London's waste

Today's photograph shows the tug, "Recovery", on the River Thames in London. It is towing two barges loaded with waste containers. These are probably full and are being taken to the waste disposal site south of the Greenwich Peninsula. In the background is the Albert Bridge, a crossing that connects Chelsea in Central London on the north bank to the Battersea area on the south. I recall photographing a tug with barges years ago in Rotherhithe. On checking, I found that it was eleven years ago and the very same tug as the one above! I also found a shot of a tug at work in the evening.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

The London tourist trail

A commonly followed London tourist trail involves a walk along the South Bank. One of the optional forks in this trail is the Millennium Footbridge that crosses the River Thames between Tate Modern and St Paul's cathedral. The bridge is a good point from which to photograph Sir Christopher Wren's fine building. I've taken a shot (or two) from this point before and on our recent visit I got myself in position to take my photograph. But, too slow! The act of raising my camera to my eye here caused a few people around me to notice the view and stop to get their shot - as you can see.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Lockdown, photography and Big Ben

The UK has entered a period of lockdown that will severely curtail my photography by limiting how often I can be outdoors and how far I can travel. Consequently, once again, I will be dipping into my archives and resurrecting photographs that were passed over for the blog. In the main these will be shots that I think are, and were, good enough for inclusion but were taken at a time when I had a surfeit of images and so didn't make the cut.

The photograph above shows Westminster Bridge and part of the Houses of Parliament. Both are famous London landmarks. The bridge has seven ornate, cast iron, arches and dates from 1862. The clock tower of Parliament was called, very appropriately, the Clock Tower, until 2012. In that year it was renamed the Elizabeth Tower. However, it continues to be often, incorrectly, called Big Ben, a name that should apply only to the largest (16 tons) bell that chimes the hours.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10     2017

River Thames at Abingdon, Oxfordshire

The River Thames is navigable for 191 of its 215 miles that stretch from its source to the sea i.e. from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to the Thames Estuary, though small boats can venture, with care, a further 11 miles upstream, as far as Cricklade. A recent visit to Abingdon found the Thames (or Isis as it is sometimes known in this part of the world) busy with boats - inland waterway narrow boats as well as cruisers. I took a few photographs by the river and as I did so I reflected once more on the contribution that a church spire can make to a flat landscape: in this instance the medieval church of St Helen.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Gloomy city

This photograph was taken at the end of January when we had a few days in London. It was taken in the early evening as the daylight was fading and man-made lighting was starting to appear in the streets and offices of the city. Looking at it I'm reminded how hideous most of the new towers are at an individual level, and how they are even worse collectively. I chose to put this shot on the blog now because today, unlike the day I made the image, it seems to capture the gloom that is descending on the city and country as the spread of coronavirus quickens daily.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

A view from Tower Bridge

I've taken a few photographs from Tower Bridge, the iconic structure that crosses the River Thames in London near the Tower of London. None of them have been anything special. Today's isn't either though it does have two qualities that I like. Firstly, it's one of those contre jour shots that features very little in the way of colour. In fact, it is almost monochrome.That is only partly due to the materials that feature in the Shard, the London Assembly building and the ridiculously named "More London" office blocks. Secondly it wouldn't be much of a composition without that handily placed large, dark cloud filling the empty sky to the left of the Shard.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Sony DSC-RX100