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Inspired by the nights that are drawing in I did this shoot looking out from the Godlee Observatory which is located up on the roof of the University of Manchester’s Sackville Street Building. The dome – which is partly made out of papier-mâché, houses two telescopes – was gifted by the cotton magnate and philanthropist Francis Godlee in 1903.
As well as charting the moon and stars, the view of the city from the astronomical observatory has changed largely beyond recognition. For the last century it survived the city’s tempestuous weather and the Blitz, which saw lots of Manchester obliterated. For this night shoot I wanted to capture the skyline of Manchester with its ever-growing attendant towers as the light fades from the day.
Night shoots create a very bold version of the city. Modern cities have so many light sources everywhere they are beautifully defined by them. I do a lot work with colours bringing in the blues and greens and reds on top of the glow of the city to make it a very atmospheric image.
Here’s another shot I took at the same time for the BBC Philharmonic, which shows what this historic hidden gem looks like from the inside.
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