Back to Bath

February 2, 2018

Yesterday I took a very short ride into Bath. I'm often there and here's why; It's a truly beautiful place, although you won't see much architecture or history in this post, it's also my nearest city and I believe in working the scene. Back to Bath it is then and I thought I might put up a few photos which show my photowalk. I'm not sure they'll give much in the way of insight, but hopefully you'll see what I see. Here's the usual caveat, I post photos here more as a demonstration of whatever I'm babbling on about than to proclaim they're actually any good, they really are just snaps. Occasionally I get what I'm looking for and I think I do on this walk eventually, you'll have to come along with me I'm afraid, suffer the way I do, it does improve!

Parking in Bath is a nightmare, a Roman and later Georgian city it simply was never designed for the amount of traffic it now sees. Of course on my motorbike it's easy too get around and there's plenty of nifty parking spaces if you know where to look. So I parked up and headed along Pulteney Bridge, which is lined with small and very narrow shops. I often try to get a shot looking into a shop, but being less than 8 feet wide with windows on both sides (one looks onto the street pavement and the other over the river Avon below). Tricky because there's a myriad of reflections. Easier to show you a photo -

I walk on past the River Avon and as usual there is always someone with a camera. A couple of shots here, one of a guy who actually has an assistant and a group of tourists taking photos of each other wearing their cameras... cameras are everywhere!

I'm just clicking away here, just snaps. I have an idea that I'll head towards the Bus Station, bound to be something where people congregate. I pass a bookshop, always drop in because I might find a photography book and some inspiration. Lord knows I need it at this point.

I saw a really nice book, full of colour photographs. Out I come and carry on down the street. I see a woman stood across the road and think, I'm going to look for and shoot in colour today, see how easily I'm led! -

You might be able to see by the state of the road and the reflection in that we're getting near the Bus Station. A couple more in colour -

As I walk past the Railway Station I'm tempted to go in and have a look, instead I carried on to my target...hold on, a tunnel, should I? Really it is a tired cliche, oh what the hell -

Nope, they don't work, but we've gone back to Black & White which is always a good thing! I wandered into the Bus Station, nothing. I wandered back out again through the automatic doors with the the camera glued to my eye. This guy must have thought "What the...". I feel sorry for people caught in a state of shock by photographers, but this photo serves a purpose for an explanation as to what I was looking for -

What I saw here was the guy across the street. I thought I'd stand there with my camera to my eye, wait for the shot. Either three people or perhaps one, maybe some kind of tableaux, that's what I "thought" I wanted. You can see the problem though, lots of buses and traffic. Here's a selection of some attempts when it briefly cleared -

Actually I like that shot with the buses, the bloke in shock and the lone guy across the street, perhaps more actually is more! Let's take some with people walking past simultaneously -

Not quite, how about this one -

Much better, in my opinion. I made my way to the nearest coffee shop, because contrary to the sunny look to these photos it was decidedly chilly. Time to fire off a quick few by another Bus Stop -

Ok, but I prefer these -

Time to head home and not by bus. Many photos shown here, you can of course open each one up, I understand that it's a lot to ask. My iPhone tells me that i'd managed 8,000 steps so if nothing else I got some exercise. I'll leave you with my pick from the walk, I liked the heads down juxtaposition of these two chaps -