Go create, go make your art, your way.

The Story of an image.

One man, one vision, one ideology, my way, the way I like it, I am not here to impress but I am here, I hope to inspire, so go create. 

We live in a world of limited attention span, the social media world, where no one cares to read, so a picture no longer paints a thousand words…. it paints a million.

A fleeting glance, an interpretation, sometimes right, sometimes wrong – the danger of modern media mainstream perhaps.

On social it gets a fleeting glance, this blog post will be posted on social, will many read it, that I doubt, do I care, no!

Why, because if you are reading it, then bravo, you are here, on my journey, I hope you get something from it, if not then I have wasted 5 minutes of your time.

But if I have given you just one idea, one vision, then rejoice, just 5 mins that you can turn into an afternoon walk, a photoshoot, a memory or moment, to capture a stolen time capsule that you can freeze for all time on your sensor, your celluloid film or your digital card.

Life is short, we must all live the dream, we must not get dejected and despondent – I’ve had the week from hell, shit happens, car trouble, camera trouble, gees we have even had crockery trouble, ha ha, but we’ll overcome, just like we always do - what do they say SSDD har har – Nooooo, every day has an adventure, as my buddy of 20 years in New Mexico always tells me, (see he inspired me, and factually continues to do so, 20 years later) - this one was sour, that’s all, rough with the smooth, we soldier on – we are fortunate, we are brave, we normally enjoy an auspicious day, we lucked out, that’s all.

So we move on to our story, a story of failure, we all have them, but we conquer them, vanquish them and move on because life is fickle and we must focus on the fortunate moment, we are blessed to have warm homes, food in our bellies – such hardships are endured by many, but few of us – we know nothing of hardship like so many of our kin from other lands – feel blessed, feel thankful – it’s why they come.

Photography is in my blood, I cannot escape it, and since I have pretty much given up on nearly all my professional engagements, I am enjoying my journey for moi, not for anyone else.

Yes, I still have a few clients and do some Weddings and I love them all dearly for entrusting me to freeze their moments, capture the function and preserve it for all time.

BUT…

Sarah and I love what we do, we love the emotion, the journey for them, for us – and it is our life too.

So here is the image, look above to refresh your mind, it is a guy, he is on the commute out of town, pondering his day, his moment, his journey, we will never know!

He walks out onto the platform, I am waiting to strike, the shot was set up and I prayed for one, not two or five, just one – he came. 

The guy is my victim, he knows nothing of this moment in his life I shall freeze.

We are at Waterloo, on the Piccadilly line, south of the River as Dire Straits once sang, ‘you stop and hold everything’.

So, this gentleman walks out onto the platform, I am poised, my 810 and 35 prime at the ready, I have pre-focused and pre-metered, and I get the shot – 3 seconds later he is joined by another, I get that shot too, its ok, but it does not work, not one bit – this I the first. 

So, investigate the image, do you think he takes his life for granted, he ponders, looks I deep thought, a thousand things going through that mind. Does he need a new bank account, or does he wish to consider the exhibition ‘Another Kind of Life’ at the Barbican, do you think he will get off at Elephant and Castle, of course, we will never know – the risk to us all, another reason we love London, right.

He is heading ‘way down south of the river, way on down south, way on down south London Town’ as Knopfler wrote in 1977 – you can hear the 61 Stratocaster solo right there now – cool, you are with me here right – is not life bloody grand.

We shall never know his name, or where he was heading but the picture paints so many words – they say a good image needs no explanation, so this might be a poor one, but I can but share with you my thought’s once more – my journey continues and this is rapidly becoming my journal, of sorts.

So, shoot for you, make YOUR ART and forget the pundits – it really is refreshing.

London is a funny place, you either love it or you hate it!

For it I have huge passion, I used to despise it, with, as much passion as I now love it – why the change – Photography.

It is image rich, diverse, flamboyant, charismatic, artistic and unique – the power of something that draws you to go – that is London to me now. 

I await the easing of lockdown to be able to go – others have broken it, they have gone, they flaunt the rules by reading between the lines, full of their own importance, for what a head start – they are the media moguls the YouTube guru’s that desire a like, a subscribe – they live for it…. I digress.

I look forward to returning to London for work, I look forward to the nightlights, we have a show, kind of in the planning, Sarah is a ‘Lion King aficionado’ – we shall go, it makes her happy, and I so love her sweet smile.

‘London calling’ - the Clash said so – we shall go!

Many things are planned for us.

 Enjoy your day – go find that adventure!