Photo Essay: Sunset at Covent Garden

Went to see Avatar the other day. I wasn't impressed with the movie, it was trying too hard to make a point and was a strange mixture of "Dancing with Wolves", "The last Samurai" and "Alien". Anyway, while ambling back to the car after having an excellent pork belly lunch, we had to walk through Covent Garden. Usually in the winter days, you don't get to see the sun and for a plant life like me, without the sun, I wilt. But thankfully the sun broke through just before sunset and I grabbed my camera to prove that the sun does shine in London. Here are some photographs with some commentary around that short visit.

The sun rays highlighted the massively decorated window balcony top and windows while leaving the doors in the dark. Elvis has left the building?


Only the top corner of this block of flats was highlighted with the rays. I was reminded of the times when I was back in India and saw this kind of sunset. When you are inside the house and you see this kind of light come through, it makes you feel all warm. It's a soft light, subtly illuminating the room and its contents, lighting them up with a gentle glow, a tired response to the bright sunny day that has gone now and a quiet promise of a lovely night to come.
 

Now I tried to take both the buildings in one shot. This did not come out as well, I am afraid, but felt that the perspective was interesting, full of angles, lines and shadows.

 
Two faces with the windows. This one is a bit lopsided


Why the long face?

Sort of reminded me of a ship with portholes, specially with the fading sunlight highlighting the circular windows. Titanic anyone?


The crest is that of the royal family I think, but the sunset on it was pretty much self explanatory. Not much left of the empire now other than some sheep inhabiting islands and some offshore centres…

But the flag still flies proudly on the building against a grey backdrop.


The top of Covent Garden silhouetted against the setting sun and glowering encroaching clouds 


The sun now shone through the Covent Garden centre and the positioning of the highlight was amazing,  as it highlighted the sign and the show. Pretty lucky, eh? Talking about luck, you might have heard about the lucky quote by Napoleon. "I do not want a good General, I want a lucky one". I think photographers also have to be lucky, specially the outdoor ones. Inside a studio you can rely on technology, lighting, cameras and models and and and, but outside you frequently have to rely on luck. On a brand new amateur n00b of a photographer like me whose enthusiasm far overreaches skill, I find myself relying on luck far too often.
 
Then we have this old Edwardian townhouse again highlighted by the sun.

 

Finally we have a gently smoking chimney. This is on the top of the Metropolitan Underground Transport Museum. The smoke (or was that steam) was far too gentle, almost apologetic,  coming out in wisps and being visible only against the blue grey background because it was highlighted by the sun. 
  
Camera details: Canon 500D, no flash, Sigma 18-200mm lens, no post production fixes other than some cropping.

Full slide show here.