SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: Photography

I’d never been to Brixham. Years ago, I stayed in Torquay for a night and noticed there was a ferry service between the two towns. At the time, I knew little about the nautical history of this ‘place at the end of Torbay’, and I had to be on the train back to London for an important meeting before lunchtime. But it went in … Read More Devon Drive (2) – Brixham in three photos

December 8, 2022 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Higher Mind, Mindfulness, Photography

Permisson to be upset…

by Steve Tanham

(Above: An orderly bicycle. Photo and title by the author) I was watching a YouTube video the other day. Made by ‘Sadhguru’ – a favourite spiritual teacher. See end of this post for an example of one of his talks. He came out with the phrase; “I do not give you permission to upset me”. His audience fell silent. Who had upset him? And … Read More Permisson to be upset…

December 6, 2022 + #Humour, #Silenti, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

North by Northwest

by Steve Tanham

It sits over the ocean like one of the spice-navigated, space-time warping Guild Ships from Frank Herbert’s novel ‘Dune’. It’s probably an old lighthouse extended into a cafe…probably. In front of it, in futuristic letters, forged into the stone of the pier, is a giant metal compass dial, announcing to those passing that this landing space is designated ‘North by Northwest’. Which may be … Read More North by Northwest

December 4, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Photographic techniques, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel, Travel and people

Devon Drive (1)

by Steve Tanham

From the ages of two to fourteen, I lived in a small village called Ainsworth, halfway between Bolton and Bury, in old Lancashire. The streets in the new estate were named after places in Devon. The main trunk avenue, where our home was, was Devon Drive; others included Kingsbridge Avenue and Salcombe Avenue. I’d never been to Devon, and these sounded exotic. It was … Read More Devon Drive (1)

November 27, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Consciousness, English Lake District, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography

Pale sun, November river…

by Steve Tanham

That moment when you look up and realise that the sun is as high as it’s going to get … and, yes, it’s the end of November. On our ‘town and castle’ walk, the Collie and I pass over this old stone bridge and gaze down at the silver-gold of the river Kent. And reflect… ©Stephen Tanham 2022 Stephen Tanham is a Director of … Read More Pale sun, November river…

November 22, 2022 + #Humour, #Silenti, Dark Humour, English Lake District, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Goths on the Lake?

by Steve Tanham

A mid-November trip to Keswick and one of its two lakes – Derwent Water. The last few days of the visit of our artist friend from Oz, before she leaves for a final rendezvous in Manchester and then the long journey back home to Melbourne. A week with us then she had two days with a fellow artist and his engineer wife… who happen … Read More Goths on the Lake?

November 20, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose, Travel and Photography

The bridge over the railway at Grange

by Steve Tanham

The railway made Grange-over-Sands; and part of that legacy is a wonderful but decidedly odd-looking metal bridge over the line as you’re leaving the town to the West – in the direction of Barrow-in-Furness. It’s a favourite piece of architecture – mainly for the photogenic views up the line, as in the cover shot… The giant L-shaped structure dominates this part of the promenade. … Read More The bridge over the railway at Grange

November 15, 2022 + #Silenti, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel, Travel and Photography

Orkney’s hidden jewel – the Stromness Museum

by Steve Tanham

My iPad, on which I do most of my writing, these days, threw up a random picture of a marine clock the other day. I recognised it as dating to when we made our first visit to Orkney in 2018, staying in the busy port of Stromness. Stromness has an excellent local history museum. An entire room is concerned with the town’s links to … Read More Orkney’s hidden jewel – the Stromness Museum

November 13, 2022 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Ancient Sacred Sites, Consciousness, English Lake District, Photographic techniques, Photography

The shifting beach…

by Steve Tanham

What I love about the beaches around Morecambe Bay is the way you can go back a day later and find them completely changed. Heysham Beach, near Morecambe, is a wonderful example. In autumn, the tides get stronger, and the landscape upon which you walk – often a liminal zone between rock and sand – changes with each tide. Which is good news for … Read More The shifting beach…

November 8, 2022 + #Humour, #Silenti, Photography, Social Media

Fishing for Golden Girls

by Steve Tanham

There were four of them: best friends who grew up in the smoky old streets of Bolton, Lancashire, long before the leviathan called ‘Greater Manchester’ gobbled up anything that looked remotely prosperous. Bolton’s not prospering, now. It’s yet another ‘depressed former mill town’, though that blanket description completely masks the major contributions that Bolton – and many of the large towns near it – … Read More Fishing for Golden Girls

November 6, 2022 + #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Scotland

Long Tau Cross

by Steve Tanham

I just love it when you’re looking to capture something artistic, as opposed to just landscape, and nature conspires to assist… There’s a long beach walk that links Rosemarkie, on the Black Isle, north of Inverness, with the lighthouse at Chanonry Point. Halfway along, the sun became so bright that its autumnal ‘long flat’ rays began to create a glare in my side vision. … Read More Long Tau Cross

November 3, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography

Homage to Hopper by roadlight

by Steve Tanham

One of my favourite artists is the American Edward Hopper. His ‘Nighthawks’ is a study in late-night loneliness, set in a bar/diner whose light is a stark and emotional contrast to the isolating darkness outside. He also painted isolated and often abandoned scenes, such as outdated petrol (gas) stations; again with a very ‘still’ emotional fascination. The figures within the bar still have barriers: … Read More Homage to Hopper by roadlight