Pipes in Colour

I photographed this section of wall for its unexpected interplay between infrastructure and colour. The rusted pipe, running vertically through the frame, is not remarkable in itself, yet in combination with the graffiti and stains, it becomes part of an improvised composition. The red spray paint, the rough blue marks, and the muted grey stone surface transform a functional corner of the street into an abstract tableau.

The framing was deliberate: I aligned the pipe with the vertical axis to divide the picture almost in two, while allowing the barred window to creep in at the bottom left. That small intrusion anchors the image, reminding the viewer that this is a real place, not simply a flat canvas. The graffiti, meanwhile, breaks the geometry with its irregular strokes, introducing gesture against the rigid grid of stone tiles.

Technically, the challenge was balancing tones. The wall had subtle variations in texture, with shadows and discolouration that risked either flattening or overpowering the graffiti. I exposed to hold detail in the stone without losing the saturation of the paint. The colours remain vivid but not exaggerated—the reds and blues retain their rough edges rather than appearing artificially clean. Sharpness was essential to keep the gritty surface intact, from the corrosion on the pipe to the flaking marks on the wall.

The result is a photograph that shifts between document and abstraction. It records an ordinary piece of urban fabric but, through composition and attention, lets it function as a study in line, colour, and surface.