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This is one of my favourite buildings in London. The original stricture is a classical 19th century brick gunpowder store. The white curvy modern addition was designed by the late Zaha Hadid and built in 2013. 

I just love the contrast and synthesis of old and new. Not everybody was happy about it, the best critical quote I found was “looks like someone melted a giant iPod and threw it agains the side of the existing building”.  The new structure hosts an airy cafe. I ordered a relatively overpriced cappuccino and they let me take some quick shots of the interiors. In case you are a fan of architecture and happen to be in Hyde Park, I would definitely recommend a visit.

I took a couple of shots of Jamie Woon, a brilliant musician and great guy. 

He was saying goodbye to his studio KONK before heading off to travel around the world for a few months... 

We had a great week visiting our friends in Dubai. We managed to to get bad weather which is apparently not that easy in the country that advertises itself with 365 days of sunshine.  Our day-trip to Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi was cloudy as well. I wish I had better light and bright blue sky, but let’s be honest, it is quite difficult to take bad shots of this incredible building. 

The mosque was built for ten year and opened in 2007. The main concept was to have a “structure that would unite the cultural diversity of the Islamic world with the historical and modern values of the architecture and art”. The result stunning: an elegant and modern structure; a mix of modern and classic motives; a symphony of gorgeous lines and symmetry. 

Most of the site is a accessible for visitors, but quite challenging to take pictures without spectators in it. Here are some of my shots. 

The holidays are over and it is cold and dark. I realised how much I miss summer when I came across my pictures from one of my warmer projects in 2016 when I was commissioned for two photo shoots for Macdonald Monchiue Spa and Resort in Portugal. Here are some of the pictures of the first photo shoot. It took place a couple of weeks before the grand opening. These types of productions are always challenging because the hotels are not completed yet, but they need to show their finished rooms and facilities on their websites and marketing material. The images need to portray the perfect finalised holiday destination even though it is still under construction. Creating a corner in an unfinished restaurant, lighting it and instructing the models while workers drilled right behind me isn’t as easy as it sounds! At the end of the day, despite a very tight deadline the shoot went really well, with a team of hotel staff who were extremely helpful and accommodating.  Macdonald Monchiue Spa and Resort is in Algarve region in south Portugal. Located in the mountains it has an ideal temperature offering a slightly cooler climate during the very hot summer months, and for the sun worshipers the beautiful beaches are just 20 minutes away. There are some very charming and laid back villages surrounding the resort so should you want to venture away from the pool or leave the beach there’s so much more to explore. www.macdonaldmonchique.com

The main building and pool in the morning sun. 

Gorgeous light in the lobby.

Spacious rooms.

The cooks headed by Louis Anjos, the Executive Chef.

Louis is in action.

One of the places I was lucky to visit when I lived in Asia was Angkor Wat. It is the largest religious monument in the world, often considered to be the symbol of Cambodia, and it even appears on their national flag. 

You truly have to be there to realise how vast and magnificent Angkor Wat is. It’s a few kilometers outside of Siem Reap, so you need to take a tuktuk or bike to get there. 

 There are places in Angkor Wat where you can walk for hours and see many amazing buildings and ruins and not see another human being and of course some parts of the ruins draw lots of tourists. Take a bit of time before you kick off the exploration to work out the best routes to avoid the crowds.

Explore on your own and you can find parts that are hidden further away. Walking around these ancient temples in the middle of a rainforest without anybody else around is a once in a lifetime experience. 

The area, as you would expect, has an incredible history and was a very advanced society and culture for its time. The population in the 15th century dwarfed that of London with 750,000 (London at that time only having 30,000.) You can still see the remains of the sophisticated canal system that connected the different structures and areas. 

Taking pictures at Angkor Wat is not as easy as it seems. There is beauty everywhere, but ideally you want to catch the sunrise or the sunset. Since it is close to the equator, that will be maximum of 30 minutes to get the best of the day. You must make some choices: find the temple, get the right angel, try to avoid the other photographers, and pray for beautiful light. Since most people only stop by for a day or two you the opportunity for a successful shot can be quite limited and stressful.

Hopefully I have captured a bit of the beauty of Angkor Wat, so you can enjoy it without travelling to Cambodia. And hopefully you can find me in the last picture!

Most people have never heard of Bangor in Wales. As a London architectural photographer, I recently got an interesting assignment from Grimshaw Architects, which included taking pictures of the Pontio Building at the Bangor University of Wales. 

Overwhelmed with the idea, with the tight deadline however, I took a rather brief train ride of three and a half hours and reached the charming town. Although according to the locals the weather in Bangor is very unpredictable, I was lucky to experience some sunshine in the town. 

The main concept of the Pontio Building is that it provides a natural walk from the arch at the bottom, all the way up to the hill and towards the terrace of the old building of the University. However, what is really astonishing is that both landmarks are visible while you walk through the building, which is brilliant for interior photography. With sun conquering the building throughout the day, I set of to chase the sun. 

The building is already a hub of cafes and cultural events for the inhabitants and tourists, however, it is not fully constructed. The Pontio Building holds several rooms for workshops, two theatres, a cinema, public areas for performances and even the outside walls can showcase videos and art. 

The windows are big and provide a natural artistic view throughout the town. I am waiting for the building to be completed, so I can get a chance to conduct a through photoshoot of this piece of art. 

When I look at some of my old pictures from living in Asia, I am quickly reminded about how much I miss the hot weather. That’s exactly what happened when I came across the sunny shots I took at the Thai Wake Park a couple of years ago.  It is a cable waterboard park on a small lake at the outskirts of Bangkok where the cool and sporty hangout and occasionally the dads with their kids hankering after their long lost youth!  It is a very chilled out place, the complete opposite to the centre of the busy polluted capital and only 30 minute drive out there. 

There were two types of boarders there, the ones who managed about 3 seconds before they were in the water and the ones who just made it look so effortless and who had everyone’s attention. 

If you get a chance then go - an afternoon of guaranteed sunshine, great music, spicy food, laid-back people and some great boarding. You get the picture. 

The first image that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Phuket” is probably a gorgeous beach. Well, there are 36 beaches there (I just looked it up), so you are not wrong. However, you can find more in the tropical island.  Phuket Town itself is not attractive, but it has a small old district full of character. There is a mixture of old shops, hotels, barber shops as well as new cafes, and art galleries. A brilliant colourful mixture.  I even found Chuck Norris in an old motel!!!!! 

I had a photo assignment at the London Bridge Station and it was a sunny autumn morning (TRUE STORY!). I was looking forward to have some authentic street food at lunchtime especially since I could only see chain restaurants on the way including 4 Pizza Expresses! (STILL A TRUE STORY). Borough market, which is the oldest one in London did not disappoint. Sure, a bit touristy and overpriced, but still a great place. Here are some pictures of the market and my walk on the South Bank.