An Indian Summer In London

The title says it all. The heat has persisted, becoming almost unbearable at times, even after a bout of rain.

Below I post a poem from 2018 when another heatwave persisted:

a blast of heat
summer light
pedestrians crowd the city streets
shoppers, tourists
taxis, buses

a double crossing

further on lies a private square
protected by iron railings and metal spikes
residents rest on a central lawn
on this final day of British summer

from The City Square © Lawrence Estrey 2018

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Meanwhile, here are a couple of photos I took in the East End of London recently:

Taking Photos While Walking Or On A Train

So much great scenery.

A problem arises if someone wants to catch scenes while walking or travelling on a train or other type of vehicle. Camera shake, in particular.

I think it’s a case of taking lots of photos and selecting a few for simple editing.

Below I attach three photos from a batch I snapped this morning in the East End of London. I took the photos of the metal corridors as I walked and the photos of the high rise while sitting on a train.

Till next time.

Add Atmosphere To The Mundane

Like I said in a previous post, I don’t know what to do next in terms of writing, so I’ve spent the last few weeks taking photographs and attempting to create atmosphere where possible.

Below I include a picture of an allotment (i) and some steps (ii) leading up to a church in the rain. The door (iii) belongs to the church.

In the first two photos, I rely on monochrome to bring atmosphere to what might ordinarily come across as uninteresting or mundane. In the final, I remove as much colour as possible for the same reasons.

Till next time.

Photos In The Sun

Recently, I’ve neglected my interest in photography, concentrating instead on writing and other interests.   At the weekend, though, I got to walk a dog – a big Spaniel, of all things –  and I had a go at taking photos in Cherry Tree Wood, North London.  The sunlight, along with the intense humidity, didn’t help really, but I managed to find about three or four suitable images and I worked on these in the photo editing software, GIMP. 

As usual, I’ve included a black and white image.  I have a keen interest in black and white photography and use a method that involves working on the original image in grayscale and adjusting the Levels, Contrast and Brightness.

 

Spring Weather And Muggy Heat

After a long winter, spring finally came a few weeks ago, but now the skies have turned mostly grey again and the weather has become humid.  I haven’t had much time to concentrate on my photos, but yesterday I caught several images in Highgate Wood, North London, while walking a friend’s dog.  For a long time, I’ve taken an interest in black and white photography. I worked on yesterday’s images in GIMP (Levels, Color Balance, Saturation and Hue), then turned one of the originals into greyscale and concentrated on the contrast.  Heady stuff.

 

Nice And Hot, Spring Weather

The warm weather continues with plenty of sunshine and daylight.  Again, I took some photos on my way to work yesterday and edited them in GIMP later on in the evening.  As usual, I selected one of the images to go into my black and white photography album, as I have a keen interest in black and white photography. 

(Near Totteridge and Whetstone Tube Station, North London):

 

The Joys Of Spring

After months of cold and grey skies, the weather has taken a dramatic turn for the better with warm temperatures and lots of sunshine. 

Below are some image shots I took on the way to work ( location, Totteridge Village, North London):

 

Like always, I couldn’t resist attempts at building up my black and white photography collection, and I edited several of the originals in GIMP, working in greyscale, then going on to use Levels and Contrast/Brightness.

 

 

 

Snow Melting, Rain On The Way

The snow has finally melted here in the UK and rain and wind are on the way.

Below are some more images from my black and white photography album.  Usually, I edit the shots in GIMP, paying particular attention to levels and contrast. 

 

 

In the meantime, I’m working on a third novel, Silent, a psychological thriller, and my other two novels (Secrets by Lawrence Estrey and EggHead) are available on Amazon in paperback and e-book.

Bombarded With Snow, Fog And Cold

Atrocious weather conditions have settled upon much of the UK and pavements are slippery.    Here are a couple of shots of the mist I took on Thursday on my way to work.  I edited them in GIMP, then added them to my black and white photography collection:

In the meantime, my debut novel – Secrets by Lawrence Estrey –  attracted the attention of a local Readers Group who read it and gave me positive feedback.  My second novel EggHead, Young Adult fiction, continues to sell and I’m currently on a third, a psychological thriller.

New Year: Mist And Rain

 

The weather has taken a dramatic dip in the UK and forecasters have warned of impending snow.   Either, it’s freezing, grey and dreary. 

On Thursday, I took these photos on the way to work.  Notice the mist hovering over parts of Totteridge Village.   I edited the images in GIMP, both in colour and black and white.   The above two are the latest in my black and white photography project.