My challenge for this week’s 52 weeks project was black and white photography. As I was in Birmingham for my research work, I took the opportunity to wander the streets of the city looking for pictures of buildings. Armed with my trusty Fujifilm x100v, I stepped off the bus at the O2 arena stop. On the opposite side of the road, there are new high raised buildings going up. All are aimed at the residential market. These skyscrapers are going up all over and the city looks unfinished or going places depending on which way you think.
28 floors with 154 residential apartments being built on Essex street.
My next stop was the square area of buildings that house the Holiday Inn, 3 Arena central and the Alpha Tower. Many shapes, angles and lines as the tall buildings are all clustered together. The Library of Birmingham and the Town Hall were also the subjects of my study on black and white architecture. Finally the rain, which had been falling heavily all day, got the better of me and soaked through, I headed towards Snow Hill Station for my train home. I still managed to get a few pictures of the Snow Hill skyscrapers.
The edge of the Alpha Tower.Clustering of building lines.HSBC between the buildings No touchingLooking down Beak St to the Raddison BluThe Radisson Blu in Black and White!Surreal reflections of the Library of Birmingham.Tram stop in front of the Town Hall.Tram passing by the Snow Hill Buildings.Three SnowHill
My processing was a mixture of simple black and white or enhanced work with Silver Efex. The results were interesting and I was surprised that I captured so many buildings in different ways. I reflected all this was done without the need to photograph those iconic Birmingham buildings of the BT Tower, the Rotunda or the Cube. I will probably give the ones that I missed the black and white treatment another time. Meanwhile enjoy the ones that I have in this blog.
A conversation outside Birmingham Town hall.
If you enjoyed this blog then how about a splash of colour with your architecture.
Using a ring flash in dentistry was second nature. Having learnt how to photograph the teeth and other structures around the mouth, macro was second nature. There were two good mentors to my macro photography. A medical photographer at Wordsley hospital. I can not remember her name and Wordsley hospital is no more. However she instilled a discipline and love of macro photography. Then there was Mike Sharland at Birmingham Dental School. He set up your camera and showed you how to gently rock back and forth using manual focus. The settings were Manual Flash half a second, aperture f/22, shutter speed 1/200s and an ISO 100. These are your go to settings and then you can experiment from here.
Close up of a wild Daffodil.Wild DaffodilsHellebores.
Gardens are just great places for macro weather you want to photograph flowers or insects such as bees and butterflies. I dusted off my macro lens with ring flash and wandered around the garden. For this series of photographs, I find the way that the subject is illuminated and the background is dark attractive. There is little in the way of distracting background around. Hope you enjoy these photographs of flowers. By the way, if you are like me and do not know the name of the flowers then there is a very good app, PictureThis, that takes a picture and hey presto the name of the flower is revealed.
Daffodils and HyacinthsCommon Hyacinth.Grape hyacinth.Forget me not (Siberian bugloss)
The cemeteries of the Jewellery Quarter offer a fascinating glimpse into Birmingham’s past. There are two sites, Key Hill and Warstone Lane, with both cemeteries containing the burials of notable Birmingham people. The Friends of Key Hill cemetery and Warstone Lane cemetery work to maintain and protect these important historical landmarks. An @igersbirminghamuk Instameet was held in conjunction with @JQ_BID (Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District). We aimed to start at Key Hill and then move to Warstone cemetery. As it transpired, we spent so much time in Key Hill that we agreed we must return for a Warstone Lane Cemetery tour later in the year. This blog is about our visit to Key Hill Cemetery.
A collage of photographs taken on my iPhone
Key Hill is part of the Jewellery Quarter and I have visited the area before. The sister cementery Warstone is more popular due to it being nearer to the heart of the Jewellery Quarter. Key Hill is often overlooked yet it has so much to offer in history and stories of people buried in the cemetery. As organiser of the meeting, I had arranged for people to meet at the Key Hill entrance near to the ring road, forgetting there is another entrance at Key Hill Road. Then a few people got mixed up with the 2 cemeteries. Luckily, we all found each other and the Instameet got started. Josie from the JQ_BID was our host and proved to be a knowledgeable guide. Her enthusiastic storytelling brought the past histories of the area to the present. We were very fortunate as Josie agreed to open the Catacombs for viewing. First she gave some fascinating insights into the background of the cemetery. There was the obligatory group photograph and then we congregated outside the entrance to the catacombs. The large cast iron doors were unlocked.
The IgersbirminghamUk participants for the JQ meeting.
This was the first opening of the year and, as Josie explained, catacombs may work well in Mediterranean climates but in Birmingham the inside chamber was cool and damp. We used our iPhones for illumination and looked around the walls which included inscriptions of the people who were buried there. Picture taking was not straightforward due to the lack of light. The many iPhones helped bring some light to the dark interior. Some of the IgersbirminghamUK photographers did well with the low light levels and I encourage you to review their photographs on Instagram and other social feeds. The links are below.
The opening of the catacombs.Deep into the catacombs with light at the end of the tunnel.The entrance door at the catacombsThe view from the catacomb entrance.The grave of Constance Naden
Following the tour of the catacombs, Josie took us to several notable graves. The first was Constance Naden (1858 – 1889) who was a writer, poet and philosopher. Whilst Constance’s work was well regarded in her lifetime, there has been a resurgence of interest in her writings especially her ability to bring science and literature together. Learning about her life and legacy proved to be enlightening and she achieved so much in a short life succumbing to ovarian cancer at the age of 31.
Other notable graves that we stopped to discuss further stories included John Benjamin Tolkien (1784 – 1840) the grandfather of J.R. Tolkien and Thomas Walker. The grave of Thomas Walker has a brick design and the coat of arms of the City council. He had the idea of using highly durable blue engineering bricks for paving roads which led to better pavements and roads throughout Birmingham. We moved onto the family graves of the Chamberlain family which included Joseph Chamberlain (1836 – 1914). As former Mayor of Birmingham and founder of the University, the city owes a great debt to Joseph Chamberlain but as Dr Matt Cole writes on the University of Birmingham web site “Chamberlain’s legacy is so broad and idiosyncratic that it likely to leave no-one in full agreement with him.”. As a group we discussed his legacy and then one of the IgersbirminghamUK organisers @James_never_jim noticed the adjacent grave of James Austin Gargory who lived in Bull Street. He was an optician but also brought in different engineering items and was also an enthusiastic photographer.
The grave stone of Thomas Walker with the brick design and coat of arms.
Other graves included the Martineau family which linked to our previous Instameet at Martineau Gardens. We also visited the grave of Alfred Bird, the inventor of Custard. An interesting grave was that of Shadi Mohammed who died during the Blitz, In an episode known as the “Sand Bag” deaths, Shadi, his wife and several others died when a wall of sand bags collapsed on them. There were many many more stories to be told.
A view from on top of the cemetery.
The storytelling of Josie was excellent and we lost all track of time until she remembered that she needed to help at the JQ beer festival. The morning was eventful and many photographs were taken. We thanked Josie for hosting the meeting and we all made our separate ways. A few of us ended up in the Rose Taven in the centre of the JQ for a drink and a chat about the photographs we took and those that got away.
A view of the Jewellery Quarter buildings. The Rose Villa was one of the venues for the JQ beer festival and a final stop of the Instameet.
If you want to catch up on photographs taken by the IgersbirminghamUK community then please use these hashtags to search Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for more pictures.
Whilst we were visiting, we could see many bluebells getting ready to bloom in the next few weeks. I aim to return and take some pictures of the flowers when they are in full flower. Hope to see you there!
No bluebells as yet but blue grape hyacinths make up the colour.
If you like this post then you may like the following blog.
There is a hidden gem close to Birmingham city centre and must be ranked as one of the places to visit. Martineau Gardens is a beautiful community garden just off Priory Road in the middle of Edgbaston. After getting off the 61/63 bus that leaves the city, cross the Bristol Road and make your way up the hill on Priory Road. After a short walk, Martineau Gardens is on your right. There is a wooden entrance hut that leads you into two and a half acres of beautiful gardens. Martineau is a mixture of traditional gardens and a woodland towards the back of the property. The hub of the gardens is the Pavilion, so named, as there were originally tennis courts here as part of the land. The building, which will be renovated in the coming year, is a welcoming centre for the gardens. There is the opportunity to sit out on the table and chairs and share a cuppa with the volunteers and other visitors.
Nine iPhone pictures from IgersbirminghamUK Instameet
IgersbirminghamUK run Instameets where we invite local photographers to a venue. We tag our pictures and share them both on Instagram and also with the venue who kindly allowed us to photograph their property. At the start of the meeting, we were met by Jenni Fyer, CEO of Martineau Gardens who gave us an introduction to the gardens. Jenni outlined the history of the place where it was once used by teachers to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Now it is a community garden and is maintained by volunteers. The gardens pride themselves on being a therapeutic environment of organically maintained land, close to the city centre. The environment helps the community and supports people from different backgrounds especially those with various special needs. Jenni invited us to roam around the gardens, which were just waking up from the winter months, to take as many photographs as possible and then to join her and the volunteers for a cuppa at the Pavilion. After the obligatory group photograph of the IgersbirminghamUK participants, we were then left free to wander around the grounds.
IgersbirminghamUk at Martineau GardensJenni Fryer CEO Martineau Gardens
– I do love Instameets as it is a chance to catch up with old friends. Therefore there was much chatting with people before the real business of the visit; the photographing began. I made my way to the entrance and then into the formal gardens. There were spring flowers around and the buds were only just appearing on the trees. Next was the herb garden and the orchard. The sun was out making shadow play on the greenhouse glass and the wood of the garden huts. The shipwreck play area looked fun, and a mental note was made to bring my grandchildren back to see the place. Whilst the wildflower area was not yet up and running, I enjoyed taking pictures of the wheelbarrows, watering cans and the potted flowers. I then moved onto the woodland walk and was immediately surrounded by tall trees and foliage.
Peaceful sceneCacti in the greenhouse.Butterflies and Robins.Apple orchardShipwreckedSaucy Nancy
This part of the gardens is Designated a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC). Jenni Fryer had mentioned that this area is teaming with wildlife and is a welcome green corridor amongst the urban conurbation that surrounds the gardens. There was a pond that looked a great place for dragon and damsel flies over the summer months. Next along the path was a Sacred Circle for meeting on a common ground and then a collection of beehives. There was much activity in the hives so I did not get too close! I slowly wandered back as I found myself content just strolling through the gardens. There was the occasional sound of tennis balls against rackets as we were neighbouring onto the Edgbaston Priory Tennis Club but otherwise you could lose yourself in the environment.
Tree trunkBees at work.The PondThe Woodland Path
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Blossom in the woodland.Getting ready.
Upon returning to the Pavilion, one of the volunteers made me a lovely cuppa. Then there was time to chat talking about the photography and the gardens. Before saying my goodbyes, I purchased some apple and mango chutney from the shop. Something to remind me of the visit later.
Jars of Apple and Melon Chutney and Honey available to purchase.
I started off this blog saying that this is a hidden gem. It is no longer hidden to me and this will be a place to visit in the future with the family. Martineau Gardens is a place to visit to meditate, to unwind and let the stresses of life fall away. There is so much to enjoy and see.
Wheel barrow.Can the can.
– Finally thank you to all the volunteers and staff and thanks to Jenni Fryer for welcoming us and to Sarah Hill-Daniel at the gardens for arranging the date and timing of the IgersbirminghamUK visit.
Please follow these tags on Instagram to see more photographs by the talented people @IgersbirminghamUK. #martineaugardens #igersuk_meet_martineau
Spring is often the best time to set off on a bike ride around the Warwickshire countryside. I take my smaller camera bag with me which can hold my Canon D5 Mark IV in addition to two lenses, my EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM and this time my wide angled EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM. I planned my travels around four churches which are in cycling distance and make an ideal circular route. On my way, I passed by Packwood House towards the canal where I can use the towpath and then up towards Lapworth. There is a well-positioned canal bridge that offers good views of the countryside, and this is where I turn onto the road leading to the first church on my trip. As I was passing, there was a canal boat moored up to the bank which lined up for a nice picture. The scene was featured on the Midlands Today weather feed on Twitter.
This scene was featured on BBC Midlands today social media feeds.
St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth The road to St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth takes you through a quiet part of Warwickshire. Ever since the construction of the M40 which took away a busy access road, the place is a safer place for cycling. St Mary’s church has a prominent position looking out over the Warwickshire countryside. Whilst impressive in size on the outside, it retains warmth and welcome inside. The church was open, enabling me to take an interior picture, whilst listening to some rather good piano music being played by a parishioner. On the outside, I love the texture of the brickwork and the position of the church next to the road. The small outside annex is also interesting.
The cosy interior of St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth. Note the piano player on the right of the picture.Upwards view showing the intricate features of the brick work.St Mary the Virgin at Lapworth.The interesting addition to the front of the church.A view from the church towards the Warwickshire countryside.
St Thomas’s Church at Hockley Health Back on my bike, I crossed the busy Stratford Rd and onto another quiet road. There is a steep hill down to a hollow which is fun to ride but there is payback with an uphill climb to St Thomas’s Church at Hockley Heath. This imposing Victorian church is built of red brick. I often pass it in the car on my way to Tamworth in Arden and beyond. Taking the time to stop off and explore the church was fun. The church was locked and therefore most of the pictures show the outside red brick work.
The Victorian St Thomas’s church.Church detailsThe front door.More details
Umberslade Baptist Chapel The road to the next church is not very bike friendly and luckily the entrance to Umberslade Baptist Chapel is only 100 metres down the road. The approach to this pretty church is via a tree lined avenue. Upon entering the church grounds, the first building you encounter is the Old British School. This old disused building has a printed piece of paper on the door which reads “The Nuthurst British school 1877-1913”. There then follows the name of the Headmistress and the four teachers who worked there. The building sits at the end of the tree lined road and then further on there is the church. However, the dilapidated school house holds the more interesting story. Whilst it is all locked up, I just like to think what it must have been like when the school was active. Now the school is bowing out gracefully.
The British School House front view.The door to the school house with the teachers names on the door.The Church cuts an imposing figure against the trees.A view of the front face of the Church
St Giles’ Church, Packwood Leaving Umberslade Baptist Church, I crossed back over the busy Stratford road in Hockley Heath and started the journey home. The way back took me past St Giles, Church, Packwood which was the final church of the four. St Giles is a very picturesque church. Cycling down the path, I arrived at the gate where I parked the bike. When I entered the church grounds, my eye caught sight of an array of daffodils on one of the graves. The flowers helped me take a low down view of the church as the picture shows. St Giles church was also open to visitors. The inside of the church catches the light and on a late afternoon, the sun shines through the stained glass windows creating patterns on the walls. The play on light and dark makes a good subject for photography. I lingered in the church for a few minutes taking in the surroundings.
The daffodils are still out in Packwood.The side view of the Church.The beautiful interior of the Church.Beautiful light.The view of the entrance.
Then it was time to head home, process the pictures and write up a blog of my travels. If you enjoy my accounts of my bike rides here are a few more for you to read through.
For the most part of the year, Oozells square in Birmingham is unremarkable. The square is surrounded by office buildings on 3 sides and the IKON art gallery on another. This latter building is a grand Victorian building which was formerly a boarding school. There are several good restaurants in the square which have hosted family meals in the past. In spring, the square is transformed into a beautiful place by several rows of trees that burst into cherry blossom.
The IKON gallery emerging from the blossom that surrounds the building.
The event is becoming more and more famous having been featured this year on the BBC News. We went with the family to see the blossom and get the obligatory pictures. Here Noah is reaching upwards mesmerised by the blossom. Soon the green leaves will appear. Noah’s coat contrasts well with the pink.
Noah reaching out towards the blossoms.Lily, Noah and Chloë, my grandchildren with the blossom in the background.Lily, Noah and Chloë, my grandchildren with the blossom and the IKON gallery in the background.
The event is enjoyed by all ages but as you see from the pictures, my grandchildren had a fantastic time seeing the cherry blossom. The BBC News item has made the blossom event famous at a National Level.
The IKON gallery with cherry blossom trees and admiring visitors.
The snow came in March and for many it was wonderful to see. The snow fell midweek and the majority of schools stayed open. Not much time to get the slides out for some toboganning. The snow was great for taking photographs. In the evening rush hour through the village, I found that my iPhone enabled me to get some atmospheric pictures. Headlamps and snow flurries against the old buildings is a good mix for composition.
Early evening snowfall in the Village.
In the morning, the scenery was bright and white. More snow had fallen overnight and I went out again with my camera. The trick with snow pictures is to crank up the exposure compensation so as to counteract the camera wanting to underexpose. On the iPhone the Camera+ app allows you to adjust the exposure setting. Several of the pictures in the Nature area of the park worked really well.
The park with a blanket of snow.Knowle park in the Snow.Framed by the snow.The outlines of trees I the snowSnow on the bushesPath through the Nature Reserve.Christmas card scenes in the village.
I also took some pictures of the High Street. We have a red letter box and telephone kiosk. The colours set against the white snow work really well. I was also very lucky that several villagers decided to wear red that morning. The colour co-ordination made for some very good pictures that proved very popular on my social media feed.
Knowle Church with snowVisit Knowle sign covered in snow.The red colours stand out in the snow.More snow scenes in Knowle
I hope you enjoyed these pictures and now let us hope that spring returns in the following weeks.
A lone tree covered in snow.
Here are some pictures from 2017. Looking back, I should have done some better adjusting of the exposure settings but even so they show the village show bound
As you hurtle down Great Charles Street, Queensway, heading south out of the city, you will emerge from one of the tunnels keeping your eye on the traffic filtering in from the left. As you are concentrating on the road ahead, you will most likely miss the blue footbridge crossing the road. Constructed from concrete and steel this pedestrian bridge links Church Street and Ludgate Hill. When you stand in the middle of the narrow bridge, you can feel the structure vibrate from the traffic pounding the tarmac below.
Standing on the footbridge looking up to the lights on Ludgate Hill.
The bridge is best visited at night especially if you are a photographer. There is a super opportunity for a long exposure as you look south. The symmetrical road structure with the tunnel ahead of you makes for an ideal canvas for car light trails. Cars peel off to the left and if you time the traffic lights correctly then cars filter in from the right. Using my x100v resting on the flat metal railing, I am ready for the long exposure. Camera settings of ISO160, f/16 and shutter speed of 30seconds will give good results. The north view is also interesting but does not have the same symmetry as the south.
Looking north with the light trials from the traffic.
Whilst I was taking photographs, a group were running over the bridge and this allowed me to take a few street shots as they came down the ramps. I am sure there will be plans to replace this metal structure with a larger one and a search on the web mentions this is being explored. Until then, it remains a great place for those long exposure pictures.
Running over and down the bridge.Looking towards Church St.
If you fancy a walk around Birmingham then be sure to follow more of my blog entries. The link below is a good starting point.
Venturing into China Town Birmingham to celebrate the Chinese New Year was a colourful affair. Hurst Street was set up with a stage and there were a number of market stalls set up along the street. The main action when I arrived was down in the Arcadian where the dragon dancers were in residence. The dancers put on a great show and these are a few pictures of the costumes and people that were in Chinatown to celebrate the New Year.
New Year Blossom for Chinese New Year in Birmingham New Street StationFun faces in China townHappy New YearGetting close to the action in the ArcadiaGetting lost in the action. Picture Credit – Lena Mac from IgersbirminghamUK
“Walking after you” is a line from an old CCS song called Walking that was released in 1971. The band CCS was led by Alexis Korner and was my introduction into blues music. The song mirrors my photography as I walk along the streets of Digbeth. Arriving early on a January morning before 8am, the street lights were still on in Floodgate street and there were not many distracting cars around. I quickly got out and started taking pictures. In my excitement, I did not get the right focus on my Fujifilm x100v but my iPhone came to the rescue. The opening picture caught the reflections in a large puddle formed from the overnight rain. This is a classic view of Floodgate Street and one that fortuitously worked very well. It did not need much processing and the cropping was critical to remove lettering and stray reflections.
Gibb St provides many photographic opportunities plus reflectionshots.
Having parked my car in Selfridges multi story, I wandered back to Digbeth as I had time before my morning appointment in town. I used my x100v exclusively for the majority of the pictures. The streets were shiny as the rain had been heavy the previous morning. Puddles were grouped along Gibb Street and Floodgate Street providing more photographic opportunities. My visit included a wander to the edge of Deritend to see the sunrise and then back down Upper Trinity Street which completed my trip around of the area.
Mind where you park
Constant change is synominous with the area. Shops have changed hands, new restaurants and night clubs have sprung up. There is new Street Art and old graffiti has to survive the constant mindless tagging that takes place. Around there are new building projects and Digbeth High Street is still scarred with tram works although one lane is open for traffic.
Street Art, arches, lamposts and people, all add to the photographic mix.
For street photographers, there is a constant stream of scenes forming in front of your eyes and most of the inhabitants seem resigned to being photographed as it goes hand in hand with living in such a creative district. Walking after you is my theme and we have several people set against the backdrop of the Digbeth buildings. There are also pictures of the latest street art on the different buildings. The street mural highlighting Parkinson’s disease was previously advertising Peaky Blinders. This wall next to the High Street has become a sought after location.
Parkinson’s Disease Mural.
There are more pictures below taken during my visit to Digbeth. At the end, I have put links to several of my past Digbeth blogs for further reading.
Another view of Floodgate Street with the Floodgate on the left.The link entrance to the Custard FactoryMiddle of the RoadCareful who you walk past.Walking past the Floodgate.
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Welcome to Digbeth
Looking back through my blog, I found that I have an extensive collection of pictures that feature Digbeth. This includes a few more pictures of Floodgate St and Gibb St as well. Please feel free to browse through my pages and comment on what you see and read.
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