Once Upon a Time in London

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

UNITED KINGDOM | Monday, 7 November 2011 | Views [416]

Venturing Across the Pond: I will never forget the day I stumbled upon St. James Park in London while it was pouring rain. Luckily, I had my umbrella because of my knowledge of London weather; however, it was the first time since I had arrived that it was absolutely pouring rain, and I just happened to be in the middle of a large and open park. However, it was one of my favorite moments of the trip. I suppose it was because of the loud noise of the rain combined with the ironic quietness that came with it. There was no one else in the entire park; I had the beautiful area to myself, if you don't count the swans and pelicans, that is. I wandered aimlessly through the vicinity, and when I walked up one hill, I found myself on the grounds of Buckingham Palace for the first time. The rain then let up, and the most beautiful sunset appeared. This photograph is standing in front of Buckingham Palace looking over the pond that lies in the park. It was a very inspiring and personal moment which I will never forget.

Tags: st. james park, buckingham palace, london, united kingdom, england

Iconic London Town: This was taken during one of our many picnics we had in the famous and mesmerizing English parks. We had just finished our meal and were lying in the grass taking in the beautiful day. I was experimenting with my camera settings and left the park with this photograph. What I enjoy about this image is the iconic red telephone booth in front of the traditional black cab. It sums up some of the most famous representations of this eye-opening city.

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Street Performances: This man who could perform many tricks, including fitting his body through a tennis racket, became a familiar face during my three months in London. I remember seeing him for the first time during my initial week in London. Being from Georgia, I was not used to stumbling upon street performers on a daily basis, and I was absolutely stunned. I felt like there was a free circus act everywhere I walked, and I could not get enough. I watched his entire act and was mesmerized. A few weeks later, I saw him performing again in a different location. He stuck out quite easily because you would hear a loud voice in the midst of a large crowd of people. I did not know it at the time, but I would run across his act so many times that I felt as though I personally knew him. I was familiar with what lines he would say and which tricks he would perform. When he pulled out the tennis racket and the crowd cheered in excitement, I simply watched in amusement. His act served as a sign of the transition that was taking place inside of me; I began as a newcomer not only to London, but to Europe itself, and ended up as a regular to his act and very accustomed to seeing his face. In a sense, his ongoing performances made me feel more at home.

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Once Upon a Time in London

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

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