Summertime…..and the living is easy…

Ah yes….the summer. No college, no lessons, time to put my feet up and enjoy the glorious English summer. So there won’t be any further updates until further notice….

WHAT?!?

Photographers don’t take holidays!! We are 24/7 ! Well, that’s not entirely true. I don’t get up until 7am and am usually in bed by 10pm. So technically, I’m 14/7!

So yes, I’m finished with college until October but that doesn’t mean I’ve put my camera into storage, no sir! I’m out on the streets (and not in the prostitute sense) capturing life around town and present another instalment of my ‘Hidden Street Photography’ series.

It was a glorious day; the sun was shining, the town was busy and there were just enough interesting people to take pictures of so all of the ingredients were there to shoot some good pics.

My favourite from this set has to be the guy sitting on the steps. He was sat down, in his own little world, letting the world pass by.

I’m trying to add to the series as and when I can so keep checking back to my blog. But for now, here are the latest additions. Hope you like them.

Elegantly Wasted….

 

I believe it was that great poet Sir Elton of John that once wrote “It’s seven o’clock and I’m ready to rock”. Well Sir Elton, it was a quite a bit after seven and I was certainly not ready to rock but ready to shoot – photographs!

Yes chums, night photography was on the cards and what better place to capture the thrills and spills and bellyaches of the cream of society than Birmingham’s ‘premier’ nightspots. I was heading to Broad Street to “mix it up” (no, I don’t know what that means either – I had to ask someone far younger than myself to explain) with the fun seekers, the hen parties, the stag do’s and those with chronic alcoholism.

With little regard for safety, I wondered up and down this avenue of merriment like a kid in a sweet shop! It was a street photographers dream! Everywhere I looked, there was some poor soul in an ill-fitting party dress with a gaudy pink sash embellished with either “Bride To Be” or “Mother Of The Bride” or those who didn’t want to be specifically identified and wore those that simply read “Hen Party”. And of course there were those who, for every working week, there was Saturday night – the one night of the week where you can drink yourself into oblivion, to the point you cannot stand up under your own power or have control over your bodily functions and by that stage of the evening, your only dream in life is to down that last pint and not to defecate in the street.

In amongst these ‘stags’ and ‘hens’ wandered men on stilts and hawkers with signs trying to entice the inebriated into their places with the promise of cheap alcohol and free admission. Some of the queue’s to get in these funhouses were long and this afforded me time to get some rather unflattering pics. Well, unflattering for them but photography gold for me. What I couldn’t believe was that so many women out that night wore such skimpy outfits! It was FREEZING out there but hey! What the hell – I’m wearing that top from Dorothy Perkins or I’ll get hypothermia; either way I’ll be blue and lookin’ good in the back of that ambulance….

Anyway chums, it was certainly an eye opener. Night photography is exciting, a little bit terrifying but certainly an experience. For me, I’ll definitely be doing it again.

To the revellers on Broad Street – I salute you! You have certainly given me a great set of images and I’m including them in this post below. Please have a look through them and leave a comment if you will – I do read them!

Thanks chums. Until next time!

Look at all that shines…

Bride to be

He’s a baby..

Ride ’em cowgirl

No entry..

Pink Lady..

LOL..

I’m so happy..

My girls…

I’m speechless..

Can I take your picture?

Classy…

Make mine a large one..

Romantic dinner for two

Have you had the last prawn ball..

The boys in red

You’re my best mate..

So that’s how you do it.

Walking tall

We’re ready for anything

In Search of the Blues…

RGB.

Is yours A.O.K?

Or is it D.O.A? Do you need to send an S.O.S?

So before you ask yourself, “Has Wayne gone acronym-crazy?”, I’d better explain myself…

A few weeks ago, my Solihull College chums and I were set a task to roam the streets of Birmingham freely and capture images that represent one of the three main colours that make up the primary colour mix, Red, Green & Blue.

I’m going to presume by this point, you’ve realised which colour my group was asked to find…

It was quite amazing just how many things in everyday life have just these primary colours so below are a few of the items I found. Most of the images were taken using my iPhone so aren’t of the usual standard you may have become accustomed to on this blog. I’m so embarrassed….

Now I’m just spoiling you…

I went wondering the streets of Birmingham again today, camera in hand, snapping the great and good of the Second City for your enjoyment and delectation.

I think it’s always a little more difficult when it’s as busy as it was today to get good shots so I hope you will be pleased with the selection.

As always, please feel free to comment on them if you feel compelled. I like to know what you think of my work.

I thank you….