Chasing the light

When I was a student I often used reading week as an excuse to make the most of cheap morning tickets for the cinema to catch up on films I wanted to see - a decadent luxury I haven’t enjoyed since then - until this week! When I discovered that I Am Martin Parr, a documentary about photographer Martin Parr was showing at the Picturehouse in Cambridge I booked up for an 11.15am showing and it reminded me of my student days.

Martin Parr is particularly known for his colour photography, but the film included some of his gritty monochrome photos from his younger days in Hebden Bridge too. Around Cambridge the sun was out much of the time, so I decided to go black and white for the rest of the day, exploring the city centre, seeking out curious scenes and beautiful light.

I could have cropped out the solitary leg from this image, but I decided that leaving told more of a story - as thought the cyclist was chasing her out of his lane!

Why did the pigeon need a bicycle?

Caught in the spotlight

Mind the stripes…

I can’t resist a cute dog and these two were both looking very alert as I bent down to photograph them.

The light along Senate House Passage was interesting and as I waited to catch the shadow of a cyclist in the pool of light this little girl came skipping along, without a care in the world.

I finally caught my cyclist, and captured the shadow of the man behind him with the spoke of his wheel too!

Photos taken 25 February 2025

A wondrous respite from the rain

For my birthday a couple of weeks ago I treated myself to a day in Cambridge, although sadly the weather didn’t take any notice of my request for good weather. Instead it poured with rain - hardly conducive to spending time looking for interesting characters on the streets.

Rather than getting drenched I bought a ticket to visit Kings College Chapel where I at least knew would keep warm and dry. During a previous visit I discovered the Chapel has underfloor heating - a real boon if getting the magic photo requires you to lie on the ground!

The vaulting at Kings is exquisite so my eyes were perpetually being drawn upwards.

A stolen view through to the choir.

Two small scenes from the choir

Arches within arches in one of the side chapels

A final glance back at the trumpeters on the organ and that wonderful ceiling.

Photos taken 9 March 2023

Meandering around the Fitzwilliam

I felt the need to escape the house for my day off as I’ve been working at home all week. The freezing weather wasn’t conducive to outdoor activities, so I headed for the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge for a wander with my camera.

I chose it use a single lens, picking out smaller sections of the building - a strategy which also proved useful for avoiding the crowds of school children!

This corner of one of the staircases took my fancy with its elegant lines and beautiful, soft light.

Photos taken 9 December 2022.

Rainy day pinholing

After our pinhole expeditions earlier in the year, my friend Peter and I spent a rainy day in Cambridge at the beginning of May, exploring the city’s possiblities.

If you look closely you can just see a ghostly self portrait of me in front of the gate!

During a previous walk around Cambridge I took a photo of Peter on these steps, but he didn’t stay still for long enough and vanished from the final picture. This time he stood really still!

Bicycles everywhere….

A lunchtime self portrait of the two of us - so slow that we’ve become a blur!

Photos taken 11 May 2022