Seeing With New Eyes ...

A different camera, an altered frame of mind, a short time-frame ... perhaps all of these things combine and allow me to see the city with new eyes. 

There is more curiousity in my gaze.  And more work involved in capturing the shots that I want. 

Then there's the naked, almost black, winter limbs on the trees and they have been challenging me too.  I have wanted to capture the familiar things I see beyond them.  They partially obscure, offering up a new way of seeing this castle, that clock ... and that is intriguing me too.

Street Scenes, Antwerpen.

I didn't sherpa my camera gear with me to Belgium this time.  There were Christmas gifts to bring and small things of mine I want to take back to England.  And I was trying to be realistic about my ability to carry everything back through London's Underground, most particularly when I hit all those stairs over at Green Park.

All that to write that I'm using an old DSLR while wandering here.  A small Canon EOS 400D.  It was packed in all my 'stuff' stored here, waiting for me.  And it's been fun.  I've had to work a bit harder to capture some scenes but the camera itself is so very much lighter than my Canon 5D MkII.  I simply slip it into my handbag and I'm off.

I spotted the following scene from the tram you see in the middle, above.  I hopped off and walked back to the side street, where the light was shining, just so ...

The Story of 3 Birds That Rescued Themselves ...

My favourite cafe was closed the other day and I ended up at a nearby restaurant, hoping the espresso would be drinkable, knowing I didn't want to wander too much further in my search for good coffee.

Sitting there I noticed a rooster totally owning the small garden beyond the hedge in the grounds of the restaurant.  It amused me.  This was centre-city Antwerp.

A few minutes later I watched him visit with the pigeon you see in the series of photographs.  And honestly, they seemed to be greeting each other. 

I asked Vitaliy, the waiter, about them when he returned with a second, spresso and he told me the loveliest story.

The restaurant is called De Markt and the Bird Market is held weekly in the square nearby. Christoph the Rooster arrived first, after escaping the market, and set up home in the garden.  They named him after the manager I was told.

Then Micheal the Pigeon arrived and he stayed too.  He's named after the restaurant's Italian chef.  Vitaliy told me, smiling a little, that Christoph the Rooster often 'shouts at' Micheal the Pigeon ...

And finally, I think that third bird is a Crow.  He's quite motley but he moved in too and I love that.  How did those birds know they could set up home in the garden of a restaurant in the city of Antwerp.

And they've stayed

I loved the story.  I'll go back soon, I'll take Miss 11 with me.  She's visiting this week.  We have plans.

A Taste of Photography Workshopping with Me ...

Discovering Antwerp through Photography and Video - www.CameraJourneys.net Video: Hanna Kuikka - www.HannaKuikka.com Photographer: Di Mackey - www.DiMackey.com Featuring: Farines Food - www.farinesfood.com noë by YOUR - www.your-antwerp.com 't Koetshuis - www.antiek-koetshuis.be Rewind kids - www.rewindkids.be Via Via Reiscafé - www.viavia-antwerpen.be Music: Hibai Deiedra - The Voyage of Ronnie Drew

Made 2 years ago, this short video gives you a sense of how it is on one of my photography workshops for women ... here in Antwerp, Belgium.

I am happy to try and fit in with your travel plans in both Belgium and Italy.

Contact me to know more.