Just got back from my overnight to London. The BBC intereview went well. Its part of a piece they are putting together on whats going on in the Fashion industry. I've been a fashion magazine photographer for 16 years and I still don't know the answer to that question. The workshop was a surpise though. There were only suppose to be 45 people...but that turned into 149 people, so some folks had to share the computers and cameras the magazine provided...all Macs of course. It was great fun though and I did a portrait demo and one for a fashion shoot. The models were from a local agency...mostly young ladies getting their first taste of strutting their stuff in front of the camera. Then I let the student have at it. Some interesting results.
There was one strange occurance. I met a lady that had seen me shooting around London 9 years ago. She had taken a photo of me as I was working and requested that I autographed it (which I graciously did). Thankfully she gave me a copy (See photo above). I still find it amazing that people remember you in one sense or another, and the number of ways we all touch each others lives globally.
London, however is one of those cities that I usually have to be dragged to, kicking and screaming. More times then not, the weather sucks, the noise and pollution are overwhelming and I am always left with an extreme sense of disembodiment. And summers are the worst. One feels that England is, in general, a waterlogged nation...when you leave you squish! The people are nice enough but to extremes...either very polite (read stuffy) or way out on a limb (read retro, wanna-be hippiness). So I'm amazed I even enjoyed myself the one day I HAD to be there. And as a rule I do try to enjoy myself wherever my work takes me.
Still I find certain things about the British character charming...like being call "Guv" or "Chap" by cab drivers; the insistance that 'only' civilized people drink tea with (ugh) milk and the use of coriander in damn near every dish they cook! The Finns have a saying that The Cooks in Hell are English...they could be right. There is also the insistance by the Brits that we Americans have a "peculiar" accent. (Note the diplomacy here). Frankly everyone sounds as they are talking with a mouthful of those awful puddings they seem to adore. Now I must admit that some of my compatriots can really butcher the language, but have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone that speaks with a cockney accent? I'd make more sense of a Enya record played backwards.
My saving grace whenever I visit London is that I'm a "creative" type, so I'm suppose to be a little nuts. And believe me I use that scenerio for everything its worth! "Tea Sir...?"
Hey, just wanted to pop in and say I love the new blog design! :)
Posted by: Jen | September 09, 2004 at 05:16 AM