Blackpool Winter Gardens

Blackpool's iconic Winter Gardens complex was first opened in 1878 and has continually been developed throughout its life. The original development was continued through to 1931, when new areas and bars were opened. If entering the building from Church Street, look up. There is a domed roof in the main entrance area, then in the foyer an iron and glass canopy, added in 1931. This gives an ambience of light and space and most of these pictures feature this.

An abstract view of the domed roof, in the entrance hall when entering from Church Street

Illuminated pillars add to the ambience of light and space created by the glass roof, as seen  in this small section of the foyer

Strong lines from a dynamic structure graced by art decor lamps, when looking up at the glass roof in the foyer

colours reflected from the nearby buildings through a section of the glass roof in the foyer

I urge you to visit the Winter Gardens. It was awarded Grade II listing in 1973 and has been enhanced by the addition of an Opera House Foyer Bar and a new Theatre Bar as recently as 2013. It is an iconic building, which now houses two theatres, a ballroom, two exhibition halls, and bars, with themed halls on the first floor.

In praise of Blackpool's Trams

Blackpool has the oldest electric tramway in the world, dating back to 1885, and some of the older trams were distinctive and iconic. It is still possible to ride on one of the older feature trams during the illuminations, such as these:

taking the tour, on a lit tram or a feature tram

The old trams bring memories of noise rather than comfort. They rattled along and could readily be heard by pedestrians when approaching. Blackpool's tramway was upgraded between 2010 and 2012, and the new trams are sleek, clean and comfortable.

the newly-laid track allows the new trams to run smoothly and quietly  

Passengers certainly come first, with a service reflecting northern hospitality and friendliness. Foot passengers can simply walk on the trams -there is no need to step up - and wheelchair users can ride on with relative ease. There are conductors (or guards – depending on terminology) offering friendly service by helping wheelchair users board safely as well as taking fares from passengers. The trams run over an 11 mile section of the Fylde, from Blackpool to Fleetwood, and are a credit to the town.

Why not share Blackpool's history and travel by tram when visiting the Fylde coast?

Blackpool's Urban Art

This series of pictures is published in praise of the exceptional artists who have enlivened Blackpool with their stunning work. When you consider the scale of this art and the tools used, the skill of the artists is nothing short of exceptional.

In producing a photographic record of this work, it is customary to set the camera both central and parallel to the murals to eliminate distortion. In most cases I have taken a different approach, in an attempt to simulate walking past the murals and being compelled to look at them. Although some of the pictures are not square, for artistic and dramatic effect, I have eliminated distortion where appropriate with post production methods.

Most of these murals can be found in the buildings adjoining the car park at the Church Street end of Cookson Street, Blackpool, with the exception of the last one which adjoins the car park at the Church Street end of Topping Street.

I was amused by the juxtaposition of the animal and the man, and have used a camera angle to make the animal dominant, with a feint suggestion of cause and effect.

The line separating the car parking bays points directly towards the man and draws attention to the mural.

This panel of three murals leads the eye to an open car parking space with an abstract of the distant buildings on the left, providing a suggestion of the surrounding area.

This shot puts five of the murals in context, with the strong female figure in the foreground

A straight record of two of the more colourful murals. It seems a travesty to park cars in front of them and to obscure the impressive detail of the artwork.

An impressive and dominant figure that literally fills the 'house end'. The shot was taken very close to the image, looking up with a wide-angle lens to deliberately emphasise the converging lines of the building for dramatic effect

I've called this picture the Word of Light. It is a complete mural that fills the end of a property, but the three-d effect created by the artist is so real that the figure appears to be looking at the building. This dramatic angle was dictated by the available space of about three metres between the properties and I waited for the sun to drop so only the text was lit

This shot was taken at a more severe angle than I would have chosen but a car was parked close to the building. The solution was to shoot along the side of the building with a wide-angle lens, increasing the relative size of the fish and leaving the man looking on in amazement.

I'm told that some of the artists responsible for this stunning urban art also worked on the artwork in Manchester's Northern Quarter. Their exceptional talent has been well coordinated to provide an interesting variation of work that evokes joy and astonishment in passers-by. My admiration is unlimited and I hope this short pictorial blog does them justice.

Back Street Blackpool

Sometimes it's good to set yourself a project, however small and personal. I was inspired by some old creative images of Blackpool, written for a photo blog some years ago, and decided to capture the mood of Back Street Blackpool.

I've heard many descriptions of Blackpool, ranging from 'magic' and 'friendly' to 'tacky'. So I set out to capture some pictures that tell the story of a few of its backstreets in winter, when many of the main attractions are closed.

Blackpool is famous for its fish and chip shops – albeit this one was closed

There are many cafes. I found this one particularly welcoming when I got a cup of tea to get some warmth on a cold day.

There's something for everyone in Blackpool, and plenty of prizes for those taking part. While not being able to vouch for quality of the prizes, I could certainly hear the bingo caller from some 40 metres away.

This exhibition of the spiritual and paranormal has moved to these larger premises from the Golden Mile. Its owner has written books on the subject of the universe. He was quoted thus by the local Gazette: “We are trying to show how the universe works and it is very philosophical. We will have full size models of aliens based on descriptions from people who have seen them.” Sadly the exhibition appears to be closed in winter

The bright lights of Golden Mile Amusements shine on the back street, offering a winter pastime.

More of Blackpool's vibrant colours. The juxtaposed parrot appears to be causing the tower to lean in this picture.

There are also backstreet bars, some are open every day.

A detour to the promenade proved that at least some of the shops are open in winter

Finally, a drive to the south shore promenade allowed me to capture these colours just after sunset. A side view of the Desire sculpture (depicting a broken heart) is in the foreground

Winter Photography on the Fylde

Extreme weather can be uncomfortable and even dangerous but it presents photographic opportunities to anyone who will brave it. Winter weather is often changeable, so you need to pick your times by keeping an eye on weather forecasts and, if appropriate, tide tables. This blog gives examples of pictures shot in winter and discusses some of the reasons why winter photography should be welcomed rather than resisted. I urge you to get out with the camera and ask any questions you wish to raise by using the Contact tab on my Website.

The main considerations in winter photography relate to weather patterns, temperature and the quality of light:

1) Low temperatures bringing snow, ice and frost

Typically, less snow falls on the coast than in most inland towns. We do, however, get strong winds and frost in winter, so it's necessary to brave the cold to get winter pictures. The combination of frost and winter sun can create stunning colours and a strong atmospheric effect. Sometimes the camera can capture more than is readily discernible by eye, and experimentation is needed to build skill.

Here are some examples:

This first picture was created from four shots at different exposures to deal with the strong back-light from the sun appearing over the horizon and the muted tones in the foreground. It was impossible to visualise the finished colours on location because the main subject was dimly lit, so I concentrated on shape and form and composed the picture around the fixtures and objects. The finished image was achieved post-production, with the use of HDR (High Dynamic Range) software and the exaggerated colours give dramatic effect.

The second picture was taken after the sun became hidden by morning cloud and this single shot at a slow shutter speed evokes the feeling of dawn because of relatively flat lighting. The mono rendition helps to create a 3D effect.

The final shot is a blend of three images at different exposures to emphasise the texture and hue of morning frost.

If photographing snow, the received wisdom is to increase the automatic exposure setting by one stop; otherwise most cameras will 'read' the mass of white and the snow will look grey in the finished image. Getting to know your own camera requires experimentation; don't be afraid to override the automatic settings and be prepared to waste a few shots at different exposures to learn what works best.

2) Stronger winds and higher tide levels

Winter tides can be deceptive and are often higher because of prevailing winds, which in themselves raise a challenge, both in holding the camera steady and keeping sand and dust out of it. This shot shows marram grass, shot in winter sun and a strong wind. The camera was held on a trip and a fast shutter speed was used because the grass was blowing intermittently.

3) Warmer light from winter sun

Looking at pictures taken in winter sun, there is an ambience of warmth – albeit the photographer may have found difficulty in operating the camera with freezing-cold fingers. Here is such an example:

4) Flat light

For most of winter we suffer flat lighting on grey days. This is often a cue for monochrome pictures, or even monochromatic colour. The old black and white film could handle a greater exposure range than colour, and conversely could bring out far more detail of texture and light and shade in flat light. This is also the case with digital mono, as the next example shows.

We are just seeing the first signs of spring, and I hope that after reading this blog you won't put away your camera for the next winter.

The Sea Ogre

The Sea Ogre has recently appeared on the beach at Cleveleys, on the Mythological Coastline. It is near to Mary's Golden Shell, on the northern section of Cleveleys beach, towards Rossall.

The sculpture took 700 hours to complete and was hand-carved from a 17-tonne limestone boulder, from Carnforth. It is the work of Adrian Wright, a Lancashire-based sculptor.

The Ogre is submerged at high tide – hence the algae around its head and shoulders – so you need to visit at low tide to see it close up.

 

The Sea Ogre complete with algae from the incoming tide

 

Click here to see pictures of the Fylde Coast

Shipwreck Memorial

This iron structure stands on the border of Cleveleys and Bispham, on the Fylde Coast, close to where the Riverdance ferry ran aground on a stormy night on 31 January 2008. The memorial is a substantial piece of iron, with the names of lost vessels laser-cut. It stands tall on the promenade and was installed in the week when the Olympic torch came to Cleveleys.

 

This installation marked the start of the Sea Change project along the Cleveleys coastline. Other features associated with this project are discussed in earlier postings.

 

You can see pictures of the Fylde Coast at DMC Photogallery