nearly always behind the camera. Though I've not a clue who took these. And a badly faded colour print of me with my brothers. Snapshots never change!

#snapshots #familysnaps #monochrome #oldphotos #memorabilia #artofthesnapshot

The first orchids I've found this year. Tricky thi

The first orchids I've found this year. Tricky things, you usually find them unexpectedly. But I was told that I might come across some here...Hartslock Nature Reserve in Oxfordshire.

Today it was common spotted-orchid and pyramidal orchid. Lots of butterflies with other wild flowers too.

Hartslock is beautiful chalk hill site overlooking river near Goring-on-Thames. Worth a visit earlier in the season next year to see some particularly rare species.

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #orchids #commonspottedorchid #pyramidalorchid #wandering #flowerhunting

Having spent a few days indoors looking at photogr

Having spent a few days indoors looking at photographs, it was nice to get back in the field yesterday with a camera. Observations at Kew Gardens.

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #floral #lilypads #kewgardens #waterlily

Notes and momentos. I came across this postcard to

Notes and momentos. I came across this postcard today, sent by Beth Chatto, after I made portraits in her gardens in 2009. A lovely reminder of the visit when so much business is carried out using transient methods of communication now.

She invited me back and I did go once more, again for new portraits. One was used on Catherine Horwood's biography of Beth. And she displayed the hands photo with many others in that project in the garden cafe. Hence the postcard.

Quietly spoken and very friendly, it was lovely to find that someone of such significance in the industry had time to sit and chat over a cup of tea and biscuits afterwards!

#bethchatto #notesandmomentos #postcard #gardenphotography #portrait #fromthearchive

The judging panel at 2025 RHS Photography Portfoli

The judging panel at 2025 RHS Photography Portfolio Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery, which runs from 13th June - 27th July.

With 18 portfolio finalists, we awarded the highest number of golds since the exhibition first came to the Saatchi Gallery - and the winners will find out tomorrow!

This is the fifth year the exhibition has been held at The Saatchi Gallery @saatchi_gallery and they have made another brilliant job of all the displays, which includes the RHS Botanical Art exhibition.

Thanks to fellow judges @richardwilf @photoartitude @boursnell @hevphoto and Arabella for making this such fun.

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #floral #nature #garden #gardenphotography #gardenphotographer #gardencolour #plantingideas #instagarden #bloom #nature #flowerportrait
#exhibition #saatchigallery #rhs #rhsportfolio #competition #artphotography

Preparing to judge the Botanical Art & Photography

Preparing to judge the Botanical Art & Photography Exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery. Another selection of beautiful portfolios to see.

#saatchigallery #rhsportfolio #botanicalart&photography #flowerart #rhsphotocompetition #rhs

Acanthus mollis. This chap has sulked in the back

Acanthus mollis.

This chap has sulked in the back garden for years and has done nothing. Until a couple of weeks ago. Producing lush green leaves as well as the flower spires you see.

Of Mediterranean origin, so apparently tolerant of the dry conditions which the garden definitely offers. You never know!

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #floral #gardenphotography #gardenphotographer #magazinefeature #droughttolerant #urbangarden #smallgarden #acanthusmollis

Kew and Strand-on-the-Green #editorialphotography

Kew and Strand-on-the-Green

#editorialphotography #featureshoot #magazinefeature #strandonthegreen #landscapephotography #getoutside #riverthames #thames #river #londonsriver #urbanriver #citywaterways #lowtide #kew #flora #wildlings

Wandering, Kew Riverside. I've not seen one of the

Wandering, Kew Riverside. I've not seen one of these before. The best name guess, skimming through books, is some form of broomrape. About 30cm high.

Any clues?

#wildflowers #wildlings #londonsriver #urbanriver #citywaterways #riverthames #thames #thamespath #kewriverside

Navigation test for Eva last night, with a multitu

Navigation test for Eva last night, with a multitude of conditions and challenges. The calmer parts edit!

#ptrc #coachinglife #scullinglife #riverthames @putneytownrc #navigationtest

In the shadow of the Wharncliffe Viaduct, Hanwell.

In the shadow of the Wharncliffe Viaduct, Hanwell. Wandering today.

Like quite a few urban rivers, the River Brent has been treated as an inconvenience along its short route through West London down to Brentford and the Thames. Another diversion as it is channelled around the base of the viaduct, which is a bit like a film set.

#wildlifemeadow #meadow #urbanmeadow #abandonedphotography #lostplaces #abandoned #urbex #abandon_seekers #nature_takes_over #londonsriver #urbanriver #citywaterways #riverbrent #monochromephotography

Street plants and wildlings, taking advantage of a

Street plants and wildlings, taking advantage of anywhere they can get a foothold at the moment.

1. Mediterranean mustard (left) with Mexican daisy and Serbian bellflower (right).
The mustard is everywhere along the river and looks quite pretty. But a vigourous and invasive plant.
2. Poppy
3. Horse chestnut (left) and Elderflower.
4. White campion and meadow buttercup.
5. Dog rose.
6. Wild angelica and Serbian bellflower.
7. Oak tree and Mexican daisy.
The Mexican daisy is an introduced species and does like riverside cracks and crevices. I guess the seeds are transported by the river.

#wildflowers #wildlings #streetplants #meadow #urbanmeadow #wildland #edgelands #urbanriver #citywaterways #mexicandaisy #whitecampion #wildangelica #serbianbellflower #dogrose #meadowbuttercup #redpoppy #mediterraneanmustard

End of season sports awards at American School in

End of season sports awards at American School in London. Proud to see quite a few of the kids we’ve known since 14 year old novices prepare to head to university in the autumn. With one national champion in the mix.

Most of the coaches this evening..except @derynesterhuyse

#rowinglife #coachinglife #asl #americanschoolinlondon

Kew Bridge and Strand-on-the-Green this evening.

Kew Bridge and Strand-on-the-Green this evening.

Still frame from video footage.

#rowinglife #riverthames #ptrc @putneytownrc #strandonthegreen #kewbridge #lastlight #scullinglife

Nature's tricks. Scents are to a certain extent do

Nature's tricks. Scents are to a certain extent down to personal preference. But these two from my garden I'd expect to have consensus.

Firstly, Philadelphus or mock orange blossom (left and frames 2 & 3). One of the nicest scents anywhere. Imagine a Moroccan citrus grove on a warm summer's evening. Beautiful.

Then you have Crataegus tomentosa or American blackthorn (right and frame 4). A lovely looking tree in the autumn with red berries. But for scent, imagine your food recycling bin overturned by foxes. Also on a warm summer's evening. Luckily the flowers are short lived!

#flowers #flower #flowerphotography #flowerphotographer #floral #nature #garden #gardenphotography #gardenphotographer #gardeninglife #perennialborder #perennialflowers #gardencolour #plantingideas #philadelphus #crataegustomentosa #smallgarden #urbangarden

Wandering along the River Brent in shadow of the M

Wandering along the River Brent in shadow of the M4 today. Urban observations and wildling finds.

1. Hawkweed
2. Yellow flag iris
3. Think these are Poplar seeds which have gathered in clumps on other plants
4. Medlar tree in flower. A fruit that has fallen out of fashion, a small orchard has been planted with cherry trees near Osterley.
5. Under the M4 and Osterley Lock
6. Hemlock and water hemlock
7. Bracket fungus
8. Dog rose. The native rambling rose.
9. Dumped electric bike and graffiti under the motorway.
10. Speedwell

#subjectivelyobjective #documentingspace #overlookedbeauty #urbanriver #citywaterways #hiddenlondon #exploringlondon #secretlondon #grandunioncanal #riverbrent #wildflowers #wildlings #seedheads

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