Earlier this year I took a trip over to Londonderry to visit my Dad. I lived there for a few years when I was younger and know the city quite well. It was a great chance to shoot a another city at 4am!
The city was so, so still. The temperature was just right and there was no wind, adding to the silence of the streets. By 5am the sun was rising. Such a beautiful morning. It’s these types of experiences at 4am that got the 4am Project up and running.
Accidentally found this abandoned steam train whilst looking for somewhere to park and set up a shot of Craigavon Bridge. It has since transpired that this is part of the Foyle Valley Railway Museum, and not quite as abandoned as it first looked!
Craigavon Bridge
Even though I had lived in Derry, and have visited it many times since moving away, I had never taken a walk around the city walls, which were built around the original town in 1613. So I decided to document my walk with (lots of) photos and make a video.
Not long after my return home, the Derry Journal got in touch and asked if they could write a piece about my visit to Derry and the 4am Project.
Next time I go over to Derry I will organise a 4am photo walk through the city! If this is something you would be interested in, give me a shout and I’ll keep you posted.
The picture was from my 4am outing to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. I blogged about it here.
It’s about time I ventured out again. I’ve now been to the Jewellery Quarter, The Bullring and Digbeth. Which part of Birmingham would you like to see at 4am? Please leave a comment below and I will go to one of the areas you suggest
Todays job for the Birmingham Post and Mail took Me to The Cube. The Cube is under construction, and based next to The Mailbox, in Birmingham City Centre.
It’s says on The Cube’s website: Exceptional apartments, state of the art offices, exclusive shops, waterside café bars, boutique hotel and a panoramic rooftop restaurant, The Cube is set to become an internationally recognised building.
I was asked to take some pictures of the site, and some shots of some of the builders at work. I was lent a fish eye lens, which I was very excited about!
I took some shots from street level, but wondered if I could actually get on the building site. I found the site entrance, spoke to the site manager, and minutes later I found myself in a hard hat and work boots!
I’ve never been on a building site before, and this is a building site on such a grand scale. That’s one of the things I like about this work; I never know where I will be going, or who I will be meeting. Today, I was climbing up ladders, and scaffolding. My legs did wobble a little as I found Myself so high up, hanging onto a ladder and viewing the scene below. I felt safe though and the site manager accompanied me the whole time.
So, here are today’s pictures, including shots of the model of the finished building.
What I learnt today:
Flare from the sun can be a good thing.
Don’t over crop
Don’t crop square
People don’t have to be so posed, and nor do they always have to be looking at the camera.
