South East London in the sun

New Cross, Deptford, Deptford, New Cross.

FIFTY FACES #10

Slowly but surely we've made it one fifth of the way through the FIFTY FACES project. Please be upstanding for FIFTY FACES #10, the delightful Greg. Greg is unusual in that I had literally not met him once before turning up in Soho Square last Friday to poke a camera in his face; but a more pleasant and willing subject you could not wish to find. We discussed the Royal Wedding and Texas living while I dragged him in front of various trendy ad hoardings to make interesting backdrops. Thanks Greg!

FIFTY FACES #9

Please welcome Anna, FIFTY FACES #9. She's a PhD student, a director, producer and performer (I am meeting some serious underachievers through this project...) You can find out more information on her current projects through her website.

Anna and I spent a deliciously warm and sunny forty minutes taking pictures together in the calming environs of the Geffrye Museum on Kingsland Road. This is one of my top recommendations for things to see and do in London; the museum has a herb and period gardens which are just coming into full bloom.

Spring's only gone and bloody sprung

Just working on my FIFTY FACES images of Anna and Christian, hopefully to appear tomorrow, when I found these three which I shot while waiting to meet the models. I know, I know, pictures of flowers to represent spring, all a bit cheesy, blah blah blah (also hastily edited and posted!) But how can something this pretty fail to uplift you a little bit?

I'll leave you with this poem from Robert Browning, in memory of my grandmother, who loved an English spring.

Home Thoughts from Abroad

I OH, to be in England now that April ’s there And whoever wakes in England sees, some morning, unaware, That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough          In England—now! II And after April, when Mary follows And the white-throat builds, and all the swallows! Hark, where my blossom’d pear-tree in the hedge Leans to the field and scatters on the clover          Blossoms and dewdrops—at the bent spray’s edge— That ’s the wise thrush: he sings each song twice over Lest you should think he never could re-capture The first fine careless rapture! And, though the fields look rough with hoary dew,          All will be gay when noontide wakes anew The buttercups, the little children’s dower, Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower!

FIFTY FACES #8

Now, I can't tell you much about FIFTY FACES #8 because I met him for about 30 seconds, I took one image of him and then he departed from my life forever. Once FIFTY FACES #7 Udall and I had finished our shots outside I was taking a couple in the foyer of the BFI Southbank when our friend below shambled in three sheets to the wind, and tried to make some new chums. When he saw I had a camera he asked if I would take his picture. I positioned him where I wanted him; he suddenly gained some grace, struck this pose, and I got one shot. When I showed him the screen he said 'Is that me?', laughed, kissed my head, told me I was beautiful, shook Udall's hand, and left. A small weird window in an otherwise normal day, but I can't help but love the shot a little more because of it. 

FIFTY FACES #7

Today's brave volunteer is Udall Evans. Udall and I were briefly colleagues last year when I worked on the BFI London Film Festival (I didn't really see daylight for two months, but I did touch James Franco's elbow, so you win you lose). If you're at the BFI, look for out for him and say hi - he's a super friendly and charming chap, and a very natty dresser to boot. Udall is a photographer himself - check out these images on Flickr - and on top of all this became a second-time dad just a few weeks ago! It makes me tired just thinking about all that. Thanks for being FIFTY FACES #7, Udall.

Oh, also, it's pretty obvious that I haven't made the full FIFTY FACES in March...I have up to #11 sorted but that still leaves 39 to go so email me or find me on Twitter if you want to get involved.

FIFTY FACES #5 and #6

Please welcome my delightful pals Annie and Ben. Two more charming and welcoming hosts you could not wish to meet - their beautiful little Camberwell flat is always full of delicious food and lots of laughs. This visit they taught me about the charms of Lidl cold meats and of Modern Gelatine Cookery.

Oh, and thanks to all of you who voted for FIFTY FACES #4 - looks like a unanimous vote for the traffic lights shot! I've been doing quite a lot of close-up shots so I'll be trying out some longer views like the winner.

March Against the Cuts 26th March

I have mixed opinions about the politics behind Saturday's protests, and I don't want to go into them too much here. If you're interested in talking with me about it, please post your contacts in the comments section and I'll be happy to outline my views. Anyway, as a result of wanting to be there, to add my presence to the protest, but not really sure whether I wanted to be part of the massed protest without more thought and research, I went along with my camera as an observer. Starting at Hyde Park, I walked back along the march route to Piccadilly Circus before branching off to carry on with my day. Below are a few shots I took of the action.

I loved these two, quietly eating their sandwiches at the end rallying point. It was quite moving to see the range of people who were out and marching to express their feelings.

There were a lot of beautiful old trade union banners in evidence - and a lot of people who clearly had a long history of involvement with protest movements!

I always get riled in Mayfair, with its ostentatious displays of wealth, but never more so than when the barricades are being locked down and designer-clad shop assistants are peering out in distaste. 

Kneehigh Theatre's Red Shoes at BAC

As a theatre photographer, working with Battersea Arts Centre is an exciting prospect. They're always making such intriguing work and using the sprawl and odd corners of the building in interesting ways. At the weekend I was there shooting the audience milling around in anticipation of Kneehigh Theatre's The Red Shoes. The show has been running on and off for ten years and this is its very last UK showing. 

Kooky

Musical

Elegant

Inquisitive

Ambulatory 

Melancholy

I'm back there next week capturing some of the elements of the ONE-ON-ONE Festival, so keep your eyes peeled for more. 

Votes needed for FIFTY FACES #4

I was incapable of deciding which of these images should be FIFTY FACES #4, the beautiful and talented Vera Chok. Cast a vote in the comments section and the people's choice will go into the final edit.

Vera is an actor and the artistic director of saltpeter. In the background is a TfL Art on the Underground poster of Dryden Goodwin's drawings of Jubilee line staff. I love his work - do you think I can get away with claiming those as twenty more of the FIFTY FACES?

FIFTY FACES #3

Lovely Siobhan, sitting on the bus, is my FIFTY FACES model #3. Have you ever seen such peachy skin? No retouching from me... 

FIFTY FACES #1 and #2

Fifty Faces is a simple project I set myself - to photograph fifty faces during the month of March. No particular reason, except that I know a lot of beautiful and interesting looking people, and that I like alliteration. However, I forgot I would be working full-time for the first couple of weeks so I need YOUR help to complete this by month's end! Email me if you or someone you know would like to be involved.


OK, so he's popped up a lot on the blog lately, sorry about that. But he indulges me pointing a camera at him and takes direction well so here's Fifty Faces' Face #1, Rupert Cross.

And here is Fifty Faces' Face #2, the delightful Leuca the whippet. (She takes direction well too).

Well, I never said they had to be human faces, did I? Leuca belongs to Fevered Sleep artistic director David Harradine and is a lovely addition to our office from time to time. 

Samantha's Seductive Supper Club Part II

Chris Coxen's WAR DOLL was the star of the show for me...

Pianist and composer Rupert Cross.

Co-producer and organiser extraordinaire Vera Chok.

Samantha's Supper Club is a Saltpeter co-production.

Samantha's Seductive Supper Club Part I

Super-talented pianist Rupert Cross tinkled our ivories...

A selection of shots from Sunday night's Supper Club, hosted by the charming Samantha Mann at Bethnal Green Working Men's Club. Is it any wonder that Lynch-themed cabaret The Double R Club also continues to flourish in such a bleak-shabby-chic setting? Have a look on my website and see if you can spot some shots of Double R founders Rose Thorne and Benjamin Louche....


Samantha's Supper Club is a Saltpeter co-production.

Incredibly small and impossibly cute

The world of miniature things has caught my eye the last few weeks. Maybe it's because I loved The Borrowers, or seeing the work of Slinkachu at the Old Vic Tunnels, or maybe because I like the lurch and weirdness of scale of seeing the world tilted from its normal perspective. 

St Valentine

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) - e.e. cummings

Lisa

Flatmate, landlady, pal, actor, crafter, blogger, singer. Bitch. I hate multi-talented people. Check out her blog Hawk and Fallow, and The [soon-to-be-renamed] Stepney Sundays' page.

Redux reduxed: Villains

Following on from last week's opening night post, here's another! The good fellows of Villains the Show - Joe Black and Mr Pustra - will be performing tonight and tomorrow night at Teatro Palladium, in lovely Roma. It's at Piazza Bartolomeo Romano for anyone lucky enough to be in that neck of the woods. Posted below are my three favourite shots from our so-snowy-it-nearly-didn't-happen shoot in December, and again I've posted the resulting publicity image. Buona fortuna, ragazzi!