Cowley Road is full of surprises. You're likely to have heard about the nastier surprises, but there's some nice ones, too. It's a place where people live, commute, work and play and it's always changing, always vibrant.
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| "Yarn Bombing" |
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| "Yarn Bombing" |
These are a most gorgeous set of photos - inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson?
ReplyDeleteI hardly know which one to pick out because together they tell the story. The red garment in the last one is so well positioned. Your two butchers, contrast so well. I especially like the soft focus in the background of the model butcher.
The mural and the cartoon are both beautifully observed. The traffic and the people on the phone both convey the hustle and bustle of the area.
The first one with the inscription is fascinating with the Celtic stone next to it. Where is it? I can't quite read the inscription but the composition is great.
What fun it is loooking at these!
Thanks for your comments, Seonaid. The real man is not a butcher, he helps run the Excelsior cafe which has been run the same way (and looked the same) for decade upon decade (note his till - still in use!). The cafe serves the permanent Cowley Road types including the mad and the bad. It does the best coffee I've found.
ReplyDeleteThe stones in the grass are part of a small labyrinth in the yard of SS Mary and John. I sometimes stop here on my commute and walk the labyrinth to help clear my head before a busy day. It's perhaps oddly positioned - a meditative thing right next to the very busy Cowley Road - but it's there deliberately to be on offer. It's created by loads of small pieces which were each created by community members. I though the spiral was a nod in the direction of the spirals (although obv. not using that composition here).
It's a good example of why Cowley Road is surprising. I had to edit out the centuries old Leper Hospital, too!
I really like the composition on #8 with the old posters, I like how you positioned the wall graffiti in the background, but on the last picture with the person in red I find the man on the left with the book very distracting any it takes the focus away from the other people and makes it hard to see what the focal point was meant to be.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve. Yeah, wasn't sure about him myself but decided to leave him in for a bit more context but you might be right that a crop would improve the focus. See you soon.
ReplyDeleteLOVE this theme! And I especially love the 6th photograph. The worn in seats give the perfect 'Cowley Road' vibe and the whole picture works really well!
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