Instead of moaning about how difficult it all is I thought I’d do a bit of glass full talk. My last couple of jobs have been a joy and reminded me why I’m in this photography freelance game in the first place.
I was asked to take a series of photos on and around a housing estate in North London to illustrate a book. It was a combination of architecture shots,interiors, details and people both portrait and documentary. The sun helped as it can do in summer and shone it magic for two days. It was very early starts and late finishes but the results totally rewarded the old fashioned approach of just waiting for the right light.
The people shots followed the usual arc of initial suspicion. Who are you? What are they for ect quickly followed by warm embrace of the idea and willing participation. I always think being a photographer can be a bit like being a doctor or psychiatrist. At first people are reticent and cool about engaging but very quickly warm up and start co-operating and engaging in the most intimate of ways. With hardly any pre-production it was great to work on my wits and adapt to spontaneous situations as they happened. The estate was a mix of council and private ownership of buildings that were built at a time when cost was not king. The result is a relaxed and happy estate with mix of people the UN would be proud of. More of this project closer to publication date . The sun is shinning got to go and shoot some joy, back to a good grumble very soon