City Abstracts (January 2023)

A chance free hour provided an opportunity for abstract photography in Nottingham city centre and some subjects both new and old. The new was provided by the renovated bus station and the steps outside Nottingham College followed by canal reflections, an ever changing subject, covered many times over the years.

The bus station exterior is clad in rich earthy tones which complements the blue sky on a sunny day. The framing for the shots needed to take account of the steep point of view and any perspective correction. These were some of the results:

The steps outside the new Nottingham College are designed more for outdoor seating and it was the shadows that particularly caught my eye:

Canal reflections are an engaging subject. It is hard not to end up with hundreds of images. Each canal side building reflects in a different way with a variety of shapes and colours. The resulting photos can look dull on the back of the camera but then come alive when processed with a simple curve or levels adjustment. These are some examples from the many taken on the day:

Kennet & Avon Canal (January 2023)

A non-photographic trip to Wiltshire managed to produce January’s picture of the month and proves the value of always having a camera handy, particularly with a decent zoom capability. It also a reminder that sometimes one photograph is enough to tell the story of any particular day. 

The shot in question, catches sunlight coming through the smoke from a barge, moored on a frozen canal, trying to keep warm. The overhanging branches frame the whole scene. 

January on the Southwell Trail (2023)

As stated in the previous post, January was a quiet photography month. The weather wasn’t always kind with many overcast and rainy days. Towards the end of the month it turned colder and brighter providing this set of frost themed images. 

January on Combs Lane (2023)

The new year’s photography started early on Combs Lane but overall, January was a quiet month, simply recording the fine days as they came along. The theme for this set was winter trees on a cold but clear morning at the start of 2023.