Carved in Stone, Albert Square, Manchester

A close-up of the word 'Manchester' incised in stone on a monument in Albert Square, outside Manchester Town Hall. Shot at a shallow angle along the stone face, the raking light picks out the depth of the carved serif lettering and casts shadow into each letter, making the text read clearly against the rough stone texture.

The monochrome treatment reinforces the weight and age of the carving. Shallow depth of field softens the right side of the word, and the vertical join between two stone blocks runs through the centre of the frame. The high ISO grain visible across the stone surface complements the texture of the carving rather than working against it, a rare case where noise adds to the image.