Photos.im, Photos Isle of Man http://photos.im Photography of the Isle of Man and work by Manx photographers working on and off the island. Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:07:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Cultures of the East and West, Istanbul http://photos.im/2008/03/cultures-of-the-east-and-west-istanbul http://photos.im/2008/03/cultures-of-the-east-and-west-istanbul#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:24:14 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=106 The capital city of Turkey, Istanbul, is an ancient city. It has been known as Byzantium and later Constantinople and is the only city in the world to straddle two continents, Europe and Asia, being located on the Bosphorus Strait. Istanbul served as the capital city of the Roman Empire from 330AD to 395AD, the Byzantine Empire from 395 to 1204 and 1261 to 1453, the Latin Empire from 1204 to 1261 and the Ottoman Empire from 1453 till 1922. Areas of Istanbul were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

On this visit, aspects of the convergence of Eastern and Western culture were studied, through the Islamic architecture found in the sacred sites across the city to the westernised secular areas such as Taksim Square. Famous Monuments were also visited, such as the elegant 14th century Galata Tower.

]]> http://photos.im/2008/03/cultures-of-the-east-and-west-istanbul/feed Tholtans of Glen Dhoo, Ballaugh http://photos.im/2007/09/tholtans-of-glen-dhoo-ballaugh http://photos.im/2007/09/tholtans-of-glen-dhoo-ballaugh#comments Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:38:11 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=260 The small collection of tholtans in Glen Dhoo mark the site of a settlement, sometimes referred to as “the Port”.  The Glen itself is usually a strong green with the amound of bracken and grass, and the trees in the middle of the valley offer a great opportunity to experiment which subtle shadows and tone when photographing the tholtans of the area.

The area was maintained by the Manx National Heritage at the time of photography, meaning that a particular tholtan, inscribed with the name Margaret Louise Pass, was saved froma  collapsing gable wall. The serene quality of the area, along with the tholtans in close proximity with one another, give an erie silence to the Glen, interupted only by the rustling of the tree leaves, the trickling of the stream and the distant bleating of sheep.

]]> http://photos.im/2007/09/tholtans-of-glen-dhoo-ballaugh/feed Sedimentary Remains at Scarlett Shore http://photos.im/2007/09/sedimentary-remains-at-scarlett-shore http://photos.im/2007/09/sedimentary-remains-at-scarlett-shore#comments Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:07:28 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=141 Scarlett near Castletown has a rocky shore and interesting surrounding landscape derived from the underlying Carboniferous limestone, a result of sedimentation producing rock with very strong lines of strata. the dramatic lines of this rock can be seen at the flooded quarry beside the shore, as well as the eroded shore itself. Evidence of prehistoric life is present in the many fossils in the rock of the area, the presence of objects such as ruins and dry stone walls as shown in this collection adding to the interest.

]]> http://photos.im/2007/09/sedimentary-remains-at-scarlett-shore/feed Strange Light http://photos.im/2007/07/strange-light http://photos.im/2007/07/strange-light#comments Sat, 14 Jul 2007 18:29:06 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=185 Because of the nature of cloud formation and variable visibility of the Isle of Man’s temperate climate, weather conditions tend to be changeable, leading to interesting play of shadow and texture of the landscape and the cloudy sky. This collection of photographs over 5 years (2002-2007) records some of these conditions, including limited visibility and illuminated cloud cover.

]]> http://photos.im/2007/07/strange-light/feed Temperate Climate of the Scottish Highlands http://photos.im/2007/04/temperate-climate-of-the-scottish-highlands http://photos.im/2007/04/temperate-climate-of-the-scottish-highlands#comments Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:55:24 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=265 This photographic series was taken from specific area of the Scottish Highlands, centred around the remote Loch Ossian or Loch Oisein. This area is only feasibly accessed by railway (the West Highland line), the stop being one of the most remote in the United Kingdom, established in 1894. During the session the weather was so variable that the resulting images suggest a shoot on various locations, only the shared mountainous skyline giving away the perspective.

A dominant landmark of the area is Leum Uilleim, the hill famously featured in a scene in the film Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996) along with Corrour Railway Station. The loch itself has fascinating wildlife, including shy but inquisitive and beautiful Red Deer and other mammals, amphibians, birds and insects, not to mention the amazing colours of the vegetation in the changing daylight.

]]> http://photos.im/2007/04/temperate-climate-of-the-scottish-highlands/feed Three Sights; Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht http://photos.im/2007/03/three-sights-amsterdam-rotterdam-and-utrecht http://photos.im/2007/03/three-sights-amsterdam-rotterdam-and-utrecht#comments Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:31:45 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=116 This gallery contains images from three select cities of the Netherlands; Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Utrecht.

It’s amazing to think that much of Holland is reclaimed land, having been cultivated by drainage. The buildings of Amsterdam, from the 17th century houses at the Rokin to the modernist Dutch architecture of the early twentieth century right through to the current contemporary examples show the rich history the city has, to the credit of Dutch architects. Bridges are also an interesting aspect of Amsterdam, being integral to the urban design of the city’s extensive canal system. Mechanical bridges such as the Kloveniersburgwal/Staalstraat Bridge ( from 1896) are especially interesting from a structural or engineering point of view, and very characteristic.

Rotterdam also in Holland (south), was the busiest port in the world in the last half of the twentieth century, but was superseded in 2004 by Shanghai. The Netherlands Architecture Institute showcases some of the talent of Dutch architects, being near the Kunsthal (designed by Remment Koolhaas, architect of works such as the Casa da Música in Porto).

Utrecht is the capital of its own province of the same name, and famous for structures such as the famous Dom Tower of Utrecht, (built between 1321 and 1382 and designed by John of Hainaut). The nearby Universiteit Utrecht features some impressive buildings as the Educatorium by Rem Koolhaas and capacious library.

Three cities on a familiar flat landscape, each with their own intricate nuances and rich histories.

]]> http://photos.im/2007/03/three-sights-amsterdam-rotterdam-and-utrecht/feed Sea, Land and Sky, Flying over the Island http://photos.im/2006/12/sea-land-and-sky-flying-over-the-island http://photos.im/2006/12/sea-land-and-sky-flying-over-the-island#comments Sat, 16 Dec 2006 11:43:00 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=237 Viewing the Isle of Man from the sky gives the best sense of scale of the island, using objects such as houses, roads and vehicles to give dimension. As part of a collection spanning two years, these photographs were all collected from Saab 340 aircraft to or from Ronaldsway Airport.

Problems in photographing the island from a passenger plane are immediate, with the thick and imperfect surface of the aircraft windows, many exposures were stitched digitally to create as high a resolution as possible, reducing noise and giving as wide an angle as possible to include as much of the island in single images at as high a resolution as possible, enabling a high enough detail to spot objects that people familiar with the island will recognise.

]]> http://photos.im/2006/12/sea-land-and-sky-flying-over-the-island/feed Bridging the Liffey, Dublin http://photos.im/2006/08/bridging-the-liffey-dublin http://photos.im/2006/08/bridging-the-liffey-dublin#comments Sat, 26 Aug 2006 11:44:42 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=164 Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and during this series was the fastest growing European city in terms of population, with a history reaching as far back as the first centry b.c. as Dubh Linn. Being Ireland’s largest, the city is saturated with culture, reflecting in the urban landscape and architecture. The whole city is stitched together with bridges, from the James Joyce Bridge by Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava, to the Island Bridge, Droichead na hInse, of 1794. Eccentric examples of innovation such as Grafton Architects’ extension to the department of mechanical and manufacturing engineering at Trinity College Dublin mixed with the country’s association with strong community and drink, notably Guinness, at Temple Bar cement the character of the nation.

]]> http://photos.im/2006/08/bridging-the-liffey-dublin/feed Streets and Buildings of Porto http://photos.im/2006/03/streets-and-buildings-of-porto http://photos.im/2006/03/streets-and-buildings-of-porto#comments Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:43:22 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=76 Photographic series from a trip to Porto, Portugal in 2006. The winding, tall, narrow streets led me to photograph the town at different levels of detail depending on the size of the enclosed area, first in monochrome to emphasise the depth of field, with specific subjects such as the Clérigos Church, but later colour to show the highly saturated scenes Porto has to offer, such as the blue Azulejo-covered buildings to the orange rooflines.

The Dom Luís I Bridge featured as a landmark in most of the photos as the dominant feature of the town, along with the Douro River, which hopefully provides a sense of scale between photographs.

What made Porto really interesting for me was the level of dereliction in parts of the historic centre, such as Vila Nova de Gaia, south of the Douro River. Where other coultures would attempt to restore or replace the buildings, these are left to crumble, creating a very honest atmosphere. When I visited I could already see the signs of tourism on the north bank from the previous few years, with bars and cafés ripping out original stone and renovating the interior to cater for the tourism business. Hopefully the UNESCO site will survive this growth.

]]> http://photos.im/2006/03/streets-and-buildings-of-porto/feed Industrial Remnants, Manchester http://photos.im/2006/02/industrial-remnants-manchester http://photos.im/2006/02/industrial-remnants-manchester#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:05:06 +0000 Euan Craine http://photos.im/?p=263 Historically, Manchester is probably most known for its place in the history of the Industrial Revolution and for its trade in cotton. The nineteenth century infrastructure is evident in most of the city and highly celebrated, with brick structures now used for activities including music events such as the Warehouse Project, continuing a tradition in the city since the 1980s and the days of the Hacienda night club. During the years just before the photographic series, the city underwent extensive redevelopment, with projects such as the Piccadilly Gardens in 2002.

The Salford Quays area has seen a great amount of development, including the Imperial War Museum North by Daniel Libeskind and The Lowry. Other Development has been out of more immediate necessity, however, with the incident of an IRA bomb in 1996, the surviving postbox becoming an iconic symbol in the area. a footbridge was rebuilt on the site in a beautiful parabolic shape in steel and glass, designed by Hodder Associates. But perhaps most interesting is the repositioning of mid sixteenth century structures to meet redevelopment plans of the city, showing that in the Capital of the North, anything seems possible.

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