So here I find myself walking around a busy historic market town, this shot was taken in Chester within the city walls I might add!

It's called Annabella it's a boutique which specialises in Wedding Outfits & Occasion Specialists, that is not the reason for the photograph though.

When I shot this, the first thing I noticed was the light in the small dimly lit alleyway and being a (light painter) so to speak, I loved how the light fell on the wall to the right, then the name plate, with 'Annabella' in the dark alleyway. The whole scene suggested 'call-girl', of course it isn't but, you get the idea right!

I'm starting to notice a little more in my surroundings paying particular attention, so when I spotted this I took the shot. In photography people like to be taken some where in an image, and this alleyway takes you to Annabella, but if you didn't commit to said doorway, then you could pass on by. Here is the boutique am sure you will find it an exceptional place to visit for your on line shopping!

I've looked at another website most notably Magnum Photos, Martine Franck recently passed away and she was such a great influential photographer of her time. She was an excellent portrait photographer, and she can list Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yves Saint Laurent, the painter Avigdor Arikha many of her photographs are retro black & white images from my childhood years, yes colour photography was available then, but they look so much more appealing in monochrome.

A favourite shot would be the Slide in Newcastle Upon Tyne, it could be anywhere really in Northern England, but that picture takes me back to my first fight! Incredible I still remember how it panned out even today...how odd but at the same time, very nostalgic.  

So it is with regret that you have passed away, but you will live on through your work.

Thanks for being an influence. Requisite in pace Martine Franck.

So I guess am quite taken with shooting in monochrome, my work is improving and yesterday I received my 'bigger' prints, I was amazed how my shots showed such great detail on a larger scale. Even the grain on the film shots, was fairly even.

Here is one example of another monochrome shot, I did this using Infrared technique, on my digital canon. It's a shot of the Waterloo Bridge, in Betwys-Y-Coed, built during which the battle was thought in 1815.

Wow they're is history in engineering, none more so than in Wales, every where has historic engineering, many of them bridges which span the estuaries and rivers of Wales.

So keep your eyes on the page, because you never know what I'll be shooting next, I may try another IR shot again, I do like the conversion in to monochrome. What I like about it is how it brings out other details in the frame, making the image more appealing.

So until my next visit, Au revoir as Martine Franck might say.