LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

3/5 Ely Cathedral

The sun shines through the stained glass to illuminate the floor in #ElyCathedral last week.

#fourthirds #Olympus7_14mmf4
#OMSystemsOM1

#stainedglass #photography #churchphotography #architecturephotography

Interior of a Gothic cathedral, looking along a side aisle or chapel. Tall, richly coloured stained glass windows — depicting biblical scenes and figures in reds, blues, greens and golds — dominate the right-hand wall, their light casting vivid pools of amber, red and yellow onto the ancient worn stone floor slabs, many of which appear to be medieval grave markers. To the left, Gothic pointed arches recede into shadow, and a recumbent stone effigy (likely a tomb monument) is visible against the far wall. The overall atmosphere is one of age, reverence, and dramatic, jewel-like light.

April 15, 2026 at 8:25 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

I've been experimenting with the hand-held high resolution feature on my #OMSystemsOM1 - obviously extra pixels are wasted on social media but its fans say it has other benefits.

Here's a shot from Tate Modern looking towards St Pauls.

#hhhr #Photography #London #cityscape #scape #stunday

A view across the River Thames looking north toward the City of London, with the Millennium Bridge stretching across the foreground and St Paul's Cathedral dominating the skyline under a dramatic cloudy blue sky. A mix of brick and modern buildings lines the north bank, with construction cranes and the glass towers of the City visible in the background.

April 12, 2026 at 10:31 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

The rusty balcony of Beckenham Place in S London for a #texture fix.

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#Photography
#decay

A rusting ornate cast-iron balcony railing on a historic building, photographed from below against a vivid blue sky. The ironwork features decorative scrollwork and spindles, heavily weathered with peeling paint revealing rust beneath. The curved balcony edge and supporting column show significant decay, with moss and lichen adding to the sense of long abandonment.

March 29, 2026 at 11:01 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

The Trades entrance to a mansion block in Kensington.

That's put me in my place.

#photography #trades

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

Close-up of an ornate black cast-iron garden bench backrest, with "TRADES" and the numbers "32 to 53" embossed in raised lettering across an arched panel. The bench features decorative scrollwork and circular motifs. In the background, a formal garden with a stone pathway, neatly trimmed hedges, and colourful flower borders is visible, softly out of focus.

March 22, 2026 at 11:04 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

5/5 It's #Spring

Silver Birch catkins in Holland Park. Nothing says spring like catkins.

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#photography #flowerphotography #naturephotography #macro #macrophotography

Close-up macro photograph of female catkins on a Silver Birch (Betula pendula) branch, showing multiple elongated, scaly green and reddish-brown seed catkins hanging from a slender twig against a softly blurred dark green bokeh background. Early spring.

March 20, 2026 at 9:08 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

4/5 It's #Spring

A Camellia in a garden in Kensington.

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#photography #flowerphotography #naturephotography

A close-up photograph of a Camellia japonica bloom, likely the cultivar 'Adolphe Audusson Variegated' (or a similar variegated japonice such as 'Tricolor'). The semi-double flower displays striking irregular streaks and marbling of deep crimson-red on white petals, with prominent golden-yellow stamens and cream filaments at the centre. The bloom is surrounded by glossy, dark green camellia leaves, with a softly blurred background of branches and foliage.

March 19, 2026 at 10:23 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

3/5 It's #Spring

I particularly like the beginning of spring when you get a mix of new growth and the bare structures left from winter.

River Ravensbourne - Beckenham Place Park in S London.

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#photography #landscape #scape #naturephotography

A bare-branched tree dominates the left side of the frame, its sprawling limbs reaching across a dramatic sky of deep blue broken by billowing grey-white clouds. A narrow stream winds through the centre of the scene, flanked by muddy banks, green grass, and wooden fence posts. Woodland stretches across the background, with an open green field visible to the far left. The overall feel is early spring in the English countryside — bright but cool, with that particular quality of light you get on a blustery March day.

March 18, 2026 at 9:16 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

2/5 It's #spring

Shot in Hyde Park ,AI suggests this is Chinese Winter Hazel. It also told me "It's a beautifully sharp shot"

Who am I to argue?

(It's probably wrong about both)
#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#photography #flowerphotography #naturephotography

Close-up of Corylopsis sinensis (Chinese Winter Hazel) in early spring bloom, showing pendulous clusters of delicate, pale primrose-yellow bell-shaped flowers hanging from bare brown stems, with green leaf bracts at the tips and small reddish-brown anthers visible within each tiny floret. Soft bokeh background of yellow-green foliage.

March 17, 2026 at 9:42 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

1/5 it's spring

This week some random snaps that say #spring is here (meteorological spring starts on March 1). Here are some rather lovely magnolias in s London.

#OMsystemsOM1 #olympus12100f4

#photography #flowerphotography #naturephotography

A magnolia tree in full bloom, its branches densely covered with large, cup-shaped flowers. The petals are white on the inside and flushed with soft pink to deeper pink-purple on the outside, creating a beautiful two-tone effect. The blossoms appear against a clear blue sky, with bare brown branches visible throughout. Some buds are still closed while others are fully open, showing the progression of the bloom. The photo is taken looking upward through the canopy.

March 16, 2026 at 10:51 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

5/5 #Pitzhanger Manor

#Lookingup at an ornate ceiling in Ealing's Pitzhanger Manor - where I used to change my library books 50 years ago.

#microfourthirds #Laowa6mmf2 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #architecture #architecturephotography #georgian

A ornate decorative ceiling featuring a symmetrical neoclassical design. The central focal point is a circular medallion with radiating panels of deep blue adorned with white acanthus leaf scrollwork. This is surrounded by concentric geometric layers — diamonds, triangles, and squares — in white plasterwork set against teal and sage green painted panels. The outer border is framed with an intricate white egg-and-dart moulding. The overall palette of white, teal, and green gives it an elegant, period interior feel.

March 13, 2026 at 11:14 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

4/5 #Pitzhanger Manor

The first snap looks like a room but is a kind of skylight - just over a metre square- built on top of the third pic's entrance hall and seen from below in the second .

#microfourthirds #Laowa6mmf2 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #architecture #architecturephotography #georgian

Symmetrical interior shot looking toward a gridded glass partition, with richly veined warm beige marble walls, arched recesses with carved bronze decorative elements, a shallow ribbed dome ceiling with a large acanthus-leaf boss, and a continuous strip of warm yellow lighting running along the base of the walls, creating a vivid golden glow. A green-tinted arched window is visible in the upper right corner.

Upward view of an elaborate neoclassical ceiling featuring warm sienna marble with a central square skylight lantern topped by an octagonal white dome with a floral boss, flanked by two large oval bronze relief panels depicting dramatic figurative scenes, framed by arched mouldings and decorative carved medallions.

View looking down from a staircase into an ornate entrance hall featuring dark green veined marble walls with arched niches, a barrel-vaulted ceiling with warm wood panelling and decorative carved rosettes, a semicircular stained glass fanlight above a mahogany double door, and two brass wall sconces with candle-style bulbs on marble ledges.

March 12, 2026 at 11:13 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

3/5 Pitzhanger Manor

#Georgian elegance at Sir John Soane's former house.

#microfourthirds #Laowa6mmf2 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #interior #architecture #architecturephotography #georgian

A grand Georgian interior room featuring floor-to-ceiling hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper depicting flowering trees, exotic birds, and decorative rockwork in soft pinks, greens, and corals on a cream background. The elaborately decorated ceiling is painted in slate blue with intricate white plasterwork including swags, medallions, and scrollwork, with a central domed alcove. White Ionic pilasters divide the walls. At the centre is a tall sash window looking out onto a green landscape, flanked by two small uplighters. A single antique wooden chair with a white cushion sits alone on the wide-plank oak floor, directly in front of the window, giving the scene a quietly contemplative feel.

March 11, 2026 at 9:02 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

2/5 Pitzhanger Manor

Another shot from what was Sir John Soane's home. The Laowa 6mm (12mm ff equivalent) is tricky to use but very effective when you get it right.

#microfourthirds #Laowa6mmf2 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #interior #architecture #architecturephotography #georgian

A grand, symmetrical interior room featuring warm honey-toned wood-panelled walls lined with framed artworks and gilt-edged arched alcoves containing books and glass display cases. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with an elegant lattice grid pattern painted with delicate floral motifs. A bold geometric rug in dark green and cream echoes the X-shaped pattern of the ceiling. At the far end, a modern sculptural artwork sits atop a white plinth, contrasting with the room's classical architecture. Candelabra-style lamps and a marble fireplace add to the refined atmosphere, while an open doorway on the left reveals a glimpse of a red-painted room beyond.

March 10, 2026 at 10:38 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

1/5 Pitzhanger Manor

50 years ago this was Ealing Central Library. Long before that it was where Sir John Soane lived. Now the house has been restored and has an art gallery attached.

#microfournerds #Laowa6mmf2 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #interior #architecture #architecturephotography #georgian

A grand Georgian-era room featuring an ornate plasterwork ceiling with green and white decorative panels, a central medallion, and intricate scrollwork. The walls are covered in detailed chinoiserie wallpaper depicting trees, flowers, and birds in greens, pinks, and reds. The wide-plank hardwood floor is largely empty, with a small grouping of elegant wooden chairs with cream upholstered seats placed symmetrically around the room. A white marble fireplace with a mirror above it sits centrally on the far wall, flanked by period furniture including a bureau and a decorated cabinet. Tall sash windows on either side flood the room with natural light, revealing trees outside.

March 9, 2026 at 9:34 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

5/5 West India Quay Impounding Station

For the last post in this set I decided to share four snaps to provide more insight into the work of the pump station for the (former) docks in E London.

#fourthirds Olympus 7-14mm f4 on #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #industry #engineering #OMsystemsOM1

Antique electrical control panel with two round analog gauges labeled 'AMPERES' and 'VOLTS', mounted above a metal housing with a viewing window showing internal mechanical components and START/STOP buttons

Weathered brass manufacturer's nameplate from 1929 reading 'The Lancashire Dynamo Motor Co Ltd, Trafford Park, Manchester' associated with 'The Crypto Electrical Co Ltd', showing DC generator specifications

Large vintage turquoise and cream-colored industrial generator or motor with protective mesh screening and safety railings, mounted on a concrete platform in a tiled power station room with red floor

Vintage turquoise industrial electric motor with ribbed cooling fins mounted on a concrete base, connected to brass valves and metal-braided hydraulic hoses in a tiled mechanical room

February 6, 2026 at 10:50 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

4/5 West India Quay Impounding Station

Focusing in on the control panel for one of the pumps used to top up the docks on the Isle of Dogs in E London. I always like a bespoke control system.

#fourthirds Olympus 7-14mm f4 on #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #industry #engineering #OMsystemsOM1

Industrial control panel with colored indicator lights (red and green) mounted next to aged cylindrical pressure vessels or tanks with weathered white paint and bolted flanges in a deteriorating factory or plant setting

February 5, 2026 at 10:12 AM

Nigel Stanley

@nigelstanley.bsky.social

1/5 West India Quay Impounding Station

The docks on the Isle of Dogs in E London are all connected These pumps top them up when needed. You can visit on occasional open days run by the Canal & River Trust

#fourthirds Olympus7_14mmf4 #OMsystemsOM1

#photography #industry #engineering #pump

Industrial heritage interior showing a historic pump house or water treatment facility with symmetrical rows of large turquoise-colored pumping equipment and cylindrical turbines. The spacious hall features exposed steel truss roof structure, arched multi-paned windows along weathered yellow-ochre walls, and an elevated catwalk system. Orange-red flooring runs between the vintage machinery. Natural light filters through the industrial windows, illuminating the preserved early 20th-century mechanical infrastructure.

February 2, 2026 at 9:25 AM

Georgia Garman

@georgia-g.bsky.social

This Butcher Bird spotted a tasty treat in my back garden and was giving me the 'don''t you dare touch my lunch' stare #birds #birdphotography #omsystemsom1