Lens-Artists Challenge – Urban Environments

Urban definition: relating to towns or cities, or happening there, from the Latin urbs, meaning city. Cities (or towns) can be fascinating places. There are no two identical cities, they’re a product of many different aspects from history to location, to culture and to the people. People make Glasgow or so it’s said, and I believe every city is made ultimately by the people who built it and more so, by the people who live there. This week I’m taking a tour of urban environments and how I’ve captured them.

You can click on each gallery for a better look.

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There’s something mesmerizing about city views. Obviously, some cities offer better views either for geographical reasons or due to the type of buildings. Cities with old castles gives us beautiful views of how they grew, expanding with time beyond the defensive walls. Lisbon, Granada and Edinburgh are good examples of this. The small medieval town of Óbidos in Portugal is even better, as most of it is still preserved inside the castle walls.

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It can be interesting to be able to have a feel for the whole of the urban space and then get closer and see what makes it tick, like when in Osaka. The view is from the wonderful Umeda Sky Garden building. At street level, the city is as busy as it looks from above.

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It’s not always the older the better either. Some cities are quite good at maintaining their past while embracing the future. Coming across old neighbourhoods, that have changed little in centuries is always a treat, but modern architecture is equally interesting.

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 Then, we have the people…

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Enjoying urban photography means any walk, sometimes to kill some time is a golden opportunity to take unexpected photos. The following ones were all taken last week, in Glasgow city centre with my mobile phone.

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For many of us, cities are part of our daily lives. For others, it’s a place to be visited now and then. One thing is certain, urban environments are as varied as it gets and offer plenty of wonderful sights. This week’s challenge is about how you view any urban environments you came across, either by visiting as a tourist or the place you live in or commute to every day. What makes that city or town special and how do you capture it.

Last week John took us on a journey where the way of transport was as important as the destination. An intriguing and inspirational challenge where the different interpretations of you all made it even more interesting. This week, I’m inviting you to look at your urban environments. I’m looking forward to where you’ll take us. If you want to join us, please link to this post and tag with Lens-Artists so we can easily find you.

Next week is Tina’s turn to host, please have a look at her wonderful site and join us if you can.

For more information on how Lens-Artists Challenge work, please click here.

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