Look Straight Down - Thematic Photography

The danger is, as you get older, that you may not see your feet when you look straight down. However I do have shots that will qualify, some from years ago.

Looking down from St Rule's Tower, St Andrews - c1956/7

Moving on about 20 years to Norway I was looking down again.

1000 feet down to the water close to the Pulpit Rock, Lysefjord

The Pulpit Rock (Prekestolen) has a vertical drop of 1982 feet (604m) down to the fjord.

Much more mundane is the shot I took looking at a drain last winter.

Iced Drain

When we were at Richmond Castle last week I baulked at climbing the narrow spiral staircase to the top - that would have been an ideal place to look straight down. So I have had to settle for this view from the walls.

Bridge over the River Swale from the Castle wall

Of course if you are not careful someone may catch you looking straight down.

Danger strimmer at work!

No, I wasn't whacking weeds.

For other wacky shots looking straight down visit Carmi at Thematic-photographic-305.

Big - Thematic Photography

I've posted photos before of Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Middlesbrough's public art structure Temenos. All of these would qualify for Carmi's theme of 'Big' this week.

However our thoughts this week have often been of Norway where I worked for almost ten years.  My first picture is of  Norwegian flags flying proudly on big flagpoles in Stavanger on happier days.

Stavanger in the 1980s

A big tourist attraction within reach of Stavanger is Prekestolen, the Pulpit Rock. It's well worth a visit but you need your walking boots as it takes up to 1.1/2hrs to reach the top. I just happen to have a postcard showing it in a dramatic fashion.

Prekestolen (597 meters high)

How would you fancy sitting on the top and dangling your feet over the edge as some people do? Not me!

Norway is also known for building offshore platforms. My next postcard is of one, the first I saw during construction.

Statfjord 'A' Platform

Under tow out to the North Sea, 105m above and 119m below sea level

During my first year in Norway I had to visit industrial sites in different places in Europe. In late 1979 one trip took me via Frankfurt in Germany from where I sent this postcard to my wife.

Frankfurt am Main Telecommunication Tower

The cafeteria viewing platform is 220m high, the total height slightly over 331m - big as well as elegant.

For more 'big' surprises don't forget to check out Carmi's thematic photographic 155