Seven Rows From Exit

Grand Canyon. Arizona, Dec 2009

Sunset over the Grand Canyon on New Year's Eve.
Hike down to the river; you won't regret it.

The price of Liberty. New York, Nov 2009

In the land of the free, two queue-laden airport-style security checks
now bar the way to visiting the Statue of Liberty. Oh, the irony.

Weather-beaten farmer. Gobi desert, July 2009

With his goats and his Ger, it seemed like this farmer
lived a simple life. He still had a solar panel and a
satellite dish though. So much for isolation.

Pitstop. Dalanzadgad, Aug 2009

A riderless bike in the south Gobi where we stopped to
buy beer. Motorbikes are the main way of coralling sheep
and goats, and also stocking up on supplies.

Great Wall. Mùtiányù, July 2009

Directions for avoiding tourists: get up very early,
and follow the workers' path to the wall at Mutianyu.
Take pictures, and have breakfast feeling smug.

The Flaming Cliffs. Bayanzag, July 2009

It's pretty cool to unearth something that hasn't been seen for
65 million years. We found dinosaur bones just under the surface
by simply digging under the Gobi sand with our hands.

Summer Palace. Beijing, July 2009

The Tower of Buddhist Incense at the Summer Palace in Beijing.
Arrive just before closing time to avoid the crowds.

The first 'Manly' sport. Bayanzag, Aug 2009

The winning horses approaching the line in the mini-Nadaam
festival near Bayanzag. And yes, they are children riding them
- adults are disqualified. They do the wrestling instead.

Total Eclipse. Hangzhou, July 2009

The diamond ring at the end of my second total eclipse,
through a slight haze in Hangzhou. A slightly fuzzy image,
but I was pretty excited and forgot to use the timer.

Old town pillbox. Dubrovnik, March 2009

Looking out from one of the towers onto the old town of Dubrovnik.
A beautiful place to spend a few days; stay at the Bellevue Hotel.

Recoleta shadows. Buenos Aires, July 2007

Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires is very photogenic. The morning
light throws some interesting shadows on the grand mausoleums.

Guard change. Athens, May 2008

At the daily changing of the guard ceremony in Athens.
Quite a procedure, and very watchable.

Stari Most. Mostar, March 2009

The majestic (new) old bridge that connects the two sides
of Mostar. See Lucy Blakstad's marvellous documentary.

The Cape. Cape Town, Feb 2003

A view from Table Mountain to the harbour in Cape Town.
The time of my life at the Cricket World Cup.

Mud bricks. Lima, June 2007

A close-up of sun-dried bricks at Huaca Pucllana outside Lima.
Marginally more interesting than the taxi ride to get there.

Shipwreck. Queensland, Aug 1997

The much-photographed wreck of the S.S. Maheno on
Fraser Island. An abundance of sand, wrecks and dingoes.

Mishghana on the ledge. Tigray, Oct 2008

Our guide on the entrance ledge to the amazing painted
church of Abuna Yemata Guh. There's a 250m drop to the
left, and my heart was racing. We didn't stay there long.

Copper roof. Tallinn, Sept 2007

The roof of St. Olav's Church in Tallinn, looking down from
the tower. Once the tallest building in the world, apparently.

Heelside carve. California, Feb 2008

Perfect light on the debris of Tim's big turn.
The end of a big week after a Tahoe storm.

Penny for... Penshurst, Nov 1999

This Guy Fawkes bonfire was HUGE, and was more spectacular
than the fireworks that followed. At Penshurst in Kent.

The Boys. Vancouver, April 2009

Two black flatcoats, finally standing still.
Joxer and Booker at their finest.

Joe falls. Harrison Lake, Aug 2006

Another lucky 35mm shot. The canoe tipped after Betty
had jumped out. A fun weekend at Harrison Lake.

Flypast. London, June 2002

Concorde and the Red Arrows at the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
I used to love hearing Concorde fly overhead;
no other commercial aircraft sounded anything like it.

Painted monasteries. Suceviţa, Aug 1999

Near the Ukrainian border there are a series of stunning
painted monasteries. This one is at Sucevita, and is from
the late 16th century. Well worth a visit.

Valley bridge. Nikšić, March 2009

This bridge is just outside Niksic, where they make some
good beer. The area was really deserted, so I stood
in the middle of the road to take this.

Rainbow lorikeets. Queensland, Aug 1997

Inquisitive little birds on Great Keppel Island off the coast
of Queensland. Kind of like a budgie but more colourful.

Cristo Rei. Lisbon, Aug 2000

Looking up 100m to Christ's left hand on the Cristo Rei statue
outside Lisbon. A melancholy statue for a melancholy place.

Abuna Yemata Guh. Tigray, Oct 2008

Getting to this 13th century monastery is intense. It's hewn
out of a cliff, requiring a vertical climb, and scramble along
a narrow ledge. The monk posed right on the precipice.

Beach huts. Cadzand, Aug 2000

A summer's day on a bleak beach on the Dutch coast.
The huts were all boarded up, as if for winter.

Reflections. Lake Bled, Dec 2006

Picturesque and peaceful, Slovenia truly was a hidden gem.
Plus they make really nice hot wine in the freezing winter.

Legislature at night. Victoria, Sept 2008

Rest your camera on the statue of Captain Cook (by his right
foot), wait until it goes dark, and you should see the
Parliament Buildings lit up like this. In Victoria, B.C.

Mirror image. Weston-super-Mare, Aug 1981

Caught on 35mm by my dad in the hall of mirrors on the Grand Pier 
at Weston. That's my brother in the orange and me in the blue.

Sibelius monument. Helsinki, July 2006

It's made from 600 steel pipes welded together. The result
is pretty odd, especially from underneath, like this.

Giants Causeway. County Antrim, Sept 1993

Situated on a windy coastline, the hexagonal basalt columns are even 
more remarkable close-up. I could fit both feet on top of each one.