Belfast – Page 5 – Riccarpics

SoundYard

The SoundYard is created from metal tubes and reproduces noises similar to the sounds that would have emanated from the Harland and Wolff Shipyard. It can be found on the river side of SSE Arena.

Hot Lips

Above the door of the Blackbox in Hill Street, Belfast. Not Photoshopped.

Today the Anti Vaccination Passport people had another rally in Belfast, the last one of the year. I didn’t get any images I was happy with and I’ve already posted twice on these protests so here’s something different.

This guy was standing at the entrance to Corn Market inviting debate on children being taught to eat animals. He was happy to have his photograph taken and happy to put his opinion forward in a friendly, civilised way.

We need more people like him.

Vaccine Passports 2

No march this week but a rally at City Hall.

Attracting a crowd of a few hundred and becoming a weekly event this, obviously, is important to a lot of people.

I waited until I got different placards framed by the two guys standing in front of me.

Anti Covid Passport Rally — Anti Covid Passports protest, Belfast

Cycling on the Slipway

Despite a temperature of around 7C and a sharp breeze the cyclists were out and touring the slipways in Titanic Quarter.

Another Lock Down Looms

In the last post I said that we were in lock down again but it was not quite as strict as the last time. Although accurate at the time things have changed somewhat.

That lock down has been relaxed for a week with cafes, restaurants and bars permitted to open. From 27th November however a more severe lock down is being introduced for two weeks. All non essential retailers will have to close as well as the aforementioned cafes, restaurants and bars.

The business community are not happy, in fact some are livid with the decisions made by the politicians, or perhaps more precisely with the way the politicians are implementing the decisions they have made.

Although I will continue to take images recording the pandemic these are the last I intend to place here unless something momentous happens.

Wash your hands — Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, 25 November 2020: People walk past a sign in Donegall Square North reminding the public to Wash Your Hands

Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, 25 November 2020: Sign on the ground Donegall Square reminding people to Keep Your Distance. A figure is seen walking out of frame

The Garrick — Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK, 25 November 2020: A girl walks past tables stacked outside the Garrick Bar, Chichester Street as lock down looms

Lock down, again

We’re back in lock down again. It’s not quite as strict as the last time but lock down all the same. Restrictions on meeting people and visiting other households have been tightened as have restrictions on selling alcohol. Restaurants, bars and coffee shops are permitted to sell only takeaway food. Some have simply closed.

The Coronavirus infection rate, the R rate, is over one as I think it is in most countries in Europe. The news bulletins carry information on rising hospital admissions and more worryingly, sadly some deaths. People are beginning to realise this may go on much longer than was originally expected. Thoughts are turning to Christmas with possible travel restrictions and social distancing preventing family and friends gathering.

These images with the exception of the last one, are from Cathedral Quarter on a Saturday afternoon. Usually a busy time with bars and restaurants crowded with both locals and visitors to the city. There were few people about. A guy with his young son, seeing me taking photographs, stopped to say how strange it felt. Autumn leaves on the outside tables at 2Taps, a usually busy restaurant and bar tell it all without words.

Hill Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland — Hill Street, Belfast

Duke of York Bar, Belfast, Northern Ireland — Duke of York Bar, Commercial Court, Belfast

The Merchant Hotel, Belfast, Northern Ireland

St. Anne's Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland — St. Anne’s Square, Belfast

The Dirty Onion, Belfast, Northern Ireland — The Dirty Onion and Yardbird, Belfast

Two girls wearing masks walk past Revolucion de Cuba restaurant, Arthur Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland — Two girls wearing masks walk past Revolucion de Cuba restaurant, Arthur Street, Belfast

Taking stock

I haven’t been getting out and about so much recently, mainly because of the pandemic and this means I’m not producing as much as I’d like. It’s partly because there’s not as much going on as usual but also demand for stock images has reduced drastically and this has dampened my enthusiasm.

In the previous post I spoke of selling images on Fine Art America and I’m now finding that this has nudged me very much away from producing images for stock and towards images more suitable for hanging on a wall, be it an office wall or a wall in the home.

I’ve said earlier my stock images are mainly destined for the editorial market and were not altered. Producing images for print is a very different game as I’m allowed artistic licence. I am still sometimes reluctant to alter the scene too far from reality but I imagine with time this will change.

What also caught me unawares is that sometimes people expect information on the artist who they buy the picture they are going to hang on their wall from. I may well have to give up my stock shooter’s anonymity. Along with this I find myself fielding questions on the best paper to have an image printed on, frame design and the size of print suitable for a particular room and the like. I’m learning fast and enjoying it but these are questions that I just didn’t have to think about when selling stock images through an agency.

I like to produce images from the city and have been concentrating on these. I’ve tried my hand at landscape photography but I’ve found I prefer photographs with an urban theme. For now anyway.

Some recent images are below.

Tag: Belfast