motorbike

Motorbike
August 2007

My iTunes: The Long Day Is Over by Norah Jones

Spent the last couple days moving for the last time this year. It's been hot here and I've been lugging heavy and unwieldy things all over the place, so it's nice to finally get a chance to sit down and post on the blog again.

I grabbed this shot when I was on the top of a double-decker open-top bus in London. Motorbikes are a popular way to get around in European cities because they use little gas, are easy to park, and can squeeze through bad traffic. I like how this picture is framed around the wheels and focuses more on line and texture rather than color, because the shot is relatively monochromatic but has lots of different lines -- circles and straight lines all intersecting -- as well as textures -- smooth metal and dulled rubber. My new house doesn't have air conditioning, so the thought of the breeze blowing through my hair as I ride a motorbike sounds fantastic right now...

sunflower

Sunflower
August 2007

Did you know that a sunflower is actually a collection of smaller flowers? Look for it here...

whispers

Whispers
August 2007

My iTunes: You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile in Annie

This is one of those spur-of-the-moment, just-happened-to-have-my-camera-out shots. One of the girls in the "class" at kids club in London a few weeks ago was whispering a secret to me and I didn't even look as I took this shot. Lucky me, this is what came out. Kids are such fun!

lanterns

Lanterns
August 2007

My iTunes: Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

Back to the Camden Town Markets again, this time is a shot of some lanterns in one of the indoor shops. It was a neat shop with lots of colorful, artsy objects. I really liked how they displayed things from the ceiling, especially the lanterns and the candle-holders.

wrinkles of time

Wrinkles of Time
January 2007

My iTunes: Hello Lord by Sara Groves

This is one of my favorite pictures from my trip to Italy in January. I decided to have themes for the pictures that I would take and one of the themes I picked was faces. The zoom on my camera was quite helpful in getting close-ups. I saw this homeless man in Florence several times and his face intrigued me. I love seeing wrinkles in old faces and wondering about the stories that time has spun beneath the wrinkles...

I hope to continue posting this week, but my computer has decided to throw a fit and I am unable to start it. I'm borrowing a computer at the moment but don't know if I'll continue to have one at my disposal. Hopefully it will be sorted out quickly and efficiently (and without cost, if possible)...

rocky pier

Rocky Pier
August 2007

My iTunes: Entertaining Thoughts by Over the Rhine

Yesterday I made a road trip across Delaware to see family and friends and it reminded me of a day I spent at Bournemouth in early July. The beach experience in England is quite different from the beach experience on the East Coast! It was a foreign idea for me to go to the beach and not need a bathing suit, to wear three layers of clothing, and to think of swimming in the ocean no more than of swimming across the ocean! I suppose that growing up a beach baby in the US taught me things about beach-going that I take for granted.

This shot is of my favorite pier at Bournemouth -- it was made of all rock and had the big metal contraption at the end. It was neat to see the other side of the Atlantic.

bicycle seat

Bicycle Seat
August 2007

My iTunes: Somebody to Love by Queen

Another one of my favorite bike shots. I love the different angle and the close up of the rusted springs with some English ivy in the background. The whole composition reminds me of and afternoon in England. I like to imagine that the bike belonged to Agatha Christie's famous character Lord Peter Wimsey and that it was tucked away in some little corner and forgotten for years.

big ben from below

Big Ben from Below
August 2007

My iTunes: There Was A Time by Michael Xavier

It seems like every tourist who goes to London, myself included, takes a picture of Big Ben. Perhaps I am a worse offender because I took so many, but this is one of my favorites because it's an unusual angle. It's neat how through the lens of a camera the things we see all the time can be transformed into something different and eye-catching...

cherry red bike

Cherry Red Bike
August 2007

My iTunes: Vienna by Billy Joel

Oxford, England, is home to one of the most famous and one of the oldest universities in the world. When classes are in session, it is not uncommon to see the university students flying around the city on their bicycles. Bikes are one of the most popular forms of transportation in the city -- it is not only cheap but a good form of exercise as well! I suppose that it is more difficult and much less pleasant in the rain -- too bad England is notorious for being wet and rainy...

Camden Lock

August 2007
Moondreams Moored

My iTunes: Brave by Out of the Grey

I went to Camden Town yesterday and walked along the Lock and took some pictures. Sadly, it's turned into a rather dodgey place, contrary to how peaceful it looks from pictures. At least one murder and one rape have happened there in the past year, and it's a hot spot for drug and alcohol addicts. When I was there right around 6:00 p.m., it was mostly peaceful and I didn't see anything really sketchy, but people were starting to congregate on the banks by the time I left. This house boat was called Moondreams and I liked the name, so I snapped a picture. Enjoy!