Colombia is one of the most colourful countries I’ve ever visited, possibly the most colourful. So it seems counter-intuitive to present it in black and white. Yet however colourful the destination there are always likely to be at least a few images that I feel merit experimentation. Ones in which form dominates the composition. Ones with strong contrasts and patterns.
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A number of you seemed to enjoy seeing my Colombian orchids. Now Denzil gives me an excuse to share some more flowers from that beautiful country.
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Colombia can claim to have one fifth of the world’s birds, an amazing 1,954 species. That said, we saw relatively few of them. This may be in part because we went to the wrong places at the wrong time of year. And in part because we’re not experts and neither did we do any specific bird-watching activities.
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If I had to choose a single word to associate with Colombia, it would be ‘colour’. Nowhere else, I believe, have I seen so many brightly painted houses as in some of its villages. And as for street art, I firmly believe the Colombians are obsessed!
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There’s a restraint, a rejection of what is not necessary, in Japanese art and architecture. What is left out is as important as, if not more important than, what is put in.
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Whether ancient and beautiful, old and battered, or newer and colourful, there was something about the doors in Nepal that charmed me. And yes, some could have come straight out of a fairy tale perhaps.
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I would never claim to be the only person to have noticed the things I photograph. But I do believe I often photograph things that not EVERYONE has noticed, or thought to photograph. When I travel I of course photograph the famous sights, the landscapes, the architecture. But I also like to capture small details that, while perhaps not unique to the country, are part of my personal memories of it.
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Just a few miles north of built-up post-industrial Tyneside lies the wide expanse of Druridge Bay. Its seven miles of sands are lined with sand dunes and are just perfect for a winter walk. The landscape is an interesting mix, with wind turbines visible in the distance but otherwise feeling rather remote.
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If you take a walk along the Quayside in Newcastle you are unlikely to miss the striking building on the far side of the Tyne, in Gateshead. Situated in the shadow of the Tyne Bridge this is a concert venue with two main auditoria, a rehearsal space, a music education centre and a leisure destination with several bars and eating places. It is also a must-see, and must photograph, building!
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High in the hills above Pokhara the inhabitants of small villages live much as they have always done. Theirs is a life of hard work, farming a land of steep fields and terraces. But while the work is hard, the backdrop is stunning. I wonder how often they pause to appreciate their surroundings, raising a weary head to gaze in wonder at these mountains as I did?
