The Spice of Life - Soho by brewgirlca
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
No, you will not find this pub in Istanbul! Just a diversion back to London while I practice working in RAW and Perfect Effects for some night shots. I am happy with the way it turned out given that it was shot at iso 1000.
I was walking through central London on a warm September evening trying to capture some of the street life of the infamous Soho district when I came across this beautifully lit up tavern. After capturing a few shots, I became terribly interested in the idea of having a few pints of McMullens real ale. I had flown in from Istanbul that afternoon and I was craving ales after two weeks of nothing but Effes Pils in Turkey!
I entered a warm and chatty environment, one that fairly reeked of old wood and fresh beer. It was delightful and I gave myself the pleasure of indulging in some bitters and a half pint of strong ale. Delicious!
I did manage to capture this shot as I left, though I had to do some serious cropping as the original turned out to be shot at some wicked angle for some reason!
This lovely pub deep in Soho is The Spice of Life. It has been on this site in its present form since 1898, though there has been a pub here since the 1750s. It has a famous rock and roll history ranging from Bob Dylan to the Sex Pistols though now it's a more sedate jazz bar. It was taken over by McMullens in 1986 and serves some delightful cask ales. With a good selection of spirts the pub is well named from the lines of William Cowper - "variety's the very spice of life"
Cheers!

Comments (36)
this place is full of positive vibes.
Excellent! There's nothing like a "Steak and Kidney pie" and a pint of ale!:)
Now here is a zinger of an image! WOW! This is intense and, indeed, lively! Oooh, and bitters and ale...ah! Bitters and anything would do for me, and this puts me firmly on a trip down memory lane, though I've never been to London (yet!) but I did experience life in Prague as a resident, almost-native-sorta-kinda, and I always stopped into my favorite pub for beer and on occasion, Czech bitters (which taste as if Christmas just exploded in your mouth. Ah...good stuff!) I love the colors and the whole vibe of this shot, and it's quite perfectly done. I'm curious about what's behind those windows on the upper floors? What cool stories might this image inspire? WOW!
Fine night shot - like that yellow glow a lot. Last time I was in London was over 40 years ago, would love to make it back over there some time...
Magnificent shot Roxy,But you right,unfortunately you can't find a real British pub like this in Istanbul,we have some places but they are just imitative places!:-)))
Brilliant!!
What an awesome pub. MMMMM BEER! If you are interested in correcting perspective, have you ever tried a tilt-shift lens? I use one for architectural shots like this. They work wonders.
Soho, the world in a few square miles, lots of memories here, of music in Wardour street, the Flamingo, seeing Georgie Fame, Zoot money and the Big Roll band, the Cockney Pride Tavern just up the road, where i have seen Paul McCartney tinkling the ivories in a bit of spare time between Beatles recording sessions.Terrific shot.
Beer and bitters? Don't know if you can even get that here in US. Europe has such great history and wonderful buildings that are still in operation
great pic
Very creative.
What an amazing little tavern Roxy, so glad you shared this cool capture with us. Also huge congratulations on 400 images in the gallery.
Superb capture!
most enjoyable capture dear Roxy.
Awesome capture, beautiful results and light
This is one great shot Roxy... the lighting adds a "larger than life" effect. Although, in truth it's history and age already make it a icon. Beautiful image my friend.
Wonderful capture and great story come to think of it, did you meet the Werewolf of London, walking around with a Chinese menu in his hand?
Cool building and shot!!!!!
WOW!!! This turned out EXCEPTIONALLY well!! Excellent capture and postwork!
Great night shot! It looks like a warm and inviting place!
What a great image of this place Roxy! Sounds and looks like a good place to have stumbled upon to slake your thirst and soak up some Soho atmosphere. The colors in this are fantastic!
I can't imagine why this would've been shot at a strange angle.....wink I really love night shots, Roxy.... And this one's a gem! A lovely shot, my friend!
Excellent result!
Wonderful photo and lighting effects!!!
I like this age of the buildings, the took their time and crafting the bulding to stand the test of time.
Love it. I have always been curious about Soho. So many wonderful musicians have mentioned it.
*** W O W ***...a wonderful night shot with beautiful lights before this pub. Classic Old English architectural style. I like your description. You enjoy with all your senses. Eye, ear, nose and taste. I can feel this atmosphere and I taste the beer on my tongue. You have a wonderful pictorial language. I feel as I sit myself in this pub. I like being in London and Soho. Cheers Roxy!!!
This is a beautiful building and capture my friend
Fantastic image! Love the "vibe" and vibrancy :O-)
Great shot of this beautiful building and place, Roxy!! :o)