Cape Point Cormorant

cape point cormorant, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

As you stand on the cliffs at Cape Point in South Africa, looking out at the pont where the atlantic ocean and the indian oceans meet, there is the most tremendous wind shooting up the cliffs. The cliffs are huge and there are large numbers of cormorants nesting on the cliffs. As they approach they adopt the most wonderful position with feet extended to try and maneouver to their precarious ledge.

There aren't many moments when you feel like David Attenborough - but this experience felt like I was observing one of nature's marvels.

The Standing Stones of Calanais

the standing stones of calanais, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

Get a load of this. These stones are older than Stone Henge - yet there are no crowds (no-one at all actually), and you can walk right up to them and touch these stones that are millions of years old and were put in place more than 5,000 years ago. Unbelievable. This place is amazing.

Rubha Huisinis

Rubha Huisinis, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

The beaches on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides are stunning with sand that looks like it has been untrodden for centuries.

It almost felt invasive to photograph it...

The Stillness of Bubbles

the stillness of bubbles, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

Five people died this weekend due to accidents related to the heavy rain and flash floods in the UK. We were in Lincolnshire this weekend and it did indeed rain and rain and rain. But in the middle of it all was a spell of sunshine... and five bubbles...

House Martins in Flight

house martins in flight, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

House Martins move very quickly, and that's part of their beauty. What a waste to try and capture them in perfectly frozen motion. That's not what a house martin is about!

The Flatiron Building

the flatiron building, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

Here's another shot from my 2001 trip to the US. This is the iconic Flatiron building - one of the first skyscrapers to be built. When it was completed in 1902, it was the tallest building in New York City at 285 feet. The tallest skyscraper today is the Burj Dubai and that stands at 2684 feet - nearly ten times the height.

This is the photograph that began it all

This is the photograph that began it all, originally uploaded by jamesburden.

I took this photo on my first trip to the US (back in 2001) and it began a love affair which is still with me today - with both photography and the US. I cannot get over the vastness of scenery that you experience in the US. This moment was particularly special. Having severely overestimated the number of gas stations that there are on highway 1, I was running on fumes. I finally found a place to fill up, a place to stay for the night and this scene was waiting for me!

This is a seminal photograph for me. I had taken no photographs of note before this one. I had borrowed an old film SLR at the last minute to take on my trip. Making this photo out of this scene affected me deeply and got me hooked on both photography and trips of solitude.