With my dad in Soho, London. He talks a lot, and manages not to be boring. Rare, I like that. Another thing I like is that if I have my camera he doesn’t mind me taking a picture. And another. …and another. This is also rare. I photographed him in some winter sun, near the corner of Greek Street and Bateman St. The low afternoon sun was glorious, and a reflection from a window picked him out against the background.

My best of the year so far.

I regularly come back to this thought: Do I have the courage to get a T-shirt printed with “I want to take your photo” and stand in a place like that all afternoon gathering any willing people, no charge – just for fun? Not yet.

London people are often very reserved. They can treat you like you’ve popped out of a spaceship just for making eye contact. But this is a good area at this time of year for a mix of really interesting people, for light and for capture. …Maybe one day I will get that T-shirt.

 

London, Saturday 29 March

The main picture was taken with my camera, but I have also been trying out my phone. London moments don’t always wait for me to go home and get the equipment I feel I need for a good photo. I dont know if you’ll see anymore from my phone, just because I don’t like the quality. The misty mornings have been amazing, too good to miss – Anyway, Examples follow:

It’s that special sunshine time of year again.

Light Night – London 30th Nov

The Brick Box Ladies are at it again. Friends, clients, and generally shiny people, these ladies change the perception of public space to show people how it can be used effectively.

I’ve designed some posters for their latest event, see the website . I wonder which one they’ll choose?

The fonts have already been determined by the website. NASA stock image.

 

At their last event, over the summer on Friday nights they held shows, and audience participation events under the A13 flyover (road if you’re from outside the UK). These included and elvis act, rock and roll DJ’s, hula hoop lessons, dancers, performers and allsorts, completely for free and designed for all ages.

 

I took the background picture outside Victoria Station on Tuesday night. Manually focused my lens to 45cm, opened it right up (f.1.4) and adjusted the exposure to 2/3 under. Then I found some buses and city lights to capture.

 

Anyway – Now they’re doing Londons first Light Night, at the same venue – the Light Night website describes it thus:

This is a festival of light, community and energy – it’s completely free and open to all. The programme has been designed to entertain and illuminate, inspire and celebrate. New York lighting artist, Leni Schwendinger, will be leading a NightSeeing Programme, encouraging us to explore and discover the nocturnal city. Artists from Speirs & Major, and Output Arts will fill the darkest reaches of the A13 underpass with light, energy and magic. At Bow Creek Ecology Park, visitors can enjoy Milk Pixel: an interactive low & high tech hybrid of light and junk. Plus there’s the Neon Workshop switch on at the A13. There’ll also be music, food, dancing, games, workshops and more to be announced soon.

 

 

NASA stock image 2, the surface of the moon half in shadow, I love their database.

More from London

Revisiting London to look at people working and the light. I’m always amazed by how people are in their own worlds. I asked a few people about a portrait, now usually I get more ‘yeses’ than ‘nos’ but not today. I didn’t get a single yes, my solution? Take pictures of people anyway.

Sure it took me a little while to get into my groove. But I got there, now to continue developing.

Incidentally, the British Journal of Photography had pictures from the notebook of one of my favourite photographers, Tony Ray Jones, who takes pictures in the street and social situations – as he likes to explore British Culture. In it he gives himself advice on how to take better pictures, the list has a lot of advice I’ve heard elsewhere, but its collected and very good – And i agree with a lot of in regards to my shooting –  so I thought I would share:

Be More Aggressive

Get More involved “talk to people”

Stay with the subject matter (be PATIENT!)

Take simpler pictures

See if everything in the background relates to the subject matter

Vary composition and angles more

Be more aware of composition

Don’t take boring pictures

Get in Closer (use 50mm lens)

WATCH CAMERA SHAKE

Don’t shoot too much

Not all eye level

NO MIDDLE DISTANCE

Incidentally, Tony Ray Jones has a book of largely unseen American Colour work out with MACK

Tony Ray Jones 
American Colour 1962–1965

Although I think the edition will sell out quickly. Some of his work will appear in an exhibition with Martin Parr at the Science Museum, London. It’s a travelling exhibition called Only In England