A calming influence on the London tube

A serene and distinctly Parisian image calms the London Underground this week as the hauntingly beautiful “Portrait of a Portrait” from award-winning travel photographer Keith Hern is used to promote online booking company MidasHotels.com

The scene could not be more evocative of the artists’ quarter in Montmatre, as the photographer catches a moment of stillness in the bustle as a girl has her image sketched in charcoal. Strategically placed at the interchange of the Piccadilly and Northern lines at Kings Cross / St Pancras, the romanticism of the picture could easily tempt a stressed out Londoner to throw caution to the winds and get straight on that train to Paris.

The powerful affecting quality of the image is typical of Keith’s photography – whose essence is the ability to capture the essential character of a place or time. Four years into a frankly enviable midlife career swap, Keith has visited over sixty countries and built an impressive portfolio of images regularly seen in guide-books, newspapers and magazines as well as being sold into spas and hotels for interior decoration.

In June 2008 Keith picked up five awards in a US photo competition run by Creative Shake – a recognition that serves to fuel further his enthusiasm for the travel photography. Based in Thames Ditton, Surrey, Keith is always looking for new opportunities, hence the link with Midas Hotel Network. For more examples of his work, go to keithhern.com and for hotel accommodation in Paris and many other locations, go to MidasHotels.com.