January 21, 2026

Street corners and reflections

I went to the observatory hill with a 28mm lens and no particular plan. A light drizzle started around ten. I sheltered under a bus stop roof and photographed people hurrying past.

There is something calming about returning to the same spot and noticing small changes since the last visit. By noon the crowds arrived, so I walked further along the path, where street corners were still undisturbed.

Most of the morning went into watching street corners; I took fewer frames than usual, but each one felt deliberate. I underexposed most of the frames on purpose, to keep the mood windy rather than bright.

Locals barely noticed me. A man feeding gulls told me the place looks completely different in spring. On the way home the train was nearly empty, so I reviewed the day's notes and planned the next trip.

Halfway through I switched to black and white, which suited the windy weather much better. I tried a few long exposures, but the wind had other ideas. The handheld shots turned out better anyway.

It was a good reminder that interesting pictures rarely require going far.