Grain Tower is a mid-19th-century gun tower situated offshore just east of Grain, Kent, standing in the mouth of the River Medway. It was built along the same lines as the Martello towers that were constructed along the British and Irish coastlines in the early 19th century and is the last-built example of a gun tower of this type. It owed its existence to the need to protect the important dockyards at Sheerness and Chatham from a perceived French naval threat during a period of tension in the 1850s. Rapid improvements to artillery technology in the mid-19th century meant that the tower was effectively obsolete as soon as it had been completed. A proposal to turn it into a casemated fort was dropped for being too expensive. By the end of the 19th century the tower had gained a new significance as a defence against raids by fast torpedo boats. It was used in both the First and Second World Wars, when its fabric was substantially altered to support new quick-firing guns.

This image was inspired by a painting by Bolivian acuarelista Ricardo Pérez Alcalá

This is 1 of 2 collections of pictures illustrating the Kent countryside: a walk from Elham to Lyminge.

While on holiday... Inspired by Matt Mawson's surreal visual expression. ( @mattmawson )

On dead-heading some flowers on my balcony, it occurred to me that these wilted lilies might just be a good subject for a still life composition.

The one that got away... as this is part of the monochrome diptychs on Greenwich Park

Some monochrome structures...

For the whole of January Luminair Arts will be committing 80% of two floors of the Gallery to an 'Affordable Art Exhibition' I am presenting 6 photographs: a self portrait, one digital art and 4 still life. If you are visiting Tate Britain or are in the Pimlico/Victoria area, do pop in and visit Luminaire. The Gallery address is 7 Denbigh Street Pimlico, SW1V 2HF

Caught by the colour and the moths...

Once again, no large cameras and only the iPhone. Sometimes one is not in a photographic mind space and one no longer has 'a vision'...