leo/poldo ii
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 19 April 2024].
I captured these photographs of the equestrian statue of Leopold II in Place du Trône in Brussels during my visit to Belgium with my parents and then-partner, Kyle, in September 2014.
According to Wikipedia, Leopold II was the second King of the Belgians. Although he still holds the title of the longest-reigning Belgian monarch, by all accounts, Leopold II was a nasty piece of work.
See, in particular, his reign over the Congo Free State (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
I won't use the words 'founder' and 'owner', as we know there were already people there when he claimed those titles who had more right to claim ownership than he did.
I usually avoid capturing people in my photographs of monuments, architecture, street scenes, etc., but I quite like the moment I captured with these particular folks in the second image.
please keep this gate closed
[I originally posted this entry as early access for my Patreon patrons on 8 July 2021].
Phewf! Feeling that strange, scattered, drained feeling at the moment. The one I get after I finally make it over the finish line of a project and my brain starts to zone out a bit.
I had a manic evening into the wee hours overnight. And again this morning until mid-afternoon, ensuring I got a client's design work finalised for their first conference, which is now taking place virtually as I type.
Between client work and my own photography/art/writing, I've already clocked up 36 hours since Saturday. And I have plenty of plans for more photo editing and other bits and pieces for the rest of today and tomorrow, including a call with a potential new client.
I also need to squeeze some cleaning in before a potential flatmate comes to view the flat on Saturday morning, but that can wait until tomorrow. This evening is all mine and will be full of photo editing, and likely some 'Vikings' when I run out of steam.
I took this photograph at the entrance to the field surrounding St Thomas a Becket Church in Fairfield, Kent, on Walland Marsh, part of Romney Marsh, in 2016.
I still have so many photographs of the church and the resident mowing team (sheep) still to edit and share with you from that little oasis.
But for now, it's back to editing photos of Londinium :)
and so he set off under cover of night
Day twenty-four of The 100 Day Project.
Illustrations:
Gate by Randolph Caldecott from Old Christmas
Wanderer by Arthur Rackham from Siegfried and the twilight of the gods
seeking refuge
Day twenty-one of The 100 Day Project.
Illustrations:
Garden gate by A. Chapon from Autour de la Méditerranée
Satan by Édouard de Beaumont from Le diable amoureux
Ad astra by an unknown artist from Once a week, volume 13 (June-December 1865)
Man riding a three-headed vulture by Gustave Doré from Wunderbare Reisen zu Wasser und Lande, feldzüge und lustige Abentheuer des Freyherrn von Münchhausen wie er dieselben bey der Flasche im Zirkel seiner Freunde zu Erzählen pflegt. Aus dem Englischen nach der neuesten Ausgabe übersetzt, hier und da erweitert und mit noch mehr Küpfern gezieret