landscape blair parkinson
1 traveller 35 countries 50 photographs
blair parkinson is an architectural graduate, designer, and freelance travel photographer. he is an honours graduate from victoria university of wellington. originating from new zealand, his photographs are reections of his experiences and travels, accumulated and intensiďŹ ed into two publications; landscape and portrait.
hot soup awaits iceland
The stroll back to the canteen was a quick yet tiring journey. The 500m walk was made all the worse due of the freezing temperatures. Temperatures had plummeted to well below -10 degrees Celsius despite the sun beaming down on the earth for a good part of the morning. A storm cloud echoed of rain in the distance as the last of the days light started to leave the land at an early afternoon. Despite the crowds of tourists the canteen was well prepared and hug bowls of soup were offered around. I took this photo en route whilst playing around with aperture settings on my camera. The aperture helped alter the depth of ďŹ eld and warmed the colours in the image, much like the soup did to our souls.
advertising at its best new york city, united states of america There we were; watching the news at 8 in the morning, still trying desperately to get over a slight jetlag. A story came on stating snow has covered most of New York city in a thick blanket. “New York City?” I said. “We’re in New York City!” “Wow” my girlfriend exclaimed as she drew back the curtains and peered out into the hotel lightwell offering us our only glimmer of daylight. The weather channel was right for once. It was snowing. Times Square was a quick minute walk away and I managed to skip across the road and wait patiently for an abundance of yellow cabs to come my way. This photo was taken a few times, all with different traffic stages and compositions. The snow covered planting on the left helped to draw my eye to the centre; one huge collaboration of advertising and architecture.
forgotten cascais, vessels portugal
Cascais is a small coastal town located a mere half hour train journey from central Lisbon. Despite the sandy beaches and serene seaside architecture. the jetty drew me closer as I ďŹ nd compositions consisting of marine life & culture quite interesting. I took this photo almost as an album ďŹ ller. It wasn’t until noticed afterwards the striking bold line created by the lamppost shadow located outside the frame, that I really began to enjoy the image that was created. The shadow assists in setting up the viewpoint down the jetty and also interferes with the upturned boat quite splendidly. The image sums up well the nature of Cascais; a quiet and laid-back village. The sunny day brings about the warm hues of the seaside and brightens the image again with its brilliant light.
holocaust meanings berlin, germany As you walk around Berlin’s sculptural landmark that is Peter Eisenman’s Holocaust memorial, you cant help but get caught up in the heavy nature of the space. It meant alot to some other travellers that were walking the paths with me, most breaking down in tears. Large, tomb like concrete cubes rise and fall over an undulating landscape. The erection of these plots varies from one to the other, each with a slight tilt or shift in its location. Raw, unfinished concrete adds to the grim sense of the place. I wandered around the area for a while. An overcast sky dropped my mood into almost depressive states. At the deepest point of the sculpture, my eye cast itself skywards. Whether this was meant or not, a white cross materialised between the tombs of the memorial, looking down on me from on high. I quietly recorded the moment and went on my way.
northern light hunting iceland In freezing conditions, its not really that much fun trying to work camera settings and capture the amazing light show that is playfully dancing in front of your eyes. To make matters worse, some school girls were laughing and jumping around as their brand new digital camera was capturing some of the sharpest, and most colourful images I had seen. “How. Do. They. Do It!!!” I exclaimed, exasperated and extremely tired. I was setting my Iso high and my shutter speed long and still to now avail. I was out there for 45 minutes without any gloves on, braving frostbite, but finally I got what I came for.....
secret burgers
new york city, united states of america
“OK, to find this place you have to go inside a hotel reception” “Inside a hotel reception for a burger bar?” “Yeah you heard me. So anyway you go inside this reception and look behind this curtain” “Behind a curtain now?” “Yeah. You will know you have the right place when you see a small fluro burger sign at the end of this slightly hidden hallway” “Really? This sounds too much. These better be good burgers.” The description of how to find this restaurant had me wondering if it only served spies and government agents. We found the place, in the hotel, behind the curtain and down the hallway with the small burger sign. It was packed. Obviously it wasn’t that much of a well kept secret.
misty waters lauterbrunnen, switzerland
“Blair, hurry up would you?”. Craig was getting panicky. We were supposed to be purchasing rubbish sacks and whipped cream for an Anything But Clothes party, due to start in a half hours time. “Hang on a sec” I shouted back. The simply stunning surroundings of Lauterbrunnen were stalling me. We crossed a bridge at the campsite and I looked down the river. The mist seemed to blot out the vast mountain ranges beyond and an eerily enclosing feeling became apparent. I hurriedly snapped off a photo and caught up to my peer. Looking back on it now, the image seems ghastly yet serene. The soft blue hues add to the surreal nature of that moment. We had a great time at the party
obstructed view london, england
It was 309 steps of pure effort to get to the top of the spiral staircase inside the aptly named ‘Monument’, located in London. Lacking of handrails and sufficient passing space, the climb was made all the more difficult by the tourists weaving their way along the height of it. The views around were outstanding though, albeit through a wire fence. The fence itself, although uninteresting, did create a fun obstruction while playing with the depth of field of the aperture settings.
starved cat dahab, egypt
The seaside resort town of Dahab was a feline paradise. You could not walk through the streets or eat food without encountering the small, malnourished creatures that were a far cry from their western based counterparts. I was warned not to feed them. Walking out of the local market, I saw a small cat, tiny enough to easily fit into the palm of my hand. It looked scarily underfed. I offered it some food but was told off by the store keeper. “This ones going to die soon anyway” I was told. My heart went out to the poor little guy.
street signage lisbon, portugal
I have always been interested in good grafďŹ ti and the raw graphic expression the artists throw into their illegal artworks. This piece was noticed as I was strolling around the streets of Portugals capital city; Lisbon, not that you need me to tell you that. A grey sky assisted with the darkened nature of the photo, that allows the colours of the artwork to really shine through. A hidden door added to the intrigue of the street scene, while the surrounding decaying concrete walls tell of a city that may not have the wealth of its neighbours yet it doesn’t fall short of cultural appeal.
empire state of mind new york city, united states of america
“The Rockefeller Centre is the place to go to get your skyscraper views of New York� I was told. The informer wasn’t wrong. The views were outstanding, the best part of them being that you could actually have structures like the Empire State and the Chrysler Building within your photos. Whilst up there I explored the sense of place and landscape. A highly photographed structure like that of the Empire State Building results in a photographer attempting more and more to gain that photo that no one has seen before. Whilst I cant guarantee that some punter has taken this image before (I am sure someone has) I do enjoy the change in scale and composition brought about by focusing on the foreground. The landmark beyond still recognisably visible allowing one to know exactly where the image is taken
dew
reykjavik, iceland
On our last day in Reykjavik, we decided to head up to the hill near to our hotel and check out the cities local water tanks, which also double as a restaurant and tourist attraction. The Perlan, as what it is known, holds huge amounts hot water to satisfy the demand of the surrounding capital city. Trying to gain access to the local monument proved difďŹ cult. The path was frozen and slippery as we perilously made our way up to the viewing platform. The view over Reyjavik was subdued and serene. Early morning mist hung low over the city and the landscape around. Dew on the balustrade clung quietly to its side as the morning light awoke the sleepy residents.
the eye at night london, england
The effects of dusk lighting were fast disappearing as I strolled past the London Eye on my way to Embankment station from Westminster. The London Eye at night is a great sight; the lighting really enhancing the fun nature of the structure. I love how the image is doubled through the reections on the River Thames. This photo was taken with a relatively quick shutter speed and a standard iso setting. The colours came through as somewhat of a surprise, as the actual nights sky was a much deeper blue. I put it all down to the variation in my white balance. Not that I was complaining.
the kings fahtepur bedroom sikra, india
Fahtepur Sikra is the remains of a lost kingdom, also known locally as the city frozen in time. It resembled a fighting arena off Mortal Kombat. On top of this one magnificent and instantly recognisable feature, the city frozen in time also offered many stunning remnants of a forgotten dynasty. This small space was once the bedroom of the king. It seemed crazy to think that this was once a place of royalty. Now, all that’s left is the bare walls and the light that fills it.
the blue seas essaouria, morroco
It was a funny sight, seeing all these boats stacked against one another in the harbour of Essaouira. It made me wonder how the poor bugger with his boat closest to the dock manages to get his out. I bet they rent them all and just take whichever one. The repetitive nature of the boats create a colourful pattern that is exempliďŹ ed even further by the scale of the scene and the depth of the perspective. I purposefully decided to shoot this photo with a slight blue tinge to the colour balance to achieve a more stark image. The contrast was enhanced to heighten the forms created by the boats and the gently rolling tide beneath them.
the calm before the storm hahei, new zealand Clouds swept in. We were told to head for high land. When you are staying at a campsite and you hear that, you tend to get worried. Despite this, I whisked off to my tent to grab the camera. Near hurricane winds pounded at my face as I got a few photos and headed back. The clouds came in fast, scarily fast. You barely had time to register what was happening until it was upon you. I ran back to the tent and stashed the camera in the car. The thunder and lightening was some of the best I had ever seen. It lit up the roof of the canvas like a lantern. Small leaks sprang forth. Pretty soon, our entire tent was saturated, along with us. We moved into the car and struggled to get comfortable. We were fortunate. Some poor bugger spent the night ankle deep in water from a nearby ooded stormwater grill.
chainedlultzhausen, to theluxembourg lake
Lultzhausen came as a huge surprise whilst we were driving around Belgium and Luxembourg. A booking made on the internet a few days prior did not let on the fact that the very small town would boast some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. The hostel was located right on the lake edge and the lake itself seemed to be made of mirror rather than water. I was particularly interested in the lovely bridge that nestled itself between the two halves of the town. A nearby boat made for a fun viewpoint as I played with the angles of the photos. I love focusing on chains and ropes as the depth of ďŹ eld that is possible along their length brings about an interesting image.
the flagantwerp, bearer belgium
When we decided to drive through Antwerp, I wasn’t too excited. I hadn’t heard many good things about the city, despite the fact that it was the place to go to get diamonds. I was left stunned and pleasantly surprised when I arrived into the centre of the city. Beautiful architecture combined with a fun and interesting urban layout that really left an impression on me and my fellow travellers. This image is of one of the main buildings located in the city centre. The flags were flying proud as a slight gust whirled them around in all directions. The scene called for a black and white photograph, one that meant the flags weren’t cometeing with each other based on colour alone.
pilgrims
mount sinai, egypt
It took 5 hours of solid, amateur trekking to climb up Mount Sinai and await sunrise. The timing was horrid, a 1am start necessary to reach the summit in time. We climbed with a few hundred other followers on the same pilgrimage. Prior to this journey, Mount Sinai was an unknown trek. It wasn’t until arriving in the sandy village of Dahab, on the red sea border of Egypt, did I learn of its fame; the mountain Moses brought the ten commandments down from. Despite a waning religious belief, the idea of the journey interested me greatly. At 5:30am the sunrise peered over the mountain range in the distance. I was perched precariously on a cliff face, awaiting its arrival. The surrounding travellers were just as enthralled, and as the sun lit up the darkened sky, it also warmed our hearts
manmade lake jaisalmer, india
Jaisalmer is a sandy city, located close to the Pakistan border. Due to the remoteness of its location, and the lack of natural water, the Indians decided to construct a man-made lake to store water, and catfish. Small ruins, and miniature temples adorn certain areas of the lake. The catfish swarm to where you stand, keen for any morsel of food you can throw at them. This photo was taken at dusk. The temple island stood proud against an amazing sky. The sun created a silhouette of one of the floating temples, also allowing the local birds to stand out as well. The reflection of the temple is my favourite part. A waters ripple, especially of a silhouette, is a fun thing to capture
i sea you
new york city, united states of america
Seagulls, I have discovered, are an extremely hard subject to shoot. It is their speed of head that really made things annoying. “Stop moving� I wanted to say to one by grabbing its neck and wringing it. This photo was taken whilst at the tip of Manhattan overlooking Liberty Island. A few of the nearby tourists must have looked at me taking photos of these gulls and thought it particularly strange. Still, this quickly became one of personally favourite photographs on that trip based on the fact I managed to get the damn bird to look at the camera.
marooned inverary, scotland
Our ďŹ rst day of driving around Scotland had us deciding to stop in the small village of Inverary for the night. We were fairly unprepared when it came to the accommodation, so we scurried around the town in search for a place to stay. Despite this increasing pressure and the stark realisation that there were more people than beds in the area, we didn’t let the beauty of the area escape us. Dusk was coning fast and the warm light bounced off a pair of boats moored in the shallow harbour. The hills of the isles beyond were affected by the rolling clouds overhead. I liked the contrast of the primary colours adorning the vessels. Their temporary standings held for much longer within the frame of a photograph
calatravas seduction valencia, spain Ever since I found out I was to travel to Valencia, I became excited about visiting Calatrava’s works of architecture located in the area. Calatrava is an architect with a style so distinctive that even those not familiar with architecture can recognise his work. The City of Arts and Sciences was one of the most amazing places I had visited in my early days of travelling. Although his forms are repetitive, I was amazed at the detail and shape the forms took on. His use of white concrete allows the forms to speak for themselves, not frilled with ashy textures or graphics.
tagine
atlas mountains, morroco
You find these ceramic dishes everywhere in Morocco. The larger ones are for cooking Tagine - a Moroccan casserole quite unique in flavour yet becoming more and more well known around the world. These small ones are for spices and seasonings. The colours are varied and the patterns unique. The picture was taken as we made our way into the Atlas Mountains, just one of the many stores you visit on the way that are designated as ‘rest stops’, but really are just there to con the inexperienced traveller into a foolish purchase.
see also: portrait blairparkinson@gmail.com