Friday 15 March 2019

Dark Arts. A Night Photography Collection.

                                                  ALL PHOTOS CLICK FULL SCREEN.
During the winter months, when darkness falls early, and days can be cold, grey, and grim I get my colour fix by going out at night- not every night- that would turn it into mere routine- just occasionally, on still clear nights... or when the opportunity arises.
So this is a winter collection- at night. Lock 27 here- a waterside pub on the Forth and Clyde Canal. Great reflections.
Anniesland Cross Shops. Wet Streets and water features make the best reflections obviously.
The back of the Southern General Hospital Complex. A night journey through a silent Govan.
Glasgow's New Hospital seen from Moss Heights.
Assorted Wildlife on Bingham's Pond. Moorhens, Coots, Swans, Ducks, Goosanders etc.
Gartnavel Hospital viewed from Bingham's Pond. Back in the day a popular boating and skating venue when summers were less soggy than today and winters much colder and longer.
The pond with a bus passing. Night photography is often harder than daylight efforts which gives it added interest and complexity. In certain urban areas it can also be dangerous, heightening the experience.
Leonardo's Inn. Great Western Road. The boating pond was much larger in the past, continuing over into this hotel development property which was also pond at one point.
Acre Road from Maryhill Park. After Window Wandering around in the last post I had a tour around the adjacent park itself then headed for the highest point I could see. This is looking across at Bearsden/Milngavie but it wasn't here I was walking towards.
It was this place. Gilshochill. One of the few areas of the city I'm not that familiar with but I was up here on my bike in the summer months in daylight and enjoyed exploring the area so I already knew it had great views.
So off I went again- urban hill walking in the dark.
Here be mountains of stone..... and dragons. I had been intrigued in summer on the bike run to find a network of empty streets up here- obvious signs that houses once lined these now abandoned city blocks. Years ago I had passed through this district with friends in a car and noticed it when the houses still stood, thinking I would return for a proper visit later as any new high level parts of the city interest me but it never happened- like an archeologist who had lingered too long in the foothills and just missed the higher prize- these vanished streets of houses haunted me later. If only I'd captured them sooner, before they disappeared forever...

Anniesland Tower.
Moss Flats.
Cardonald at Night.
Ten- Story- Love- Song.
The Upper Kingdoms. Howling at the moon with my little familiar by my side.
The Shining Path.
Night in the city of twinkling lights.
Woodland Realm. Paisley Park.
Gothic Mansion.
Now renamed and remodeled Clyde College stands in what used to be Anniesland College. Decades ago I took art and design night classes here as well as several other courses. Good views from the upper floors as it stands on a hill -like half of Glasgow.

Same place- very different era.
The Dark Estate.
Seen from the trees. Shadows and orange light.
Rain Reflections.
Anniesland Tower From Maryhill.

Pond ice reflections. The end.




















9 comments:

Anabel Marsh said...

Nearly all familiar to me - in fact, I spent this afternoon in Gartnavel (taking my mum to an eye appointment) which is not the venue I would have chosen from your selection. I haven’t been in Lock 27 since it reopened. And i’m glad you still refer to the Southern General. So do I.

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Anabel,
Some nice walks around Gartnavel including the pond one. In the summer months I cycle past Lock 27 frequently as it's on several different bike routes but that's the first time I've noticed such good reflections outside it.

Carol said...

You'll have to come and photograph our night-time illuminations in my new area - we have the BBC mast on one hill, the ITV mast on another and something like a military radio station with loads of masts - I really enjoy looking at them. They're also a useful weather indicator at night as they're all different heights.

Rosemary said...

I used to live in Hyndland many, many, years ago but have no recollection of that large building, the Leonardo Hotel, do you recall what was there prior to that building.

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Carol,
masts might be good for telling the weather conditions but the ones here, over 500 feet high, are too slim to show up much at night, certainly for night photography, unless you use a tripod and timed exposure. I tend to avoid that as it takes ages and draws too much interest in dodgy areas.

blueskyscotland said...

Hi Rosemary,
As far as I know in the late 1960s Sir Reo Stakis opened the Pond Hotel at the entrance road into Gartnavel Hospital, then it was renamed Jurys Hotel 1990s/2000s, now renamed Leonardos. Before the late 1960s it may have been either empty waste ground or part of the pond itself which was larger before the hotel arrived, double the size it is now, although still a nice water feature with landscaped edges and islands. More barren in its heyday as a boating and skating pond I'd imagine as attracting wildlife wasn't a priority then.

Carol said...

Well of course, here, you can hang around outside as long as you like! ;-)

Ian Johnston said...

Some really atmospheric night shots in this series Bob; subjects I really struggle to capture

blueskyscotland said...

Cheers Ian,
I've always loved the old black and white period photos of 1930s-1950s city streets, atmospheric fogs, cars, buses, docklands etc. At night there's always more mystery and things half seen or imagined, especially visiting areas you are not familiar with, even during daylight hours.