We’ve had an awful lot of grey, wet days this winter, so when a cold, sunny day coincided with a little free time I decided it was time to return to the Barbican to capture some dramatic light.
I had a roll of film left in my pinhole camera from Christmas so my first priority was to use that up. This enclosed area caught my eye and it struck me that the pool of light falling through the opening above me might create an interesting opportunity for a ghostly self portrait.
In the area opposite St Giles’ Church people were sitting beside the frozen lake enjoying the sunshine, while I made the most of the architectural lines. Meanwhile, on the other side of the centre I found some lovely shafts of sunlight falling among the crisp, brutalist columns.
Once I’d finished off my roll of film I then concentrated on some digital photography, which allowed me to be a little more spontaneous without the need for a tripod. I was fascinated by the way the light falls through the openings in the residential areas of the Barbican.
It was a pretty quiet day, but a little patience allowed me to include some people in my photos for a human element and a better sense of scale.
Shapes and soft light around one of the highwalks.
This young woman was busy on a facetime call and completely unaware of me. Her white outfit really makes her jump out from the shadow.ss.
Simple straight lines along one of the highwalks, leading the eye through to a welcome spot to sit and think.
As the sun began to fall in the sky the light became ever more dramatic.
Finally back where I started the afternoon with my pinhole camera at the bench, but by now the sun was catching the concrete edges in a lovely way.
Photos taken 19 January