A Splash of Yellow and Red

A couple sitting at an outdoor table in a little café in Athens, Greece about a year ago. Their body language couldn’t be more different, and every time I look at this image, I wonder what they were talking about.

Their roles in this conversation are opposed. He appears relaxed and confident, while she is reserved, nervous, maybe defensive?


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s

Curiosity in the Old Town

We were wandering up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh when I spotted these two women looking up. At what, I’m not sure, there wasn’t anything special in the building they were looking at. Is there such a thing as “Edinburgh Neck”?


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/640s

Green Light Go

One more from last week. This time, the long exposure shot is of a bus heading to Parnell Place in Cork. The traffic light had just turned green, so the bus was driving slowly, accelerating as it went. It made a colourful impression on the digital sensor of my camera!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO50
Shutter speed4s

Light Trails on Eamon de Valera Bridge

Evening traffic whizzes past last week. Just after the sun had set, but the street light above my head hadn’t come on yet, so I got a nice long exposure.

How does photography affect your memory? Interesting podcast episode.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length33mm
ISO50
Shutter speed8s

Night Shifts and Trailing Lights

Construction signs on Parnell Bridge in front of Cork City Hall were lit up by a passing bus a few nights ago.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO50
Shutter speed6s

Trump Tower Construction by the River

Chicago in 2005 was a city in flux, and nowhere was that more obvious than at the Trump Tower construction site, right on the banks of the Chicago River. I was walking at the edge of the site and took a bunch of photos, some of which I’ve posted over the years.

What you see in front of you appears to be the open area next to the “new” tower. Over to the left is the Wrigley Building and looking at Google Street View gives a good view of what it looks like now, from across the river.

I haven’t been back to Chicago in twenty years. I’d love to see it again.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length18mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s

Greeting Visitors in the Shadow of the Wrigley Building

I last visited Chicago in 2005, when I took this photo of the Wrigley Building, and this “We’re glad you’re here!” banner.

Did you know the clock faces of the Wrigley Building are each almost 6m in diameter? The two towers of the building were completed just over 100 years ago!


Apertureƒ/9
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length53mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/160s

Cork City Walks Past Fashion Giants

Advertising goes unnoticed as people hurry past on Opera Lane, Cork.

Did you know the rugby shirt, with its bold stripes, was first popularised in the 19th century?


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO640
Shutter speed1/500s

Scottish Skyline: From Spires to Bridges

A beautiful sunset pictured from our apartment in Edinburgh a few weeks ago. The weather was glorious that week! It hardly rained at all!

Did you know that the Forth Bridge, visible just left of centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was the world’s longest cantilever railway bridge when it opened in 1890? It’s still a marvel of Victorian engineering that stands proud on the Scottish skyline.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length172mm
ISO250
Shutter speed1/200s

A Burst of Yellow in Edinburgh Traffic

A yellow bus following a yellow Tesla taxi caught my eye on the streets of Edinburgh recently. Most of the Teslas I saw there were white! A bold move by the taxi driver.

I wonder if they have the “I bought it before Elon went crazy” bumper sticker on the back. I presume not. Elon showed his true colours many years ago.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length100mm
ISO400
Shutter speed1/2500s

Rooftop Sunrise in Edinburgh

One of the good things about an early flight is getting up early to see the sunrise. That was me yesterday morning, when the world outside was mostly asleep, but I was preparing to head to the airport in Edinburgh for a flight to Cork.


Apertureƒ/3.5
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/30s

Pastel Skies Over Edinburgh

I wasn’t expecting much of a sunset this evening because the sky at the horizon was filled with clouds, but I was proved wrong. The clouds were lit up in a lovely glow by the setting sun.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length166mm
ISO400
Shutter speed1/40s