Derek(77) was just hanging out on a bench with his friend, when I noticed his characteristic face. It looked like he was about to say goodbye, so I felt okay with interrupting. At first he told me no to be photographed, but he didn't ask me to leave. Instead he asked me where I was from, and he seemed quite interested in what I was doing. After some quick lines about Norway and photography, Derek had changed his mind and felt comfortable enough to sit for a portrait. We ended up spending the next 20 minutes on the bench together, talking about his coach trip around europe, the Second World War, and a very lucky dentist appointment.
Feb 27, 2012
Feb 26, 2012
The Escaping Head
Barry and I met when I was asking a sweet old man if I could do a portrait. He gave me what sounded as a no, and at the same time Barry showed up and started talking to him. Just incase I had misunderstood his no, and it was actually a yes, I decided to wait on the other side of the road until they finished their conversation. The elderly guy walked on while Barry tried to convince him to stay for a picture. It gave me good vibes and I ended up having a nice conversation and photo session with Barry instead. The former postman knew my own street and neighborhood better than me. And, when I think about it now, it make so much sense that he used to be a postman. Nice, talkative and friendly to everyone. On his way out, just a few hundred meters from his house, he had already managed to have a good talk with three different people. The old man, myself and a lady neighbor, which he also convinced to be photographed by me.
Feb 24, 2012
Seemingly Tall
I was waiting at a corner in front of this wall, when John(83) came from his grocery shopping. Fascinated by both the wall and him, I asked if he could stand in front of it for a moment, whilst I took a photograph. Sometimes it impresses me how kind and helpful people are after a bit of explanation. For a man of average hight, not much taler than me (I'm not very tall), it intrigued me how tallish John looked. Happy with the photo, I gave him my CupofPea web address and asked if he could have a look online. John told me he didn't use the internet and then asked how to pronounce the three first letters i had written down. I willingly agreed that my handwriting isn't the best and explained it was the letter 'W' times three. He looked at me and said; 'Ah, World Wide Web!?'. I said; 'Exactly!'. Felt my whole body smile, thanked him and walked off.
Feb 18, 2012
Help for Heroes
Believe it or not this will be my first post without the person's name. Maybe it was her sad story that threw me off. Or was it the lovely jumper that I thought suited her so well. She had lost her mums pills (some medicine) which she had just purchased from the chemist, and now she was desperately walking around trying to find them. As she said; pills can be expensive if you don't have a job. When she told me this I almost felt bad for taking up her time, but she explained how she used to do photography as well, and was more than happy to help me out.
Feb 17, 2012
Hospital Worker vs Car
Will(30) might not have been my typical kind of subject, but I thought his outfit was quite original, so I decided to interrupt his walk. He worked at a local hospital and was on his way to lunch with some fellow colleagues. In lack of another nice place to shoot, I asked if we could take the photo in the middle of the road. When I was photographing I noticed how Will liked to be in front of the camera. Even when a car was approaching fast behind him and his colleagues were shouting at him from down the road, he held this exact position.
Feb 16, 2012
The Urban Warrior
Scared by his sword and armor, I passed Jake(5) three times before I dared to ask (him and his mum) if I could take his portrait. And this was even before he was wearing his helmet. He gave me his blessing, placed the helmet over his head and got into position. Looking at the photo you might assume that Jake was on his way to a costume party. But in fact he was just on his way to the bank, followed by some fun in the park.
Feb 15, 2012
Woman with Invisible dog
In the front-garden of an apartment complex I met Mary(80) and her little dog Kerry. They were out strolling for some fresh air and didn't seem too busy, so I went over to have a chat. My original plan when approaching was to do a portrait of both of them together. However, I don't think Kerry really liked to be photographed. She was constantly running out of frame, fully extending the red leash. Mary on the other hand, insisted that her dog loved to be photographed and kept pulling Kerry back.
Feb 14, 2012
Man with Caged Cat
When I was out walking today a bus stopped next to me and out came Jeremy(42) with his cute cat in a little cage. He placed the cage on the ground for a second to light up a cigarette, so I walked over and asked if I could take a photo. Although the cat looks slightly worried, I like to think that they both agreed on being photographed. Out of curiosity, I asked where they were going. I didn't manage to get all the details, but Jeremy told me the cat had to go away for a while. Lets hope for a nice holiday resort of some kind.
Feb 9, 2012
Woman with Luggage
It's not often you walk down the street and see 80 year old ladies carrying bags around like this. Pauline(80) was on her way to the local club for a day of fun and games with the girls (as she put it). She was wondering why I wanted to photograph her, and told me a joke about how her husband used to say her presence ruined photographs. That was of course not true! I thought she looked really lovely, as made for an intriguing picture. The bag looked heavy and I felt like giving her a hand, but the weight of the bag didn't seem to bother Pauline at all. She insisted on holding it throughout our little photo-shoot, and as we were heading the same way I offered to carry it for her, but she refused to take my help. It was nothing left for me to do than to wish her a great day and best of luck with the game-playing.
Feb 6, 2012
Hipster Shoe Lady
Mary was almost too cute to be true. I crossed my fingers when walking towards her, hoping she would agree to be photographed. She seemed a bit strict at first, but she wasn't at all. In fact, she laughed about me wanting to photograph her, and asked if it wasn't expensive for me to take so many photos. Happy as a smily-face, I explained to her about the digital age and how I could view the photos straight away. Mary was obviously up to date with the latest fashion. Her shoes can be found on youngsters all over London, and her jacket I thought was quite trendy as well.
Feb 5, 2012
The Coming Architect
Today I met another fellow Bushey Hill neighbor on my way home from coffee. When I saw him, Kwame(23) had just tuned in to his music and was about to pass me, but with a little hello, I managed to catch his attention. We talked for a bit and I found out we had some common interest. Kwame studies architecture, but also has a deep interest in fashion, design and art. He gave me the address to his blog, which I have to say is pretty cool, hence the name: The Vault of Ultimate Cool. Check it out!!
Feb 4, 2012
The Earmuff Guy
London is getting colder as we speak, yet it's not everyday I meet men wearing earmuffs. I've always been fascinated with this piece of "clothing". Was it made to keep the hair cool and the ears warm? Whichever, I thought they suited Michael quite well. He's been living in the Camberwell area for more than 20 years, and I'm sure I've already past him lots of times, so I thought it was about time to ask for his portrait. More interesting facts about the earmuffs can be found here. Little did I know that they've actually been around for ages.
Feb 1, 2012
Man with Apple
Today I met a new neighbor, Blatton Slavick, who lives just a few houses down the road from me. Actually it was another neighbor pointing him out, when he left his house in Bushey Hill. His colorful scarf and round glasses caught my attention, so I approached him to have a little chat. He kept eating on his apple, but he didn't seem to mind me photographing him at the same time. It turned out that Blatton is an artist as well, working mainly with paint. After our brief talk, he invited me to drop by his house later with a copy of the photo. Maybe it will give me the chance to see some of his work too. I'm excited!