'Walk on By' is my latest photography story. It is from a series of images that I have been working on over winter.
The images are an abstract look at life passing by on the streets of London. The subjects are carrying home their shopping, hurrying by, sheltering from the wind and rain, etc. the reason for making them abstract is partly because I love they way they look, the colours, and the distortion of shapes, but also I like the way the viewer can read something of their own into the pictures.
Here are just 3 of the images from a story of twelve. I am looking to get the whole...
Sound check over I catch up with Carter, singer from Sommerset's finest, Waves of Fury. It's been about a year since we last met, and I'm here to get some shots of the band's new line up. We're at the Shacklewell Arms in Dalston where they are playing a gig to promote their superb new album 'Thirst'. We gather the none too enthusiastic band members together and head into the cold damp back yard to shoot. Awaiting us in the yard is the obligatory 'pimp my sofa' seating which seems to appear wherever Carter and I meet, so...
After a relaxing sit down I manage to motivate the band to stand...
Every now and then I do a job that I wish I hadn't. This was one of those jobs.
I locked my bike to the railing outside the cafe and and crossed over onto Haggerston Rd. It was a beautifully warm sunny May day. I was looking for the Meadham Kirchhoff studio. As I scanned the row of assorted warehouse doors and grilles a painfully trendy, and highly colourful young man walked out of his studio towards me. This had to be one of my subjects! I asked him if he was part of the Meadham Kirchhoff team. He very dismissively acknowledged that he was, grudgingly let me in, and told me to go upstairs...
It's a bank holiday so inevitably it is pouring with rain in London. I arrange to meet Michael in a local Kentish Town pub, as it will almost certainly turn into a deluge if I arrange an outdoor location. He turns up a little late and makes his apologies. He is quiet, unassuming, and happy to let me decide where we start the shoot. I have already set up a shot under a covered section of the garden. The rain has now slowed down, although there are a few drips still coming through holes in the awning.
I like this shot, but want to give 'Paper' (the magazine I'm shooting for) a choice of images...
L.A. Salami
Well is wasn't exactly L.A. more like Kennington. In fact this was Kennington. My assistant and I were standing, lost, unable to find number 39, in one of those odd half Victorian, half modern 70's council estate squares in south east London. We were waiting for Kunle (aka L.A. Salami) to come and find us. He didn't seem to be making an appearance so we continued our hunt. We were just about to knock on the wrong number 39 when my assistant spotted Kunle on an ariel walkway. We wandered up the stairs and into his flat which was almost devoid of furniture due to an imminent move....
Individualism styling Levi's Dockers at Boxpark Shoreditch
I spent a fun filled Saturday (24th March) afternoon shooting Nigel and Aaron from Individualism who were giving styling tips to customers.
Nigel and Aaron as they arrive for a day of styling with Dockers
Customer styled in Dockers has his photo taken for the Dockers Facebook page
Passer by shopping in Shoreditch takes a break from the half pipe
Nigel and Aaron tweek add the finishing touches to a customers Dockers outfit
Hanging out with mates outside the Boxpark store
Passing cycle courier on 'fixie'...
Charli XCX
I push open the hotel room door in anticipation. I walk down the narrow corridor into the bedroom. I am greeted by, a girl in her dressing gown and three 'ladies in waiting'. I am on the first floor of the Phillipe Stark designed St Martin's Lane Hotel in central London. Todays shoot is for New York's Paper Magazine and I'm shooting the latest club sensation Charli XCX. She is being made up by Yuka, the make-up artist, and is wearing a toweling dressing gown. The other two are Beth, the stylist, and her assistant Dee.
Beth has a rack of clothes the length of the San Andreas fault....
Maia
I am reliably informed by their manager that Tom, Joe, Simon, and Will aka Maia, sci-fi folk band, have decided on a hat theme for their upcoming shoot. Unfortunately, when they arrive they don't seem to be aware of their decision?! This means all my mad hat ideas get drop kicked into touch, and leaves me with a problem. I need to rustle up some new ideas fast, especially as the band turned up an hour late and need to leave early for a sound check! (Between my girlfriend, and all the bands I shoot I am seriously wondering why I bothered to put my clock back this winter. Everybody else seems...
The Devices
Val's transit pulls up outside my flat, just as I look out of the window. She leaps out of the van and rings the doorbell, but it's somebody else's, and it's in another block! She obviously has the knack of using devices, just not the right ones...
Once we have located each other I put my equipment in the back of her van, and then we head off to the location, to shoot The Devices. The location is a stylish warehouse conversion with lofty ceilings, and minimal furniture. The general idea for the shoot is cleaning (with devices). We get out the vacuum cleaners and start shooting.
Once...