Manchester’s skyline is a thing of beauty, isn’t it?
It’s ever-changing, instantly recognisable, a brilliant mix of old and new, and a real sight to behold from some of the hill tops right across the region – especially for those with a camera intent on capturing all its beauty.
But for aspiring photographers, where exactly is the best place to see the skyline in all its glory?
Originally hailing from Rzeszow in Poland, but calling Manchester his home for many years now, Tomasz has had the chance to see and capture the city skyline from many different angles up above, so his list was as about as definitive as you could get.
ADVERTISEMENT
By creating that initial list of his seven favourite hill views in Greater Manchester, Tomasz said he was hoping to “help those who want to start in cityscape photography but don’t know where to go”, admitting that “you don’t need to be a pilot of a drone to [capture] amazing images” of the city’s skyline and “you don’t need an expensive camera or super long zoom lens” either.
Explaining why he’s chosen to put together an updated list, Tomasz said: “It felt so good when people had written or said to me that my work inspired them to get out more, or that I helped them to become better photographers.
“This is why I kept looking for new places to go and it’s what led me to find another eight Manchester skyline photo spots.”
___
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Merton Avenue Playing Fields
Oldham
This is a real unique choice.
“I spent most of last year looking for the best place to capture cityscape of Manchester,” Tomasz explained.
“I have found a few interesting locations that led me to create my top seven best hilltop spots described in my previous post [but] at that time however, I was not aware about one spot that instantly became my favourite.
“This place is not only great for capturing amazing skyline photos, but also nice for portrait shoots or even an engagement session – especially for those who enjoy playing football.”
ADVERTISEMENT
2. Scout Moor Wind Farm
Rochdale
Scout Moor is the second largest on shore green energy provider in England, it supplies electricity to 40,000 homes across Manchester – and it’s earned a well-deserved place on Tomasz’s list.
He said: “It’s a perfect place to cycle on a mountain bike, or simply to walk around to enjoy a good view of the city.”
“Most of the presented images are captured with a telephoto lens at about 200mm,” he added.
3. Heaton Park
Prestwich
ADVERTISEMENT
A place every Mancunian knows well – and it’s got a special place in Tomasz’s heart.
Tomasz said: “It was the first park where I was taken by my friend when I arrived in Manchester all those years ago [and] I immediately fell in love with this place – I even moved house to be closer to it.”
“You can get really good shots of the town from the Temple area located at the north side of the park,” he added.
4. Tandle Hill
Oldham
Tandle Hill is a real gem loved by many in Greater Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This place is not only a perfect spot for snapping the great cityscape of Manchester, but also a great to have quality time with your family at one of nearby picnic areas or a unique playground with a sand pit and long slide for kids,” Tomasz explained.
5. Snake Pass
High Peak
Not everyone’s a fan of Snake Pass, but you can’t deny the view is cracking.
“It’s a gateway road to Peak District National park some of the best areas such as Derwent Dam or Ladybower Reservoir,” explained Tomasz.
“And it’s one of most picturesque roads to drive though that offers some stunning views including this perfect sport for cityscape.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“You are going to need at least a 100mm lens to enjoy this view,” he advised.
6. The Edge
Alderley Edge
If you head just across the border into Cheshire, you’ll find a stunning view of the city.
Explaining how he came across this spot, Tomasz said: “As I was scouting for my new assignment, I found this great place at Alderley Edge with a unique perspective on Manchester skyline.
“Unlike other locations recently visited, this one offers a very clean foreground full of greenery perfectly highlighted with setting sun and Scout Moor wind farm visible in the background.”
ADVERTISEMENT
7. Greenbooth Reservoir
Rochdale
As Tomasz puts perfectly, this is an “underrated” pick.
“One of best walks you can find and very underrated with great views over the city,”
While Greenbooth Reservoir has made it onto the list, Tomasz has admitted there’s one caveat – “there are power lines obstructing the view of the city, but it is possible to climb a bit higher on the north side to get a clean shot.”
8. River Irwell and Pomona
Stretford
ADVERTISEMENT
What a stunning shot to finish on.
“If you have never walked along River Irwell from Manchester to Salford Quays, there are certainly some of the best views on the city skyline worth checking out,” Tomasz reccommends.
“Although you’re never going to get a good view of the entire city due to low altitude like you can with spots mentioned earlier, I decided to include this location nonetheless because it’s such a good walk for anyone who is visiting town or those who are not aware.”
He added: “You can get both reflections on the river, as well as for those who enjoy long exposure photography as much as I do, there are Metrolink trams constantly passing by leaving plenty of light to capture.”
___
ADVERTISEMENT
You can see more of Tomasz Kozak’s work via his photography portfolio website here, and make sure to give him a follow on Facebook and Instagram too.
Liam Gallagher says what everyone’s thinking about SNL’s Oasis sketch dubbed ‘the worst skit ever’
Danny Jones
Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher has responded to the recent SNL sketch about the band’s reunion and, like virtually everyone else on the planet, he struggled to find it funny.
Put it this way, his reaction was much more short and sweet than most people’s.
In case you missed it, the legendary US comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live (more commonly known as SNL) recently tried to hop on the bandwagon of the worldwide Oasis buzz following the announcement of their comeback.
With no exaggeration, it’s one of the biggest pieces of news not only in music but that the entertainment industry has seen in a long while so, naturally, the long-standing satirical comedy show felt like they had to comment on it. We just kind of wish they hadn’t…
There is a very good chance that this Oasis skit from SNL is the worst thing you will see today, perhaps this week and quite possibly ever. It is grim.
The Saturday Night Live Oasis sketch is bafflingly and embarrassingly bad. I implore you not to watch it, as I did, thinking people were exaggerating its awfulness. Forget the lack of any humour, what were those accents? Essex?
Let us caveat this by assuring you that there have been plenty of genuinely great SNL sketches down the decades and there’s a reason the series has been going for nearly half a century – this just sadly isn’t one of them. Brace yourselves.
Panned by both native and British viewers alike, the attempt to tap into the excitement and poke fun at the ever-amusing Gallagher brothers wasn’t just a swing and miss, it was a complete strike-out as the Yanks would say.
As just one of countless people put it on social media: “Don’t even know where to start with this. Legitimately one of the worst skits I’ve ever seen. Even worse than that Sydney Sweeney dog cheerleader one they did, and that’s saying something.” Seriously, people hate it.
Despite the fact that there’s always been a rich vein of comedy around Oasis – be it the Burnage boys’ perpetual squabbling and unwavering egos, the caricatured look plus the almost overly performative Mancunian persona of the band and their fans – they couldn’t tap into it any of it convincingly at all.
Naturally, Liam Gallagher himself obviously saw the sketch, which has now been dubbed “excruciating”, “beyond cringe” and perhaps “one of the worst ever” online, and when asked his opinion replied in typically dismissive LG fashion:
Put in the nicest way possible, the whole thing just feels like a skit written by someone who clearly isn’t much of a fan and has very little real knowledge of Oasis whatsoever, but who also fundamentally has no real grasp of any real British culture, let alone anything to do with Manchester.
Nevertheless, the Oasis reunion has seemingly brought joy to most of us here in the UK and indeed many other countries around the world including the US, as Manchester’s most famous sons have also sold out all over their North American tour dates despite never quite making it quite as big there.
You can watch all three minutes and 27 seconds of the now infamous Oasis SNL sketch down below but we will warn you now, as good as some of their skits have been over the years this one is genuinely like pulling teeth…
Featured Images — SNL (via YouTube)/Stefan Branding (via Wikimedia Commons)
Trending
WWE brings out Manc UFC champion Tom Aspinall and his belt at Co-op Live
Danny Jones
WWE Live landed at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena for the first time on Wednesday night and they had a surprise guest waiting in the wings with them too: none other than local UFC star Tom Aspinall.
It was only back in July that the Manc mixed martial artist was last at Co-op Live for UFC 304, the first sporting event held at the state-of-the-art entertainment venue, where he put in one of the most ruthless displays of the year.
Aspinall not only retained his interim heavyweight title in the highly-anticipated rematch against Curtis Blaydes but he finished off with American inside less than a minute, stunning spectators inside the arena who had stayed up waiting until 4am to watch him.
With that in mind, the global wrestling franchise decided to give the Co-op crowd another chance to see the man himself for a little bit longer.
As you can see, as a fellow fighter and champion at the top of his game, it only felt fitting that Aspinall be welcomed to the ring by the WWE‘s Cody Rhodes and the reaction was as you would expect.
Getting a much different entrance than his usual cage walk, the 31-year-old from Atherton with Salfordian roots and trained at the likes of Leigh Self Defence Studio got the home fans going and even helped do a bit of promo work in the ring with Rhodes and Austrian wrestler Gunther.
Helping set up for the impending Crown Jewel event – the inaugural new standalone face-off between their in-house Raw and SmackDown brands set to take place in Saudia Arabia – Aspinall did his best to whip up the audience.
To be honest, no disrespect to the very high-profile wrestlers who landed in 0161 this week, but we think plenty of those in the stands were more buzzing to Aspinall than anyone.
Just listen to that reaction:
Wow, Tom Aspinall showing up at a WWE show is awesome!
While we didn’t get to see the ‘Honey Badger’ get involved in any scraps on the night and his cameo didn’t go on for too long, it’s undeniably cool to see a local athlete once again basking in a much-deserved bit of the spotlight.
Moreover, the WWE is one of the biggest entertainment industries on the planet, so being given that platform is not only huge for him but for Manchester and the UFC‘s UK audience as a whole.
While Tom has been enjoying a well-earned break following his most recent victory, he did recently confirm that he is “ready to go” as a backup fighter for the upcoming Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic main event on the UFC 309 fight card.
If he were to be roped into the octagon for this one, it would finally see him come against legend Jones and give him a shot at earning the title of undisputed heavyweight champion. Now wouldn’t that be something special for the British fight scene?