Anchovy Symphony in Black and White

I’m not a huge fan of anchovies, but the way these fish were displayed caught my eye. The silvery fish created an almost hypnotic pattern across the vendor’s counter, their tiny bodies catching the harsh market lights in a way that demanded to be photographed.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO200
Shutter speed1/250s

The Daily Commuter

While waiting for the train in Athens, I spotted a pigeon walking around the station, calm as you can imagine, as if he owned the place.

A few minutes later, a train rolled in, passengers started moving, and the pigeon flew into the rafters. Observing all that he rules.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO500
Shutter speed1/500s

The Cat in the big smoke

There’s something delightfully peculiar about finding a cat on a lead. I spotted these two characters taking a break near Camden Town in London. The scene just screamed to be photographed. The smoke caught in the sunlight and the cat’s nonchalant pose, how could I resist?

It’s a candid shot, of course, and as the photo was taken in 2022. I wonder if they were and are still living in London?

I searched and found this TikTok video from later in 2022, so they were still around there in October that year!

A cat on a man's shoulders, getting on to a bus.

Apertureƒ/7.1
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/500s

Parking Bay Oops

Looks like someone wasn’t that careful parking here. The poor parking sign is doing an imitation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Happy new year to you, dear reader. I’ve been posting photos here for twenty years this year. My first image, this yellow flower, is only 700px wide, but with the advent of high-resolution screens I’m now posting 1280px wide ones. I’ve gone through times when I used the featured image of the post instead of embedding it in the post like I did with this one, and that lasted for a year or two. To deal with those posts, I wrote a small function that copies that image into the post if it’s not already there. It seems to be working OK.

Here’s to the next twenty years. Gulp.

I also decided to embrace the new WordPress Twenty Twenty Five theme, and play around with the formatting of blocks. Nothing fancy at all. Just the bare bones, really.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO250
Shutter speed1/500s

Edinburgh’s Feathered Monuments

There’s something magical about Edinburgh during the golden hour, when the sun begins its descent and bathes the city in warm amber hues. I was walking along Princes Street with my colleagues after a long day of meetings when this scene stopped me in my tracks.

At first glance, it might seem like just another urban sunset, but nature has a way of adding its own whimsical touches to our carefully constructed world. A pigeon had chosen one of Edinburgh’s grand statues, the statue of King George IV, as its evening perch, creating an unintentionally perfect silhouette against the burning sky. As I framed the shot, I noticed its companion – another bird adorning a statue atop one of the buildings to the right (The Royal Society of Edinburgh, if Google Maps is right), as if they were having a silent conversation across the street.

The Georgian architecture of Hanover Street creates perfect leading lines, drawing your eye down to where the street meets the sky. The passing cars, their tail lights glowing in the dimming light, add a modern contrast to the historical grandeur of the buildings. There’s something deeply satisfying about capturing these moments where the past and present, nature and architecture, all converge in perfect harmony.

I shot this handheld with my camera set to underexpose the scene slightly, letting the buildings fall into shadow while preserving the rich orange tones of the sunset.

I love that there were pigeons sitting on those statues, even if they’re barely visible in the web-sized version here. They’re a reminder that nature finds a way, no matter what we do to tame it!


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length70mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/15s

Urban Dreams in Bokeh

The blurred Christmas lights along St. Patrick Street and Cook Street transform into a dreamy tapestry of golden and multicoloured bokeh, creating a magical backdrop above a person wearing a studded black beanie and glasses near Opera Lane.

Nollaig shona duit! Hope you had a nice day today if you celebrate!


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length240mm
ISO8000
Shutter speed1/250s

Cork’s Christmas Commotion

Nollaigh Shona Dhaoibh go léir! Now that no more shopping is possible, maybe we can return to normality. Of course, in cold and dreary January, we might look back with nostalgic eyes at the bright lights, decorations, and all the stress excitement.


Apertureƒ/18
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length208mm
ISO100
Shutter speed5s

Festive Feathers & Glitter Glory

Two fabulous Mockie Ah! queens posed for me in the middle of the street yesterday when I asked if I could take their photo. The cold weather was freezing, but they put on a smile and stopped for a moment to chat, and I was very grateful for the photo. Their vibrant presence transformed an ordinary winter’s day into something extraordinary.

These glamorous performers graced The Pav‘s stage last night, with another appearance scheduled for New Year’s Eve, promising to end 2024 with the perfect blend of sparkle and spectacle.


Apertureƒ/11
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO320
Shutter speed1/500s