Shapes and Patterns

Another year on in the life of Little Ro, I'll try to catch up on some more of my travel photography backlog (which will involve some more mass uploads). These are some of my favourite images featuring more abstract shapes and patterns, from my travels around the world. 

 An interesting rooftop, shot near the port of Barcelona

 Bar Harbor

 Evening light catches a laundry basket

 Bikes in Bruges

 Sky Tower, New Zealand (abstract)

 Volcanic mud bubble, Iceland

 Lifebuoys, New England

 'Farewell QE2' celebrations, Italy

Prayers on a 'peace tree,' Den Haag

 Deckchairs onboard QE2

 Bikes in Amsterdam

Self-portrait, Austria

 Dried volcanic mud, Iceland

 Eiffel Tower

An old Hoover

 Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

 Japanese incense

 Madeira

 Lobster pots, Nova Scotia

 Peeling paint on a boat, Montrose, Scotland

 A pattern of penguins

 Grecian urns

 Votive candles, Montserrat

 Chilean red wine

 Registration plates, Bar Harbor

 A line of Rolls Royce in Rotterdam

Theatre seats

 Rooftop near in Barcelona port

 Rooftops in Bergen

 Desert sands at sunrise, Uluru, Australia

 Nova Scotia

 Staircase on the QE2

Tree stump

 Zebra's bum

 Reflected tyres, Norway

 Evening light in a Scottish pantry stocked with whisky and coffee

 Chilean red wine

 Cafe chairs stacked in Rome

Architecture in London

 Logs at the base of a waterfall near Quebec, Canada

Zebra

Light through a stained glass window, Chesterfield

Collage of chairs

Baby, it's cold outside.

More snow this year. You have to love snow!

Do You Wanna Build A Snowman?

We had snow on Boxing Day. So we made the most of it! What better way to round off another year on the life of a very happy little boy?

Gingerbread House

As Christmas approached, little Ro was more than thrilled to make his first gingerbread house.

Say a Little Prayer

While staying in Norfolk, we visited Binham Priory (a beautiful church built into the ruins of a former priory). Here, he seemed mesmerised by the candles in the church (and I like to think he looks like a little angel).

Urbex - Norfolk

Another style of photography I love to follow is 'Urbex' (urban exploration). Some photographers go to great lengths to locate and gain access to abandoned buildings, the world over, in order to photograph them. If ever I'm presented with an opportunity, I love to shoot derelict buildings (as long as I'm not breaking any laws).

While working in Norfolk last winter, I drove past this property, and couldn't resist turning the car around to explore. It's known as 'Thursford Castle' although in reality, it was never a castle - it has a far more sinister history. It was a former work-house, and later, a hospital where patients with infectious diseases were quarantined. Not the most cheerful past.

Recently, the property has been granted planning permission to turn it into a residential property, and most of the grounds have been cleared in preparation for renovations to begin, once the site is sold. If I understand correctly, the planning permission retains the derelict chapel, incorporating it into the design.

I explored this site on Halloween, but despite the creepy time of year, much of the atmosphere of this ruin has been lost, as the area has been sanitized. It did feel more like a building plot, than a venue with a troubling past. Having said that, the grounds are surrounded by a wall, which has four small rooms built into each corner. (I think I read that these rooms were once occupied by armed guards, who protected the establishment from potential thieves, who may have attempted to raid the work-house for food, during times of famine). Those four tiny rooms have retained an ominous atmosphere (the small windows to one of these rooms are photographed below), while the rest of the plot is really quite tranquil.

I've no doubt that whoever buys these grounds will end up with a lovely property. Part of me is delighted that the site will be renovated, without deteriorating further, and disappearing into nothing. Although there is also something fascinating about these old, historical buildings, as they gradually crumble. Once it becomes private property, I find it slightly sad that the public (people like me) will no longer be able to gain access to explore its history.

Also nearby is Binham Priory, which has a lovely little modern church built into the ruins of the former priory. Both locations provided a nice photographic opportunity, Norfolk is a very beautiful part of the world.

These photographs are slightly more post-processed than my usual style. I find this particular effect works well for architectural photography (and particularly lends itself to abandoned buildings).

Spiderman

Little Ro spent several months of last year dressed as Spiderman. For many weeks, he refused to wear any other outfit, by day or night. We ended up buying extra identical outfits to allow for laundry.

It was very kind of a local council in Norfolk to foresee his Spiderman obsession when we were visiting, and paint the playground to match his outfit. (Or it may have been coincidence, but I enjoyed the matching colours!)

Another Scottish Summer

Little Ro enjoying the scenery of Scotland, on another visit up north.