honorable mention
Doug Stratton united kingdomPhoto © Doug Stratton Stratton
title
Early Glow
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entry description
A series of fortunate events contributed to this photograph. I went out at 5am to capture the sunrise behind Tower Bridge, expecting a partly cloudy day and the possibility of some colourful skies. Instead, thick fog blanketed the city. I couldn't believe my luck. As I reached Tower Bridge, I noticed that the gate to the Thames ferry pier had been left open and unlocked overnight. I grabbed my chance, and set up my tripod at the end of the floating jetty closest to the bridge. With no wind, and no passing river traffic, the jetty barely moved in the water which allowed the possibility of a long exposure (25" with a big stopper). It is very rare to see such a clear reflection of Tower Bridge in the turbulent waters of Old Father Thames, so I feel blessed to have seen and captured this moment.about the photographer
I have always enjoyed photography as a hobby, and started taking it particularly seriously after I lost my job at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. I live in an iconic global city, so naturally a large proportion of my work is architecture and cityscapes - and now and then I like to do a bit of street photography too. But my first love is landscapes. Whenever I can, I get out of the city with my camera and head for some mountains. I love the whole ritual: the preparation, the travel, swathing myself in cold-weather gear, hiking to some remote spot and then waiting... for a moment. Waiting and watching the light change on a landscape, with nowhere else to be, just me and my camera. What was once an enjoyable pastime and add-on to my holidays has now become a central part of my life, and a mental health tonic like no other. I found it late it life but I feel privileged to be able to create images that I'm proud of.back to gallery