Smartphone photography has improved greatly in the last ten years and I rely on my phone camera for all photo projects now.
Earlier, I stumbled upon a couple of simple black and white photos I took locally. I feel the simplicity brings out the atmosphere and that little actual editing is needed.
Please see below:
Till next time.
Twenty-five years ago, I took a tube journey in the evening rush hour. The journey (on the Piccadilly Line) lasted an hour and traversed through Central London for a good while. It was a summer evening, and hot and crowded.
For most of my life, I’ve struggled with claustrophobia. As I travelled through the Central London stations, I became increasingly aware that I was trapped, especially as I have a phobia of escalators – making easy exit impossible. Patterns danced before my eyes and I feared fainting in the carriage. I felt awful. Eventually, I emerged at Arnos Grove Station in North London, shaken and overwhelmed.
After that, I only used the Tube above ground level. Until yesterday.
Yesterday morning, I had intended to get the Overground when the TFL employee announced that all trains were cancelled due to an incident at another station. I couldn’t miss the arrangement I’d made. Instead, after a brief hesitation, I decided to take the Tube, albeit the Hammersmith and City that isn’t as deep as the Piccadilly.
The journey lasted just over half an hour and much of it was spent passing through tunnels. Scarily, the train stopped between stations a couple of times for short periods before resuming. I was a bit apprehensive but not too anxious, and I believe I would use the same route again. Definitely.
Anyway, that’s about it for now.
Till next time!
February. Spring will arrive towards the end of next month. The weather here alternates between chilly sunlight and wet grey.
I have been sorting through my digital photo collection, looking at shots that capture some degree of contrast, character, or drama in their stillness.
I attach a few below. Location: North London, East London
Till next time.
The festive period seems to have taken place a long time ago now. Lighter mornings have come, thankfully. I’ve started getting up earlier again and practising acupressure (a discipline I began in October 2022).
The winter can often leave people feeling tired, unwell or lethargic (or all three). Today, I share a poem in which the character longs for better days in the midst of the wintry dull and fatigue.
Till next time!
post New Year
exhaustion
a siesta
the tension fades
drifting away
fleeting images come and go
scenes of childhood
whispers of mist
the touch of the sun
cairns and castles and rugged terrains
sea and grass
wind and rain
cliffs and meadows and ice cream vans
the afternoon siesta
a childhood remembered
© Lawrence Estrey 2024
Poetry
Brighter skies. January draws to an end. Christmas and New Year seem like a long time ago now.
I’ve kept busy practising piano works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Khachaturian and Scriabin.
Below I share a video of one of the works I’m preparing: Scriabin – Etude in D-sharp minor, Op 8, No. 12. Pretty demanding but enjoyable. The pianist in the video is outstanding.
Till next time.
It’s strange to think that more than twenty years have passed since the Millennium and that I remember the event well.
Twenty-four years on, nothing has changed – and yet, everything has.
Another year. The weather is raw and bitingly cold. Early sunsets, late dawns. London saw a sprinkling of snow at the start of the week.
This week, I started some new piano repertoire and stayed busy studying French German, and Russian, despite the bleak weather outside
I also made a collage of photographs taken during the last twelve months.
Till next time!
All the best, from Lawrence
I’ve avoided thinking too much about Christmas this year. Generally, I celebrate the day itself and New Year’s Eve. The rest of the period feels too indulgent and stressful – for me, anyway.
I captured some more photos of the East End of London this week while on the local Overground and have tried to create a metropolis atmosphere, especially in regards to the skyscraper (as much as one possibly can while on a train, of course).
Till next time.
Another December. Time passes swiftly. The weather took a plunge last week, but no snow has settled in London, thankfully.
On a recent journey to the East End, I took photos on my phone, then did simple editing to develop atmosphere. As it had rained, I concentrated on the bleakness of my surroundings:
Till next time.
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