A walk on the wild side at Ventnor, Isle of Wight

(i) Newly-planted flower border

(ii) Sheep drop

(iii) No public access; Access required at all times

(iv) Dog faeces spread diseases

(v) No thoroughfare

(vi) Slow humps

(vii) No trespassing

(viii) Private porthole

(ix) Do not allow children to climb the railings

(x) No cycling etc

(xi) Slippery ramp

(xii) Keep off the huts

(xiii) Keep off Rosemary

Something from the archive for students of semiotics. It begs the question "Is it too dangerous to visit the Isle of Wight?". Slippery ramps, paths strewn with dog grumpies, slow humping everywhere you turn, collapsing roofs: It's all available to the most demanding thrill seeker, and just a short ferry ride from Portsmouth.

I particularly like the presence of pampas grass in "Slow Humps". Nudge, wink.

Images were taken in Ventnor back in 2007 (most were captured on the same walk, which gives an idea of the sheer density of signs and warnings in this part of the country).

Futurescape conference report for the Architecture Centre Network

I was recently commissioned to compile the report (and take a few photos) of the Architecture Centre Network's Futurescape 08 conference. Held last October, the conference provided the opportunity to look at built environment education, as well as the integration of emerging technologies in learning.

The report has now been added to the ACN's website, and can be viewed here>

Future Systems on Oxford Street, London

Revealed towards the end of last year, this is the crystalline facade of 187 Oxford Street, the result of a collaboration between Future Systems, Arcademy Architects, MNP consulting engineers and specialist facade contractor GIG Fassadenbau (information taken from the MNP website). Despite facing north, it really seems to glitter in the winter light, with disjointed reflections of the buildings on the opposite side of the road.

It caught my eye when heading towards the tube station today, and luckily I had my Sigma DP1 to hand (in fact, it's barely never upon my person). Perspective was tweaked in Photoshop and I quite liked giving it a panoramic crop.

Eiffel Tower: Revisited

I'm constantly surprised at how new developments in software mean that you can take an old image taken with a digital camera and create something much better with it. But it's not just digital imaging that can benefit from such a revisit. The same also applies to old-fashioned film.

I recently had a dig around the back of our enormous under-eaves storage cupboard and came across the original prints that I exhibited at the end of my photography studies. Not only had they faded really badly (a product of being printed on non-archival paper with non-archival ink) but I was appalled and embarrassed by the quality of the scans. 

I resolved to re-use the frames (rather lovely oak mounts from Habitat, I recall), and make a fresh scan and print of one of the images, to give to my parents at Christmas.

Thanks to my Minolta Multi Pro scanner, which I bought last year on ebay, the new scan is miles clearer, with a better range of tones and greater depth. I made a print using my wonderful Epson 3800 A2 printer and archival Premium Semigloss paper and the results were amazing - especially when compared with the fuzzy original!

The original photograph was taken during a weekend in Paris about six years ago, and shot with a late-lamented Yaschica 124G medium format camera. 

House in Greenwich by Zac Monro Architects

Here are a few images taken before Christmas of an amazing project in Greenwich, south-east London, designed by Zac Monro Architects. It's a converted terraced house, which has been opened-up by removing walls and floors to create a jaw-dropping living/eating/cooking space at its heart. 

a10 magazine features Falmouth School by Urban Salon

Tip-top European architecture magazine a10 has featured Urban Salon's work at Falmouth School in its latest issue. Again, more images that make it hard for me to keep on insisting that it rained horizontally for almost the entire day... I did get wet, honest!

Fabulous food and drink in Folkestone

Eat and smoke

Mermaid Restaurant

La Gruta Restaurnt (sic)

I thought I'd add a couple of gratuitous additional Folkestone images, taken last year during my cultural exploration with the Knit Nurse. They all have the theme of food - I wonder what was on my mind at the time?

All together now, I do like to be beside the seaside! 

Taken with the Fuji TX-1 (xpan).

Falmouth School by Urban Salon Architects makes cover of Timber in Construction magazine

On-going media coverage of Falmouth School's new design and technology block, designed by Urban Salon Architects, has included the cover feature of Timber in Construction magazine. It's hard to believe that the day was almost entirely torrential rain when I took the photo!

Folkestone, Marine Parade

Included for visitors from the Knit Nurse Chronicles (welcome!!!), here's a picture of the faded Marine Parade in Folkestone, Kent, taken during the rather wonderful art triennial last year.

Photograph taken with Fuji TX-1 (Hasselblad xpan) and 90mm lens.

Yo! Sushi Cabot Circus, Bristol, by Platform Group

I've recently photographed the vibrant new Yo! Sushi, located at the heart of Bristol's mammoth new Cabot Circus shopping centre. Designed by Platform Group, the interior features a colourful lighting scheme inspired by the neon lights of downtown Tokyo.

From Lewes to Southease

View towards Newhaven

Approach to Firle

With my good friend, journalist and knitter extraordinaire Helena to East Sussex for a superb January walk. Beginning at Lewes, we followed the path through curvaceous chalk downland to Glynde (home of the opera house). We stopped off at the Ram Inn, Firle for a delicious doorstep sarnie, before heaving ourselves steeply uphill to join the South Downs Way. Views towards Newhaven, of the sea and setting sun, were simply spectacular. Then with the light rapidly fading, we plunged down the steep slope to lonely Southease station. 

Photographs taken with the Sigma DP1, which continues to amaze.