Its been a hectic time recently. This week I was at the House of Lords for the launch of a book that I contributed to. I've also been selecting and printing photos for a London exhibition in September and there are a couple of other exhibitions in the pipeline too. The writing was a personal reflection... Continue Reading →
From years back, when I was still wearing the soles of my shoes out on street photo walks, I've found the idea of anonymising people and merging them into the urban landscape intriguing. I have some sympathy with people who question whether it's right to take photos of people without asking first. As much as I think candid... Continue Reading →
If you contemplate the miracle we call sight, what we actually see is light reflecting off "stuff" that is received by the sensory organs of the eyes and processed by the brain for the mind to make sense of. So, in a way, our mind is a house of mirrors from which we create meaning, our "lives" and... Continue Reading →
It's been wet. It's been really wet, mild, windy, occasionally cold, but mostly just wet. We are not supposed to have a monsoon season in the UK, but this January was very like one - albeit cooler. All that dampness condenses on glass and makes for interesting opportunities for image making. A new glass bus stop has... Continue Reading →
"There is a crack in everything - that's how the light gets in" Leonard Cohen, ANTHEM In August 2013 darkness threatened to seep through the cracks in my life. . I'd spent 10 days in hospital to find the cause of what, for over a year, doctors had told me was a bad back (I was... Continue Reading →
Despite having MND I can still manage a short walk occasionally, just so long as my crutches take the strain. I'll normally start off confidently but gradually, at around ten steps in, will experience the start of increasing pain as my already tight muscles contract and say "no, slow down" - That's my inner zen master telling me not to... Continue Reading →
Have you ever been to an event and found the audience more interesting than the performance? "oooohh missis" If so, you probably love people photography. It's what normally happens to me when I have a camera in my hand. Even on the rare occasions I'm without one, I find myself imagining the shots I could... Continue Reading →
(Apologies if you've received this more than once. I've reposted to see whether the image in the WordPress "blog reader list" makes a huge difference to the amount of readers the post receives.) - To first time viewers welcome and I hope you enjoy! On Saturday evening almost by accident, my family and I experienced some... Continue Reading →
Each of these pictures were taken near Venice's Lido water bus stop on the way to the beach. It was a wonderful surprise to find that Venice can be a sunbathing and sea swimming holiday. The beach was beautiful. As we relaxed, ordinary Venetians carried on their working lives. I like the similarities and the differences of these two pictures of... Continue Reading →
A friend recently told me, with a bit of sadness, that she found the streets of Venice were not garlanded with colourful washing anymore. I may have been lucky, but just a few water bus stops away from the main tourist spots we found areas where the washing lines were works of art. . I spent a very enjoyable hour in... Continue Reading →
Following yesterday's picture that I captured through the doorway of a Venetian café, here are a couple of candids that I took from inside. A different café, but same camera and lens set up. Olympus OMD EM5 with the Panasonic 35-100mm f2.8 OIS lens - I just don't see the point of lugging around a heavy DSLR... Continue Reading →
(Click on the image to see it bigger) Even at the height of the tourist season, when we were in Venice, it was still possible to spot native Venetians amongst the thousands of non-Italians. There are also bars and cafés away from Piazza St Marco where you can pick up a more authentic Venetian vibe.... Continue Reading →
The occasional rainy weather during our Venice trip made for great umbrella pictures! This lady had remarkably found a comfortable spot to dream and contemplate life right next to the San Zaccaria water bus stop. She'd done well, because San Zaccaria is always thronging with tourists on their way to Saint Mark's Square or waiting for a gondola... Continue Reading →
. I'm not sure if this was a Venetian who needed a cigarette after saying a last goodbye or the funeral director on a quiet day. Either way the image seemed to have an ironic message as well as posing unanswered questions. Hope you like it. All photographs © all rights reserved Miles Pilling
Day one of any good Buddhism course would probably mention the five precepts: a list of guidelines to help us stay on the ethical straight and narrow. Second only to not killing is not taking that which is not given.....This poses a big dilemma for me as a "mindful" photographer. When we squeeze the shutter to capture an unmissable (aren't they always?) candid picture, are... Continue Reading →
mindful photos 