Journey Towards the Last Days of Autumn

In this post I’m featuring new images taken in the last month that contain references to nature’s golden and metallic hues, and combining them with visual associations photographed in previous Novembers. The journey starts locally, just up the road to me. A pile of golden fallen leaves is juxtaposed with a rolled up Persian rug … Read more

Bathroom Encounters that I just had to Photograph

Today is Cuban singer Omara Portuondo’s 90th birthday. I suddenly remembered the time some twenty years ago when I was working at the BBC and encountered her in the Ladies loos. Despite her being a huge star, she was very gracious and obliging, letting me photograph her whilst at the sink washing her hands: I’ve … Read more

Photographic Encounters with Surgical Masks

As I write in the midst of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic there have been over 800,000 cases worldwide resulting in a death toll exceeding 40,000. The UK has officially been in lockdown for over a week; the government advice is to stay home. The only exceptions are going out for daily exercise and shopping for food … Read more

Fish in the City

Last week I was in New York for a few days staying on the Lower East Side. The weather was quite unsettled – muggy and rainy.  One grey morning I saw a guy walking towards me in sandals and socks. These were not the frowned-upon socks and sandals combination formerly attributed to unstylish men with … Read more

Japan: tradition and modernity in popular culture

I recently saw an advert on the London Underground from the Japan National Tourism Organisation who have launched a campaign entitled Japan – where tradition meets the future and it reminded me that I’d been meaning for a while to write a post on this very theme. I wanted to examine this theme using images … Read more

Let it all hang out: observations on washing & identity

I take a lot of pictures of building facades and over the years some of these have been because of the juxtaposition of the architecture with the personal  artefacts displayed. On a recent trip to Venice my eye was drawn to what seemed a quite surreal combination of an old weather-beaten apartment and professional, ultra-modern … Read more

Candles, incense and ceremonies

I was reminded today of a photograph I took this time seven years ago. It was on a trip to Cuba with The London Lucumi Choir, and we visited the Rincón Sanctuary 25 miles outside of Havana. On December 17th each year the larger annual pilgrimage takes place and thousands of people visit the former … Read more