The Big Blue Cock of Trafalgar Square

Last week, a new bird landed on Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth - a 4.7m high blue cockerel called Hahn/Cock.  It was created by German artist Katharina Fritsch.

While passing through, I couldn't resist taking a few shots of the fibreglass sculpture to capture it from every angle. 

For anyone as curious as I was to find out what the artwork stands for, I recommend you check out the Wikipedia page.

Long Live Southbank

Last night we walked down London's Southbank and stopped to take a few shots of the skateboarders in action. 

The existence of the undercroft skatepark is currently under threat as the Southbank Centre above are planning a major refurbishment of the area.  Understandably, this plan is very unpopular with the community and 'Long Live Southbank' signs can be found all around the graffiti-filled walls of this space, as well as on the undersides of the skateboards of everyone we saw.  A huge petition to keep the skatepark open is currently underway and you can read more about it here.

In the meantime, however, I hope you enjoy my photos of this vibrant and dynamic space.

 

Behind the Glass: Photographing the Animals of London Zoo

I have always been interested in taking photographs of animals, so a day trip to London Zoo provided a great opportunity to practice my technique on a range of creatures in a variety of habitats. 

The artificial environment of the zoo posed a number of challenges, including glass screens, wire frames and changing light conditions.  It was also one of the hottest days of the year, so many of the animals were grumpy or hiding in dark corners.

I decided to start my new blog by sharing a selection of my favourite photos taken on the day below.