Silhouettes Under the Bridge

A man and a woman look along the shoreline of the Thames in London, probably for old pieces of pipe which are common along there.

Above us was the modern Blackfriars Railway Bridge, and of course off in the distance is the London skyline.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length33mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/320s

Juggling Knives in London

I love that this street entertainer is wearing such bright and distinctive clothes but I wish his knives were brightly coloured. Still, the reaction of (some) people was worth it even if the background is too busy to see the knives properly.

Knives. He’s juggling knives over the head of a tourist lying on the ground. That could have ended badly, but people who perform in Covent Square are really good.

Street performers must audition for their spots in Covent Square through a formal licensing system managed by the local authority. Performers are allocated specific time slots and locations, with the most desirable pitches going to those who demonstrate the highest skill levels and ability to manage crowds safely. The system was introduced to maintain quality and safety standards after the area’s transformation from a working market to a major tourist destination in the 1980s.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length101mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/500s

London’s Most Pampered Pooch

I love this little dog’s pet carrier, but every little dog wants to walk and smell the world around them. When they get tired it’s time for a rest and this dog is spoiled with that pet carrier. As they should be. 🙂


Apertureƒ/9
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length240mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s

Casting Lines in Cobh

On a warm August day in 2005, you’d find plenty of lads fishing in Cobh, including this bunch who were brave enough to fish from a crumbling pier.

Another photo from that evening shows a disturbance in the water at the mouth of Cobh harbour, where I presume sprat are desperately trying to get away from mackerel and other fish. I wonder if that still happens?


Apertureƒ/5
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length180mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/80s

The Passage West to Monkstown Run

The bike might be a little small but it got him to Monkstown in the end, I hope.


Apertureƒ/5.6
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length55mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/25s

Window on the City

From the car park on North Main Street, Cork, you can Bruce College and St Mary’s Dominican Priory. I liked how the stark lifeless concrete frame of the multi-story car park contrasted with the variety of materials and colours in the world outside.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length201mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/1000s

Another One Bites the Crust

Meet London’s most successful entrepreneur. This seagull has cornered the market on prime real estate with a view. Perched on the Millennium Bridge like it owns the place, this feathered opportunist represents everything brilliant about urban wildlife adaptation. While Freddie Mercury sang about another one biting the dust, this gull’s motto is clearly “another one bites the crust”, and judging by its confident posture, business is booming.

From this vantage point, our avian overlord can survey the entire pedestrian buffet streaming across the bridge below. Dropped sandwiches, abandoned chips, and tourist snacks are all fair game in the urban food chain. Those gleaming towers in the background might house London’s financial elite, but this bird has figured out a more direct route to success: position yourself where the food comes to you.


Apertureƒ/9
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length122mm
ISO160
Shutter speed1/500s

Carey’s Lane After Dark

I was out with Blarney Photography Club during the summer and one member of the club kneeled to photograph Carey’s Lane. I went high and lifted my camera over my head to get it from a different perspective!

Carey’s Lane is one of Cork’s oldest medieval streets, originally part of the walled city that dates back to the 12th century. The narrow width and cobblestone surface are remnants of medieval urban planning, designed for foot traffic and horse-drawn carts. The modern drainage channel follows the same path that medieval gutters would have taken, showing how some aspects of urban infrastructure remain remarkably consistent across centuries.


Apertureƒ/3.5
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/500s

Roses on Westminster Bridge

Westminster Bridge is one of those places that is always bustling with tourists. It is so busy.

Westminster Bridge is one of the few locations in central London where street vendors can legally operate without special permits for certain goods, thanks to historic trading rights that date back centuries. However, flower sellers must still navigate complex licensing requirements, and the competition for prime spots along the bridge is fierce, with established vendors often working the same locations for years.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO125
Shutter speed1/500s

A Little Privacy

When there’s CCTV everywhere and you just want a little privacy to check your phone, you have to hide from the cameras.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length160mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/500s

The Flying Train

When you can take the train, you should probably take it rather than flying.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length17mm
ISO200
Shutter speed1/5s

Biking Home After Dark

Someone was going to be cycling home after dark from here in Kinsale.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO5000
Shutter speed1/125s