London Day 2: Photography Exhibits, Street Photography and Sore Feet.

 

Trafalgar Square

We started our second day with a quick jaunt to the Michael Hoppen Gallery (Michael Hoppen) in Holland Park to view their exhibit Outside Inside that explores the relationship between photography and botanical life, as well as photographs from Siân Davey’s new series The Garden.  This is a small but interesting gallery in an area of London (residential London), we had never visited on our previous visits. 

Our next stop was the 'Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence' at the Victoria and Albert Museum.  One of its focuses was the work of British architects Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew. Tropical modernism developed against the backdrop of political unrest and decolonization struggles for Western Africa (Information on the Exhibit Curation). It was good to see long overdue recognition on the contributions of the African architects who worked with Fry and Drew celebrated in the exhibition (Turner 2023). This exhibition combined with Ernest Cole's "House of Bondage" presented information regarding aspects of African History in an insight medium and definiely illustrated that pictures convey more than words.  

Day 2 Route

Our next stop was to be the Serpentine Gallery; alas it was closed as they were changing exhibits and the next one would be opening on the day we left for Madrid. Next up was a quick visit to National Potrait Gallery and Geoff teaching me street photography in Trafalgar Square.  

Street photography is photography that records everyday life in a public place, at it's essence is candid photography of humanity. The setting enables the photographer to take candid pictures of strangers, often without their knowledge. Street Photography can be done anywhere and does not require people to be present in the photos.  Some of the photos captured look better in black and white.  The hardest thing for me was pushing through the uncomfortable feeling or creepiness that I was invading someone's privacy.  

Despite traveling the tube a bit more than normal, we still managed slightly over 11 kilometres of walking. My feet could attest to that! I did learn a bit about street photograpy. What surprised me most was in crowded areas, people are often totally oblivious to you. I also realized I was doing street photography for years, just not on purpose. Hmm, I now wonder how often I was in street photography and didn't realize it!

Your Move!

I'm Bored!

Look up, Way up. 

Lonely Ghxst (Lonely Ghxst) in Trafalgar Square
Actually a good singer.  

A Bit of Shade

Days End

Sipping Wine while Watching Life at the Stanhope Arms (Stanhope Arms)

London Day 1: House of Bondage, Duck Coquettes, Garlic Mushrooms and a Side of Bugs.

 

 A Side of Bugs from Leicester Square Garden

After visiting London numerous times, it now serves as a gateway to other European Cities. This allows us to travel to the UK from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, saving ~ 10 hours of flying per round trip from Canada.  We take in special exhibitions at museums and galleries as well as musicals and plays. This trip was a much-needed break from the personal challenges of 2024 and day 1 was the ideal start to our fall 2024 trip. 

Day 1 Route

A recent find (thanks to hubby) and now favourite stop is the Photographers' Gallery (Photographers' Gallery), which has fantastic exhibits. It demonstrates that pictures can convey more than words and is a definite must for photography lovers. The exhibition we saw was House of Bondage by Ernest Cole, featuring his 1950s and '60s photos from a 1967 book documenting apartheid horrors.  He was one of South Africa’s first black photojournalists.  The exhibit was moving and thought-provoking (Ernest Cole). The exhibitions change every couple of months, in fact, a new exhibit commenced less than a month after we visited.

The next stop was an accidental find: the Royal Institution (Royal Institution) of Great Britain. As we passed by, we decided to visit on a whim. It was a delightful surprise and an interesting way for two retired scientists to spend ~ an hour.  Their library made me smile, as we once had bookcases filled with similar books in our home (donated to a local science library).

Library at the Royal Institution.

Photometer and Optometer at Royal Institution

Early dinner was next on the agenda.  We stopped at The Clarence, a Nicholson's pub I had discovered on an earlier visit with a friend. The reasons for the repeat visit were the lovely rose wine, the slow-cooked pulled duck croquettes and the garlic mushrooms on sourdough.  Though I must admit a couple of the pies did catch my eye, specifically the chicken & truffled oyster mushroom pie and the wild boar & chorizo pie.  Maybe next time! 

Our path to Leicester Square Station passed several beautiful and whimsical bronze sculptures. We passed the Beau Brommell sculpture just outside the Picadilly Arcade, the Horses of Helios on the corner of Coventry St. and Haymarket, and various bronzes in Leicester Square Garden. 

  

Beau Brummel on Jermyn Street 

Horses of Helios on the corner of Coventry Street and Haymarket

Bronze Sculptures in Leicester Square Gardens

Charlie Chaplin

Gene Kelly - Dancing in the Rain.

Harry Potter

Mary Poppins

Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean

Paddington Bear

Laurel and Hardy

If you look up at the buildings you will see Batman on the roof of the Odeon Theatre.  Alas, we were unable to spot Wonder Woman,  but it was a fun way to finish day 1. House of Bondage, duck croquettes, garlic mushrooms with a side of Bugs describes day 1 in London to a "T".

Vibrant, Colourful and Noisy

Tunnel along Regent's Canal

A visually arresting destination is non-negotiable to any photographer; amateur or pro. Details really don't matter if there's no story behind it. In reality the best photographs and memories are made by going exploring, and get off the beaten tourist path because getting lost on purpose or by accident is a photographer's joy, even when at home. Ask me to describe London using just words it would be familiar, different, contrasts, similarities, poverty, wealth, uppity, welcoming, exclusive, inclusive, knowledge, ignorance, new, old and so very much more;  all combine to paint a portrait of a grand old dame. So as multiple time visitor who didn't want to see and photography the "postcard" London this trip, where does one go for a low key day with photography possibilities: well to area of London that is a real feast for the eyes, unique, kinda quirky and ultimately eclectic. All of which can be summed up in one word....Camden.  

Hip, edgy, gritty, eclectic, grungy, fun, alternative...these words and more only scratch the surface when describing the one of a kinda collection of food stalls, vendors and shops found at the market at Camden lock and area. This is indeed a photographers paradise.  So much to see, so much to photograph. My visit was a fantastic experience! To be blunt I loved it; it was vibrant, colourful, noisy and fragrant!  Next visit to London will definitely include another Camden visit.  This time on my schedule to browse some more and maybe shop a bit.  Oh and yes most definitely to take a few more snaps, hopefully with a bit more blue in the sky.  

Engrossed!

The Gaze

All Dressed Up With No Place To Go!

Say Cheese! 

Ouch!  

Dragon Medusa

New Rock Boots

Fancy Fidgets

Maybe, Then Again Maybe Not! 

Panama Hats

Horse Tunnel Market

Brothers

Lock Workers

Shoe Store

Another Shoe Store

Tattoo Parlour

Another Tattoo Parlour

Burritos, No not Mexican but Korean.  

Camden Lock

A Good Photograph is Knowing Where to Stand

Peeking at Bridge of Sighs
with Marco Secchi

Photography is essentially documenting a point in time by producing your artistic interpretation of it (emphasis on your). Good photography requires patience, dedication, creativity, good luck, and a lot of hard work. The advent of digital photography (as well as social media) has not changed that, all it has really done is open new doors with promises of instant gratification, numerous shortcuts and the ability to click away at no additional cost thereby increasing the likelihood of a good shot. But is that good photography; well yes and no, and really that depends the intent of your photograph. Digital photography has made photography more fun and available to the masses. Many of my personal favourites are from family and friends sharing a special moment from their day. They make me smile and wish I was there, which was their intended purpose.

Ha'Penney Bridge, Dublin Photo Tour 

Digital photography means almost everyone carries a camera (cell phone cameras are cameras) and that is definitely true for travellers. Therefore the growth and proliferation of Photography Tours was a natural progression of this reality. Photography tours can range for several hours to photo adventure vacations, tend to be comprised of relatively small groups and are for all levels of photographers. The concept can be appealing: travel around with a pro photographer who can show you all the great places to shoot.

Barcelona Building Facade with Stefano Markovina
Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona

Now, I am an enthusiastic amateur with good knowledge of my camera gear so doing a day (or half day) photo tour is not about enhancing my camera skills per say, rather it is about working with a professional photographer who can suggest alternate venues to visit and photograph other than the traditional tourist sites. This is not for everyone but remember local photographers are extremely knowledgeable about both photography and their locale. Ansel Adams stated "A good photograph is knowing where to stand” and local photographers know where to stand. The upside to doing a day or half day photo tour is that they are significantly less expensive than workshop or vacation photography tours, and these photographers definitely know all the off-the-beaten-path shooting locations. A big plus is you can schedule the rest of your trip around your time and other interests.

The Eiffel Tower
with William Lounsbury

When hiring a local photographer, make sure they know exactly what you want to photograph. I tend to send them links to my blog and Flickr site, as well as any for my travel companions who will be taking the tour with me. This gives them an idea of the skill levels and interests.  Furthermore as the group size is limited (usually 4 or less at a fixed rate), this is a cost effective private tour focused on your interests. Be prepared to walk and use public transport.  No chauffeured rides for these type of tours. The best ones will schedule tours for the best light conditions; early mornings, dusk or night. It really is all about the light. Ultimately working with a professional results in some great photographs and yes, the bonus is you will always learn a thing or two about photography!  So here's to taking a good photography by knowing where to stand...and a little help does go a long way especially when one has time constraints.

Venice Photography Tour (with Marco Secchi)

A gentleman who knows and loves Venice (http://www.marcosecchi.com/).  During his tour, Marco suggested several places to visit to us based on our interests and that definitely helped make this trip memorable.  This was the first Photography Tour I took and he is the reason I try to book one in most cities because the experience was so great.  

Sunrise over The Grand Canal

Piazza San Marco - Up Before the Birds! 

Bridge of Sighs - A Little Different Perspective

Sprucing up - Venetian Facades

Paris Night Photography Tour (William Lounsbury)  

I wanted to do some night photos in Paris but I was by myself.  I figure it was safer to do a night tour with a photographer (https://www.wlounsbury.com/about/).  Great decision.  I got some great photos despite it being a fairly breezy night.

Louvre Pyramid

Taxi!  

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile
Sometimes it's the right location but due to a variety of circumstances it's the wrong time for the perfect tourist photo.  

 

Barcelona Photography Tour (Stefan Politi Markovina) 

The photography tour we did with Stefan (https://www.stefanopolitimarkovina.com/) focused on area surrounding Las Ramblas particularly the El Raval Neighbourhood.

This mural "Together We Can Stop AIDS" by Keith Haring was done in 1989 in Barcelona’s notoriously drug-infested Barrio del Chino. In the mid-90’s, the mural was disintegrating, so a tracing was made, and the mural was transferred to an outdoor wall at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona (2014).

Alone! 

Statue in Plaza Catalunya with Hotel Barcelona in the background

La Boqueria Market

Dublin Photography Tour  (Darren McLoughlin)

This was a great tour which started out with street or urban art near our hotel that we would never have found.  Darren's knowledge about both Dublin and photography made this tour worthwhile and totally enjoyable (www.darrenmcloughlin.com).  Add in some great tourist attractions and it was a day well spent.  The Street art was so fascinating on this tour that I did a blog specifically about it. https://sandrawhiteway.blogspot.ca/2015/11/the-medium-is-message.html .  

Chapel Royal and Record Tower, Dublin Castle

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin

The Morrigan, a Celtic Deity by Friz at Tivoli Theatre Car Park.

London Photography Tour (with Andrei Botnaru)  

Our Photography Tour with Andrei (http://www.andreibotnari.com/) was booked through Aperture Tours and they will design a tour specifically for you as it is a private tour.  They recognize that not everyone wants to shoot the tourist attractions.  We went to Kentish and Camden Town areas and had a blast.   

Meeting in Progress!  Do Not Disturb.

Grand Union Walk Townhouses
Built in 1988 to a design by the renowned architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw.

Bucks Head Roof Garden (Buck Street, Camden)