Favourite Photographs
Below are just a few of the thousands of photographs I have taken over many years. Click on the photographs to enlarge them. They are in no particular order but they are some of my favourites.
This photograph was taken at Whitlingham Broad near Norwich in Norfolk on November 1st, 2015. Early morning mist gave way to bright Autumn sunshine and I like to think that I captured the essence of the day. I was particularly pleased with the reflection of the swans on the water.
This image is of top jockey Frankie Dettori - probably the best known jockey since Lester Piggott hung up his whip. Despite (or maybe because of) being Italian, Frankie won over the hearts of the British public with his fun, sense of humour and positive attitude. He became a sporting icon and a celebrity outside his sport before becoming well known for a drug habit that threatened to destroy his future. I took the image below at Newmarket Races on August 1st, 2008. It pictures Dettori on Awinnersgame after winning the 7 p.m race. He is on his way into the winner's enclosure. Somehow the expression on his face shows the fierce competitive spirit of the man alongside the obvious humour - the steely determination that is often hidden by the public fun persona that saw him posing for photographs and chatting to people during the evening. Apologies to Awinnersgame for having to cut most of him out of the picture but there were thousands of people around and getting a decent shot was difficult as I only had a split second to take it.
Another sporting theme - Taking sports photographs is problematic to say the least. Firstly you need a very long lens and secondly perfect timing. Usually I have neither. Occasionally, however, it does all come together as in this photograph. I'm sure the batsman will forgive me as he's my youngest son. There are mitigating circumstances for what in cricket is known as "an agricultural heave." Matthew will point out that this was the last over of a limited over game and he had to hit out. The result is evident for all to see. I was very pleased to picture the exact point at which the ball hit the stumps. This picture has plenty of energy and action. This was taken in May 2008 at Hethersett and Tas Valley Cricket Club in Flordon, Norfolk.
Looking through my collection of photographs I find that there are two main types. I love taking photos that are full of action with lots going on. Then I love taking photos that show more solitude. The picture opposite was taken in 2019 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Provincetown is one of those places with a picture around every corner - a liberal conclave where people can just be themselves without any airs and graces. It was just a beautiful sunny day at the seaside.
And this is another of those busy pictures that I love. This one is taken on the seafront in Cromer on the North Norfolk coast. I have very fond memories of Cromer from my time on the local newspaper - the North Norfolk News - as a young journalist in the early 1970s. The beach area is often full of old fishing vessels - many of them are very rusty but this just adds to their attraction.
This photograph was taken in April 2020 during the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. It is rare that I see a photograph in my mind before taking it and then take the image and it turns out exactly how I saw it in my mind. I love the way the greenery and the dirt both have curves which lead your eye to the church. the church in question is St Remigius in my home village of Hethersett in Norfolk.
This photograph was taken during a walk round the Norfolk market town of Wymondham which is just two miles from where we live. I just liked the reflections off the water and the way the whole picture seemed to have a dreamlike feel to it.
On a trip to France in June 2015 we took this shot (not absolutely sure of its location but it could have been Rocamador). I liked the way the canoeists looked so small compared to the massive chateaux.
All aboard the Yorkshire Moors Explorer. This one comes from August, 2013, when we stayed in Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire and took this steam train from Whitby to Pickering. I like the power that this close up shows. On the return journey we got off for a look round Goathland which was the setting for the BBC police drama Heartbeat. The village attracts thousands of tourists every year as much of it is kept as it was for the series where it turned into Adensfield.
The three images above were taken from the August 2013 holiday to North Yorkshire. In the middle are the beautiful shadows brought about by late afternoon sun in Whitby and on either side are images from Robin Hood's Bay.
Not quite sure where this image was taken but I know it was September 2013 and probably in Norfolk. I just like the overwhelming feel of the greenery.
Over the years I have taken hundreds of photographs of Norwich Cathedral, both inside and out. I just like the feel of this one.
This is almost a companion picture to the one of Provincetown further up the page. It has the same busy and vibrant feel. But this one was taken in Regent Road in Great Yarmouth, England, in 2013 at the height of the summer season.
Another photograph of lake and boats - this one from October 2016 in Scotland close to Loch Lomond.
This one was taken during the so called 2020 coronavirus lockdown on a visit to Norwich on May 19th. It was taken in St Giles looking towards the Roman Catholic Cathedral. I just like the way the eye is led towards the cathedral and the overall shape.
When I'm out in the countryside I am always looking for unusual angles to take as well as unusual subjects. That is particular the case with trees and wood and I have taken hundreds if not thousands of photographs of these. The one opposite is representative of the shapes I like to achieve. It was taken in the Ladybelt Countryside Park at Ketteringham in Norfolk - just three miles from where we live - proving that there are interesting shapes on our doorsteps. The photograph was taken on June 3rd, 2020.
This is the kind of photograph I would like to be made into a jigsaw. Once again lots of action and the smoke from the steam train gives it a hazy feel to it. The photograph was taken at Sheringham Railway Station in North Norfolk during a 1940s weekend when people dressed up for the occasion. Sheringham actually has two stations very close to each other. This one is for the North Norfolk Railway- a heritage railway which runs along the coast from Sheringham to Holt and which regularly runs steam trains.