London – Karen Brindley Photography

It must be a sign of age, ‘cos I can’t believe that yet another year has flown by and we’re already in 2025! Normally my Foraging friends and I have always posted our favourite 10 pics from each year, once we reach December/January time and I thought this would be a good practice for my blog, as it gives me time to review what I’ve taken over the year, relive some of the memories behind the shots and then try and work out why I am drawn to certain images. I was lucky to travel an awful lot for photography in 2024 – from local seaside locations, to UK cities and then abroad into Europe. So here are my 2024 top 10 images – as usual fairly eclectic – and in no particular order.

Wonkey Donkey

Oh boy, this image not only has a long (and seemingly hilarious to those who were there) backstory to it, but has practically created a cult within Sidmouth Photographic Club!! So….I was on a Club trip to Weston-Super-Mare in the summer, standing in front of this interestingly named shop waiting for someone “appropriate” to walk past….and of course no one did. To stave off the boredom (and to at least get some sort of shot) Carol called out to a guy pulled up in his car asking him to pose. At which point a bunch of photographers papped him. Hilariously to the others, I had totally managed to miss the guy posing and ended up with a photo of his roof and the sky. So in revenge, I decided to create the above image, showing that I’d managed to capture a shot that everyone else had missed. And ever since I have been plagued with the Wonky Donkey moniker – yes, I’ve been given the book – yes, I’ve been made to read it out loud and yes, I’ve been made to memorise the rhyme!!! Therefore, this has to win the most memorable image of the year, not only for me, but for several of the Club members too!!

The Cyclist

This image was taken in Valencia in May on a photography trip with 2 Club friends; Jo B and Jo H (yes, it was a tad confusing at the start, so I added the surname initials!!). It’s a fabulous city for photography, especially the City of Arts & Sciences. The buildings are like alien spaceships and the water surrounding them add great reflections. We got up very early one morning to catch the sunrise and thanks to Jo H scouting ahead, managed to find the area where the best reflections/shadows were to be had with the rising sun. A very happy hour or so was spent clicking away at cyclists, runners, wagons, men with wheelbarrows etc. and I still have hundreds of images that I haven’t finished looking through yet. I have to confess that the camera was on burst mode to ensure that there would be at least 1 photo per person going past that could work – hence the hundreds to wade through. Would thoroughly recommend a photography trip there – although don’t be surprised if a Club Judge has seen hundreds of these images!

Wash Day

This image was taken on the island of Burano, during my visit to Venice with Debbie in January (arrgh – already a year ago!). I was drawn by the white washing against the blue wall through the red doorway and was lining up the shot when this woman walked through. At first I cursed, but afterwards I realised that actually, she made the shot and I loved the fact that her face was hidden – added a hint of mystery. It ended up being my favourite shot of the trip!

Into the Light

This shot was taken on a trip to the Barbican Centre in London with my Northern Foraging friends in June. Oh what an amazing location for street photography….but the best opportunities come when the sun is out, streaming through the openings, creating interesting shadows. I just loved the curves and light in this composition, even though technically the guy is in the “wrong” position (not on a third) – but I don’t care…it works for me, as I do like a bit of negative space in an image and I darkened it to add a tad more atmosphere.

Just Chillin’

Our Club runs bi-weekly photo trips during the Sumer shutdown and Rosemary and I volunteered to lead one in Teignmouth at the end of August. It’s a great place for photography with boats, beaches, a pier and long seafront. I have to admit that this guy sunbathing caught my eye and I took several of him from different angles. He was clearly enjoying parading himself in public and this angle just worked for me, giving enough information about him, without the need to see his face. A tad disrespectful perhaps…but photographers just can’t help themselves I’m afraid!

juptr

This composite image started life in Birmingham on a Club trip in February. Those of you who read the blog will remember that I came across a couple of lads filming a music video and I couldn’t help myself from hijacking their artistic endeavours. They were happy for me to take pictures and when it came to processing them afterwards, I felt I wanted to do something a little different – like an album cover. I used Generative AI to create the wall with the Union Jack, as I didn’t have any images of that (i.e. the software created it) and then added my photo of juptr, with some old school lens blur and scratches to add a bit of character. I really enjoyed trying to make the image a little different to a straight portrait.

Beach Botany

Rosemary and I went on several recces to Teignmouth to prepare for the Club summer trip and always managed to come away with something. On this day, we had very strong sunlight, so not ideal photographic conditions, but as we were wandering around Back Beach area, I spotted these legs sticking out between the beach huts and was immediately captivated. As with many of my photos, it’s not about the whole person – here, the flowers on her leg contrasted against the yellow and blue of the beach huts and created an interesting juxtaposition (we photographers love a good juxta!!). And yes, I did a beach clean in Photoshop to remove stones, burnt wood and half a paving slab – I’m such a neat freak!!

3-2-1

I had a wonderful trip to Sorrento in October with my friend Cyn, which was for relaxation rather than photography and I took many phone shots of the beautiful scenery. This was the only “serious” shot that I took – as we were looking down on one of the beaches, the composition just struck me and I waited for a bird to fly through the shot, making sure I was on burst mode to get it in the right place. The placing of all of the elements appealed to me and is slightly quirky (what a surprise!!). And no, I didn’t add the bird and/or shadow in post production (although of course I wouldn’t hesitate to do so if necessary!!).

Leake Street

In October, 3 of us from the Club had a fun-filled day trip to London and spent our time round Waterloo station and along the South Bank. This image was taken in Leake Street, an area underneath Waterloo station where street artists come to showcase their work. It’s totally safe – usually more tourists than street artists – and is an interesting backdrop for photography…although I struggled to find many shots. I do have a bit of an obsession with silhouettes, so was pleased when the above composition came together.

Caught in the Light

What was I saying about silhouettes and shadows?!! I spotted this opportunity in Berlin, when I was visiting a friend in September. The sun was so bright overhead that I was hunting for shadow locations and spotted this ideal position from a bridge looking down on the walkway. I find that these sort of shots work best when you find a suitable location and then just wait for the right people to walk through. You need some patience (so it helps if you are on your own) and again, burst mode increases your “decisive moment” success rate.

And so what do my favourite images from last year tell me? That I had some great trips both home and abroad, with something pretty much every month. That I still have a pile of images to process – and post on my blog…New Year’s resolution should be to keep up with my posting in 2025. That I’m still drawn to shadows/silhouettes, strong shapes/colours, legs(?!), quirky, sense of absurd. That I enjoy street and travel photography. And that you never know what you’re going to capture next – the joy of the random moments, where everything aligns and a wonderful scene unfolds in front of you just as you press the shutter or frustration when nothing motivates you (or even worse, you weren’t quick enough to capture the moment). Already looking forward to my adventures in 2025……

The last time I was in London was 6 months ago, when Sidmouth Photographic Club ran a 2 day trip around Greenwich, O2 and Canary Wharf. And thankfully Mike (our club Secretary, who arranged that event), was keen to run another one during the summer – this time, a day trip to Battersea, with a walk along the river back to Waterloo. It felt a bit like a school outing, as 10 of us boarded the train and competed to see who could eat their packed food the quickest…which was probably me, as I’d finished my breakfast before we even set off from Honiton station! These trips are always popular, as they are superbly organised, with loads of photo opportunities and lots of fun to boot.

Once we arrived at Waterloo, we boarded the Northern Line to Battersea Power station. I sat next to a fabulously photogenic guy with calf-high red Doc Martens and colourful tattoos. Looking round the carriage, you could see group members desperately trying to take his photo on their phones, without looking like they were. I managed half a boot and half an arm – not even remotely artistic, so had to concede defeat!

At Battersea we had plenty of time to wander round on our own and what an amazing place it is – the Power Station is now a destination venue, containing high end shops, eateries and outdoor spaces. It had a great vibe, with plenty to keep both street and architectural photographers happy. The harsh sunlight worked in my favour, providing fabulous shadows and silhouettes, which is one of my (many) current fascinations. In preparation for the trip, I had been watching YouTube videos by Siegfried Hansen, a German Street photography, who is attracted to graphical scenes with strong lines, colours and shapes, so my eye was looking for more unusual compositions. And almost from the start I became fixated with legs and feet (yes, yet another of my “obsessions”!), as they took centre stage in my images. At one point, after spotting a lady with wonderful red Adidas trainers, I followed her into a shop and asked if I could take a photo of her feet in the amazing shadows – and even though she clearly thought I was bonkers, she agreed…so it never hurts to ask if you really want that shot!

After lunch we wandered down river to the American Embassy, which is an oasis in the city, with beautiful prairie-like planting and a massive water feature. The building itself is highly photogenic and as usual, we were all trying to find our unique viewpoint…and that’s what I love about photography; even when we are all looking at the same building, every one of our photos will show a different angle / point of view / mood / story. And next door was The Sky Pool; a glass bottomed swimming pool suspended many stories up between 2 buildings. We were in luck as there were 2 people swimming in it, which made for a more interesting shot.

We continued along the river to the Tate Britain for a brief tea and cake stop (admiring some tattooed feet and more Doc Marten boots – sadly, too busy scoffing to photograph), before carrying on up to Trafalgar Square. I have to admit that by this time I was seriously flagging due to the heat, so spent all of my time in the Square trying to get one decent photo of a pigeon next to the Do Not Feed Pigeons sign…and in the end, I have to admit that I blended 2 images together to make it work (never let reality get in the way of a good image)!!

Onwards over Hungerford Bridge to dinner at the Cote Brasserie – and suitably refreshed, we strolled to Waterloo station to catch the last train back home. I have to confess that an abundance of sugar and over tiredness led to my table companions being treated/subjected (delete as applicable) to 3 hours of silliness from myself…in my defence, I was trying to make the journey go quicker for all of us, but it must have felt like being stuck next to an additive fuelled 8 year old!! Hehehe….happy times 😀

A cracking day out – it’s always a real joy to spend time in London, capturing the quirkiness of the city. Already looking forward to the next trip (if I’m allowed back!!)…

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