After nearly three years of living in Tanzania, I am still amazed at the botanical paradise which surrounds me everyday, all year round. From the hibiscus flowers and bird of paradise plants in private gardens, public municipal areas and hotels, to hedgerows at bus-stops heavy with bourgainvillea and frangipani petals lying on the floor, the…
Tag: photography
“How do you avoid the tourists in Stone Town?” said the tourist.
In the blistering heat of the sub-Saharan sun lies a labyrinth of narrow alleys lined with tall once whitewashed, now crumbling buildings. A walk through Stone Town’s higgledy piggledy streets, most of which are too narrow for cars, is like stepping back in time, providing you can ignore the high-tech gadget carrying tourists. The town,…
Regressing to my teenage gothic self at Whitby Abbey
One hundred and ninety nine steps up from a harbour town stands the imposing Gothic remains of a 13th Century abbey. On a clear day you can see for miles around, out to the North Sea on one side and across the Yorkshire moors on the other. And on days when the weather is rainy…
Matemwe Beach – Far Away in Time
At 31 degrees centigrade and with a hotch potch of people who frequent it, Matemwe Beach is a melting-pot in every sense of the word. Between sunrise and sunset the beach, situated on the northeast coastline of Zanzibar, becomes a hive of activity with scores of Zanzibari women wearing bright coloured kangas wading into shallow…
The dead cities of Syria
Scattered across the northwest of Syria, between Aleppo and Hama, are more than 700 abandoned settlements known as the Dead Cities. I visited these curious Roman and Byzantium ruins fourteen years ago, while I was living and working in Damascus. Little did I know at the time that Aleppo, the stylish and classical city where I was…
Hope over the Horizon – Sunrise on the edge of the Ngorogoro Crater
While camping on the edge of the Ngorogoro Crater in Tanzania I decided to wake up early to watch the sunrise. What I witnessed was nothing short of breathtaking. Snuggled up inside my hoodie and scarf, I sat alone, mesmerized by the changing horizon before me and watched as the African sky changed from an…
Colours Speak Louder Than Words
The colours in Tanzania are so vibrant and varied that I am almost certain there must be more shades here than there were in England, my homeland. I used to take many photographs in black and white, but in Dar Es Salaam, it seems such a waste to ignore the vast spectrum of shades that…
Neon Lights in Downtown Dar Es Salaam
I love the anonymity of driving through a busy city at night. On this occasion I was sat in the passenger seat and so I was able to capture some of Dar Es Salaam’s neon lights on camera. These photos were taken as we drove through the centre of Tanzania’s busiest city from Masaki to…
Livin’ La Vida Loca
About a week about ago, I was “talent” spotted to work as a freelance designer for an international clothing manufacturer. The company, VIDA, are based in San Francisco and essentially make women’s tops, scarves, bags and wraps. So I’m thrilled to share with you some of the items from my latest collection on VIDA! This collection…
Moja, Mbili, Tatu… Jump.
There is nothing more fun than jumping into a swimming pool with your friends – and this is the moment nearly 30 boys jumped into the water together. The photo was taken during the last Saturday School session of the year at the school I have worked for the last couple of years in…
Early morning bargains at Kivukoni Fish Market
These shots were taken on an early morning visit to the hustling bustling Kivukoni Fish Market on Ocean Road in the heart of Dar Es Salaam. It’s a great snippet of Tanzanian life with fishermen and house dadas haggling at full volume over an unbelievable selection of fish and crustaceans. We brought two very large, very snappy…
You are the ones we’ve been waiting for
“You are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” This was the key phrase used in the inspiring speech given by Kenyan radio presenter Caroline Mutoko at the official opening of this year’s 34th East Africa Model United Nations. Last month I was lucky enough to be a staff member accompanying a group of students from Isamilo…
