Phu Ly's photoblog

Structures

Phu Ly — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 03:36:00 +0000

One of the nice things about London is seeing different styles of buildings sitting side by side against each other. In residential areas, this usually means seeing streets with a mix of architectural styles such as a Edwardian building next to a more contemporary new builds.

However, towards the inner city of London, the blend between styles can be even more pronounced. Whilst in the outer regions of London, the mix tends to be more a culture clash than anything else, the visual impact within the more central parts of London city is often stunning.

Wild serenity

Phu Ly — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 03:28:37 +0000

And so it is, that as the day closes and man goes back home to rest, nature continues to roar with energy…

Incidentally, I actually took this picture a while ago when I was in Newcastle. I stumbled onto it again whilst browsing through my archives and decided to share it here. I might start uploading some of my other pictures though perhaps under a feature category rather than as part of the usual posts.

Swing of fortune

Phu Ly — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 18:01:17 +0000

There’s an element of serendipity involved in photography. Sometimes, you find yourself just lucky enough to stumble onto a photo opportunity.

Even had the container not be in the frame, I still would have taken this picture; I just adore the whole scene with the scaffolding standing next to the wonderful architecture.

However, I do like the way the container has swung into focus. Perhaps it would have looked better without it being there. Perhaps, it’s presence unbalances the scene. But I enjoy what it does bring to the shot; how it’s mere presence demonstrates that fortune still has a hand to play…

Head in the clouds

Phu Ly — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 21:01:18 +0000

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be able to fly. What would it be like to be able to soar through the clouds with the freedom of a bird. Of course, intellectually, I’m aware that clouds are just water vapour and traversing through them would be little different from walking through fog.

But the dreamer inside me feels otherwise.

Towers and colossus

Phu Ly — Sat, 14 Jan 2006 03:00:10 +0000

Were we to transport someone from the past into our times, they would surely marvel at the towers of glass and mortar that we’ve built. We’re almost oblivious to them now because we’re so used to them but they are wonderful engineering feats. Standing tall, proclaiming their presence to the world around, such constructs would have been reserved for places of worship in the past.

Times change and business is now the presiding power; were you to walk into any major city now, you’d probably find it hard to think otherwise.

Lost time

Phu Ly — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 18:07:57 +0000

It’s been a while since the last post so this picture is quite appropriate. Time can be quite elusive as can be seen here; standing out in a forest of glass, it serves to remind us of it’s ephemeral nature. We look for it, we keep an eye out for it but free time always manages to hide in amongst work and life.

But it’s through its scarcity that it is all the more precious.

A winter’s oasis

Phu Ly — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:48:17 +0000

One of the nice things about central heating is that no matter what the weather is like outside, the minute you step inside the house, you feel at home. You can forget about the chilliness and the need to wrap up in a warm coat; instead you feel just as comfortable walking around in T-Shirt.

Outside, it’s visibly clear that it’s winter; leaves have left the trees, birds have migrated south. However, back indoors, it’s as if you’re in another world.

Looking up from the street

Phu Ly — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 18:24:02 +0000

Walk along any street in London and you’ll find that people rarely look up. People would look sideways in shop windows, look down at their feet, even tilt their heads at an angle whilst talking on the phone attached next to their heads.

It’s perhaps a sign of the times but it’s sad to see that so many people walk through the same streets every day oblivious to the wonderful architectural work that are just sitting above their heads. Sometimes, to aspire for inspiration, you need to raise your head upwards and look towards the stars. If you’re lucky, you may catch sight of some of the splendour of the buildings that lie along the streets of London.

Christmas lights

Phu Ly — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 02:36:44 +0000

Rightly or wrongly, shopping for presents is an important part of Christmas for a lot of people and despite the increase in online shopping, walking the streets for the ideal gift is a mainstay of many a seasonal routine. People buzzing around, themed signs and shop windows, and long opening hours guiding people through their foraging and harvesting. Even the street decorations are a signal of the underbed of commercialism.

However it’s worthwhile to remember that it’s not the shopping that’s important; that’s only a part of the journey. The real goal is the excitement in giving a gift that lights up a face and receiving a gift that warms the heart.

Now open

Phu Ly — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:47:18 +0000

I guess it was about time I launched this site and remove the various placeholders that have adorned this domain. I’ve stored and displayed my photos and images at various places over the years but it’d be nice to give them a home, a place where they can live.

With phuly.co.uk not being used for anything of paramount importance, I’ve decided to give it a new life as my gallery/photoblog.

So thanks for joining us and stay tuned!