Christopher Porter Photography

11/03/2026

Arch Rock, Cheddar Gorge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 2026

Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, Somerset.

Formed over 1.2 million years ago by glacial meltwater cutting through Mendip Hills limestone, the gorge is estimated to have been inhabited for over 40,000 years.

Paleolithic (‘Old Stone Age’) humans inhabiting Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge practiced ritualistic cannibalism approximately 14,700 years ago

The 10,000-year-old “Cheddar Man” (oldest complete British skeleton) was discovered in 1903 in Gough’s Cave. DNA analysis revealed he was a Mesolithic (‘Middle Stone Age’) hunter-gatherer.

19/02/2026

Ponte Nuovo. Ponte Vecchio, 2025 🇮🇹

The hustle and bustle by Ponte Vecchio on Firenze. The architecture, the local artists and the sights and sounds, as well as the Toscana food.

Built very close to the Roman crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218. The current medieval stone bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345.

During World War II the Ponte Vecchio bridge over the Arno River was the only one spared from destruction by the retreating German army.

01/02/2026

Shinjuku, 2024 🇯🇵

Japan’s taxi industry is more than just a means of transportation. It reflects the nation’s values of respect, efficiency, and quiet excellence. From their distinct designs to the vehicles used and the service offered, Japanese taxis are a subtle yet powerful symbol of cultural pride and precision.

The history of taxis in Japan dates back over a century, evolving alongside the country’s rapid modernization. Initially introduced in major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, taxis became essential for urban mobility during the early 20th century. Over time, they grew into more than just transport — they became an extension of omotenashi , the Japanese concept of hospitality rooted in silent attentiveness and care.

Unlike many countries where taxi design is regulated, Japan allows each company to choose its own visual identity. This has led to a diverse landscape of colors and styles across regions. In Osaka, black taxis dominate due to their dual use as luxury transport. Meanwhile, private owner-operated cabs often wear white bodies with blue stripes, offering a clean and recognizable presence on city streets. These choices reflect both function and branding, blending local identity with practicality.

22/01/2026

Hill of the Buddha Part 2, 2024 🇯🇵

“Our imagination is piqued by what we cannot see,” Tadao Ando

Another view..another perspective..
The Head of Buddha is a magnificent piece of architecture made by one of the legends of Japanese design, Tadao Ando. While its scale is astounding, it’s made even more so majestic in winter when the grand Buddha’s shoulders, head, and lap are heaped with meters-high piles of snow.

13.5m high Buddha looms over you with a snippet of sky above. The Hill of the Buddha is in Makomanai Takino Cemetery. With parks and walking trails set up, this 180ha cemetery is as much for celebrating life as it is for mourning death.

The peaceful, simple, and symmetrical clarity of Ando’s design forms a harmonious balance between nature and architecture. Ando’s design, with its concealed, private space echoes ancient statues such as the Bamiyan Buddhas, which traditionally had circulating space for religious worship at the feet of the stone Buddhas.

The statue beautifully represents the teachings of Buddhism which is an overall teaching of supreme optimism. It is a teaching in which there is no despair; instead there is boundless hope, opening the possibility for boundless happiness.

🙏

13/01/2026

Nomads 🇲🇦 2023

Back into the archive with an image from a previous trip to Morocco. On the horizon glimmered a camel caravan; traversing the vast, arid landscape of the Sahara.

It evokes images of ancient trade routes, desert survival and the enduring partnership between humans and camels.

Historically, camels were known to have been common as far back as the 4th century. In more recent history, nomad caravans were operated by the Berber and Sahrawi nomads and were crucial trade links for precious commodities such as salt and spices, as well as gold, between North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

Today, tourism is where the money is, trekking through the desert and camping under the stars. Where once the desert was the ultimate challenge of survival, it is now the experience of the desert, which brings people from far and wide to experience it, has itself become the precious commodity.

23/12/2025

Noleggio 17 🇮🇹 2025

Porto Di Vernazza Part Two. The first records recognizing Vernazza as a fortified town date to the 11th century. An active maritime base of the Obertenghi, a family of Italian nobility, it was a likely point of departure for naval forces in defence from pirates.

Today, boats in the port include rental boats (barca a noleggio) which are hired out by tourists seeking a look at the stunning UNESCO-listed stretch of Italy’s Ligurian Riviera.

Vernazza’s name is derived from the Latin adjective verna, meaning “native”. The aptly named indigenous wine, vernaccia (“local” or “ours”), helped give birth to the village’s name.

03/12/2025

02/12/2025

Rock Samphire 🇮🇹 2025

Rock Samphire (Crithmum maritimum) grows in the Cinque Terre region along the Ligurian coast of Italy. You can find it in rocky coastal environments within the national park, and its presence is one of the area’s diverse Mediterranean flora.

30/11/2025

San Gimignano, Toscana, Italy 🇮🇹, 2025

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23/11/2025

A local artist paints at Ponte Vecchio

28/03/2025

Thinking back to my time at Taronga in 2011 watching a Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris). They can weigh between 100 and 300 kg and can be approximately from 180 to over 300 cm in length. You never fully appreciate this until you see one with your own eyes.

“Habitat loss and conflicts with humans continue to pose a threat to the Sumatran Tiger, especially in South Sumatra, where four remaining natural habitats are shrinking because of deforestation” (ZSL Indonesia Programme)

There are estimated to be 3,900 Tigers left in the wild.

Since October 1980, 21 Sumatran Tigers have been born at Taronga Zoo Sydney, as part of an Australasian breeding programme to maintain an insurance population against extinction in the wild.