Vantage Points

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Vantage Points

Postby potatojunkie » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:17 pm

It'd be nice if there were a handy list of elevated, publicly accessible spots in Glasgow which allow photography. So, let's make one.

Q-Park, Maxwell Street
Just behind the St. Enoch Centre, which blocks off your view to the north unless you're particularly excited about the St. Enoch Centre. To the east it's mostly car park. South, though, gets you up close and personal with the roof of St. Andrew's Cathedral, and it's also a great place to swatch the suspension bridge over the Clyde. The view to the west is amazingly cluttered, and takes in any number of bridges and buildings.

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It's seven stories tall, I think. There is a lift.

Candleriggs Car Park
This one doesn't offer much but a view of the surrounding rooftops, but those rooftops are charming in their own way, many of them sprouting greenery. The north view is entirely blocked by a taller building, but you can see down into the alleyway where kitchen staff pop out for their fag breaks. To the west (if you're willing to climb the wall into a nook covered by a grating) you can get a good look at the boarded-up building opposite.

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Again, seven or eight stories, and with a lift.

Oswald Street Car Park
The one you can access from Central Station. The view to the north and east is blocked by the roof of the station itself (it's incredibly tempting to climb on, they've made it really easy), but to the south you can see a fair way down into Tradeston, and to the west you can examine the Clyde Port Authority building's dome in profile.

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Eleven floors, because they count each one seperately instead of using the a/b system. There's a lift, but I wouldn't trust it. You can get a little extra height by climbing the building which houses the lift mechanism, but it's not terribly worthwhile.

Buchanan Galleries Car Park
Adjacent to the, uh, Buchanan Galleries. Good, open views to the north and south, netting you Caley and the City Chambers, respectively. The easterly view is dominated by ugly tower blocks, and to the west you can see the miles of air-conditioning conduits that make shopping centres go. The walls are about seven feet high, mind, which is a bit of a pain.

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Ten-ish floors, good lifts.

Cineworld, Renfrew Street
The viewing gallery on the top floor might've been designed to keep you a few feet away from the windows, which are slightly tinted, but you can make do. The view to the north and north-east is okay, but this one's mainly good for people watching. Or bus-watching, if that's your thing—you get a great view into Buchanan St. Bus Station.

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Five floors (?), good lifts.

Tower, George Gilbert Scott Building, Glasgow University
Free daily tours (weather permitting), which start at 2pm and need to be booked a couple of hours in advance. Splendid views in all directions. Especially good from up here are Park Circus, Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, and Kelvingrove Park in general. If the weather's really good you can even ascend the spire.

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There is no lift. There are several hundred well-worn sandstone steps running in a tight spiral. In the dark.
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Re: Vantage Points

Postby Ally Doll » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:33 pm

Great tips!

These look like toys though!!! What a weird, but great, shot. 8)

potatojunkie wrote:you get a great view into Buchanan St. Bus Station.

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Postby John » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:34 pm

Nice idea for a thread. I am a big fan of the Candleriggs car park.

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And the Q-Park

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Cheers

J
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Postby HollowHorn » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:38 pm

Carpark in the Sky, Gleniffer Braes, Paisley. Great views over to Glasgow & the west.

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Postby onyirtodd » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:47 pm

HollowHorn wrote:Carpark in the Sky, Gleniffer Braes, Paisley. Great views over to Glasgow & the west.


One of my favourite places. That and Sergeantlaw Rd :wink:
238 to 127. All in all a good afternoon's work
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Postby HollowHorn » Tue Dec 26, 2006 10:59 pm

Get ye behind me, fallen one.
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Postby onyirtodd » Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:08 am

HollowHorn wrote:Get ye behind me, fallen one.


Bugger that :!:
238 to 127. All in all a good afternoon's work
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Re: Vantage Points

Postby potatojunkie » Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:29 am

Ally Doll wrote:These look like toys though!!!

It's been potatoshopped to within an inch of its life to get that effect. They're called tilt-shift miniature fakes. I might make a wee thread on them if it hasn't been done already.
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Re: Vantage Points

Postby Smartalex » Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:09 am

potatojunkie wrote:
Ally Doll wrote:These look like toys though!!!

It's been potatoshopped to within an inch of its life to get that effect. They're called tilt-shift miniature fakes. I might make a wee thread on them if it hasn't been done already.


You got Skillz 8), I can't even get my Photoshop to work the way I want half the time. :roll:
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Re: Vantage Points

Postby potatojunkie » Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:44 am

Smartalex wrote:You got Skillz 8), I can't even get my Photoshop to work the way I want half the time. :roll:

The trick is to spend long periods of time unemployed.

Mitchell Street Car Park
To the north and south there's mostly clutter in the way. If you move right up to the edge you get a fairly uninspiring view up and down Mitchell Street. There are some okay rooftops to the west, but they're mainly obscured by crap. To the east, though, is probably the best view you'll get of the old Glasgow Herald building until such times as the car park is demolished.

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Seven floors. The lift makes a noise like a disgruntled whale, but the stairwell is really narrow and reeks of piss, so you're probably best to take your chances with the unhappy sea mammal.


Jamaica Street Car Park
There's a bloody great wall blocking off the view to the north. To the west you can see right down into Central Station and the big empty lot next to it. There's a nice polychrome brick building to the east, and to the south you get a splendid view of Glasgow's verdant roof gardens.

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There is also a terrifying owl positioned where you'll least expect it. Bastards.

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Six and a half floors, though the view to the east is better from the fifth. Nice shiny modern lifts.
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Postby HollowHorn » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:16 pm

The Lighthouse:
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Postby Socceroo » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:30 pm

That first photograph is a cracker Hollowhorn. :)
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Postby Simba » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:30 pm

Does the uni tower really do tours daily?! I never knew that. :( I know they do them in Freshers' Week but I've always been busy. I'm going to have to go up some day it's nice :? . Although there is the slight problem the last time I tried to climb up a tower I got as far as the first landing, about 20 steps. That was in Bruges 7 years ago, and haven't climbed up a tower since (I did survive the CN Tower but I think lifts are different!).
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Postby Ally Doll » Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:55 pm

Simba wrote:Although there is the slight problem the last time I tried to climb up a tower I got as far as the first landing, about 20 steps. That was in Bruges 7 years ago, and haven't climbed up a tower since (I did survive the CN Tower but I think lifts are different!).


I've been up the Bruges tower - it was nice, but a bit foggy though :( I'll see if I can hunt out the pictures...

Here y'go Simba - saved you the climb! :wink:

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It was really busy that day too - so many folk trying to get up and down a tiny spiral staircase!
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Postby Fossil » Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:05 am

HollowHorn wrote:The Lighthouse:
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Cheers HH 8)

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