This is great news as far as I’m concerned as Birmingham {Viewpoint} has been a major force in my development as an artist. My first submission was for the second month of the project and in the following four years I’ve only missed one month. The subjects chosen almost always make me think and push me out of my comfort zone, forcing me to try new approaches or to look at the world in a different way.
I was getting quite depressed in the later half of 2015 as none of the submissions were being published, but new subjects did emerge each month. So, here is the catch-up on my approach to some of the subjects.
Subject #7 was The Big Hoot – a fantastic city-wide art event. There were 89 big owls and several more smaller ones so there were plenty of opportunities for everyone to go at. Here are some that I didn’t submit: -
So, what did I actually submit? Although I did like these pictures, this one was my favourite: -
Subject #9 was Look Up. This was a topic that definitely made me think. Look Up is good advice to photographers and to everyone else for that matter. I started to notice new things and look at the world in a different way.
Rotunda from Inside The Pavilions
Beginning of the End for NatWest Building
I’ve spent many a day in The Pavilions Shopping Centre with Bert & Gerts Markets selling prints of my pictures and, if it hadn’t been for this month’s subject I would never have noticed that the top of the Rotunda is visible through the roof of The Pavilions!
My actual submission was a combination of serendipity and the new found urge to look up!
Super Moon over The Mailbox
I’d been out for an evening with some friends who were passing through Brum on a narrowboat and, on my way back to the station got slightly lost in The Mailbox which was still being redeveloped. It was the night of the Super Moon and as I looked up, this was the sight I beheld. I was very pleased that it came out as well as it did.
Subject #10 was the newly refurbished and recently re-opened New Street Station. I did take lots of photos, but only converted two of them. This panorama of the inside of the new Grand Central was the first: -
Grand Central Panorama
Whilst this gives some idea of the vast new, open space that is the concourse at New Street Station, I prefered my other picture which, once I’d seen the shot, gave Birmingham a bit of a ‘Gaudiesque’ appearance.
Station Street & The Electric Cinema
The extra shiny cladding to the new New Street Station gives endless opportunities for interesting photos and, although I had several others, this one was my favourite.
And finally, we get to Subject #11 which was Old and New. At first, I misinterpreted the concept and took a picture of the newly refurbished Stirchley Baths. This building has stood derelict for decades and finally reopened after a multi-million pound refurb as a community centre, still called Stirchley Baths. I was thinking, “Old building, new purpose”, but that wasn’t really the point of the subject – here’s the picture anyway: -
Stirchley Baths
After realising my mistake I went out again and discovered just how many old and new buildings there are jostling for space here in Birmingham. My first shot didn’t really do justice to the subject, but I include it here for the sake of completeness.
Baskerville House, Hall of Remembrance & Library of Birmingham
That picture was taken from the new route from New Street to Centenary Square via Fletchers walk.
For my actual submission, I returned to the scene of a previous Birmingham {Viewpoint} subject – the Central Business District.
158 Edmund Street
So, there you have it, a potted history of my last six months of Birmingham {Viewpoint}. It has provided interesting challenges and, the first subject for 2016 will certainly challenge me as it is all about Black and White pictures. As you might have guessed, I’m a big fan of bright colours, so it could provide a lot of heartache for me! Watch this space!
