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Out for lunch
That mission accomplished, we drove on to central Milton Keynes shopping centre. In the middle of this vast covered mall is one of the eating zones, identified by a simple but effective 3D graphic hanging from the high ceiling.
Photography within a restaurant has to be discrete, inoffensive and should not invade any other diner’s privacy, which is why photographing the ceiling is always a good choice. And the ceiling was worth an image.
By chance we had been parked directly under a central stream of coloured lights that extended the whole length of the restaurant. Spoilt for images I took several. Note the fluff and dust that has accumulated on the wiring in the second image.
We enjoyed our meal and we will return. But, memo to self: do not sit under lights next time. The meal concluded, it was time to make use of the ‘facilities’. The signage pointed the way upstairs. Up there, someone had been busy and creative with a paintbrush.
Up there too we found another seating area, behind a glass partition. Deserted, shut down for winter, and muted in colour, it too attracted my eye.
If I was asked to sum up MK in two words I would choose Glass and Reflectivity. Glass is everywhere in MK, in the walls, the ceilings and partitions. A five-minute walk through the malls back to the car, saw me collect a quintessential image of the shopping mall,
a view up to a skylight with overlaid glass partitioning
and a glass brick panel to the side of the door out to the parking lot.
Finally at the appointed time I arrived at the far end of the centre outside the John Lewis department store to chauffeur my wife home. And instantly my eye alighted on the reflective glass exterior and I saw the ‘odd-pane-out’. Why this oddity has occurred I know not. Not for my benefit, but I will certainly take advantage of its presence.
This entry was posted in Out for Lunch and tagged Ceiling Lights, Glass Brick, Glass fronted buildings, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, Nando's, signage. Bookmark the permalink.
It sounds like you have a wonderful wife. I know a few who have very little patience for cameras… and aside from that… and aside from the beautiful images, the restaurant sounds very different. In fact, not at all like any restaurant I have ever visited. Unfortunately for me, it’s too far away for me to take a look, see. But I my curiosity has been aroused. Once again, a very enjoyable blog post.
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Thank you Shimon. My wife tells me I must appreciate her better in view of your comment! She is very patient and very tolerant, and I am very lucky! Nandos originated in South Africa based on Portugese/Mozambiquan cooking, specializing in flame grilled chickne marinaded in a spicy peri-peri sauce. There are now 1,000 outlets spread around the world.
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These images have some excellent patterns Andy. Never heard of Nando. I am guessing they aren’t in the US.
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Thanks Len. Nandos is in the USA but only three areas so far: Washington, Virginia and Maryland. It has a total of 1,000 outlets world wide.
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Very interesting writeup, Andy. It gives me ideas of how to look at things anew.
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Thanks Rob. Milton Keynes is a very photogenic environment for me – modern architecture and reflective glass are two things that continue to fascinate me.
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Ever inspiring, Andy…thank you for the challenge to keep looking in the unlikely places.
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Thanks Scott. One of the pleasures of blogging is the way we can all inspire each other through what we post.
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You’re most welcome, Andy….and you’re right, too, the reciprocal relationships here are very much part of the pleasure of blogging.
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Very nice series here, Andy. I like the shot of the red lines, and the one below it, where those same lines are reflected in the glass.
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Thanks Melinda. I too like both those shots. There is a softness to the view of the upstairs eating area that I particularly like, and the reflections of the red lines was a real bonus.
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That odd window really makes this much more interesting. You have a knack for finding the graphic qualities in a scene and I like those images.
Sorry to say I never heard of Nando’s but I really am not in touch with the latest trends? Who’s Rihanna?
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Thanks Ken. I get a kick out of finding graphic images among modern architecture and that ‘odd’ window was a classic example of that. Rihanna is a pop star – not my scene either! I’m more into Jazz – Pat Metheny for example
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What a wonderful post and great photos, Andy. Nice of you to share this adventure with us. I really dig that skylight shot. All are very nice but there is something about that one in particular.
I will have to look up Nando’s since they are in my area. Hadn’t heard of them before.
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Thanks Jimi. Nando’s is in only a few areas in the USA – but considering it’s global reach I am sure the outlets will spread before long.
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Inspiring! The red and white one is my favorite! I so wish I had a partner in our pursuit!
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Thanks for commenting. It was a real surprise going up to the second level and finding those images.
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That is the best thing about our Habit : )
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All great shot Andy, some made me a bit dizzy, or that could be to much coffee.
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What a nice outing to accompany you on! Looks like a very nice time. The graphic parts of the environment you have chosen here favour flattish lighting and overcast days – really a great subject for winter. My favourites in this series are the first one in the elevator, and the odd-pane window at the end.
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It’s really fun to follow your thought pattern on this excursion, not the least how you think in terms of photography. It basically confirms that anything at any time is potentially a photo to be “consumed”. Thanks for taking us along. My favourite picture is the first one, an abstractions that leaves much open for my own thoughts.
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Good to hear your thoughts as always, Ottto. You are right in your observation that anything can be a photo – I never know what, where, or when I will see the next image. That is what makes photography so much fun for me. It’s interesting how the comments have picked out different images for specific comment. I’ve travelled in that lift many times when I’ve felt lazy but it has never occurred to me previously that there was an image in the ceiling and the light scattered over the upper part of the doors.
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The glass blocks interest me as architectural elements. They were used extensively in the US during the seventies. I find that they did not fall out of favor with designers. I there is something about the glass blocks that still appeals. The light and reflective qualities along with the screening function is difficult to match with anything else. I like that image very much. And I really like the red graphic image. What an interesting walk through a modern building!
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Thanks George. Yes, glass blocks are attractive for the way they distort and refract the light. I agree, in the UK they were also associated with a certain style of housing for tenants, but I have seen a number of modern buildings that have employed these as building blocks and they certainly add interest.
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