Issue 24
Negative Space
One of the things that I most believe in is the compose and wait philosophy of photography. It’s a very satisfying, almost spiritual way to photograph. Life isn’t knocking you around, life isn’t controlling you. You have picked your place, you’ve picked your scene, you’ve picked your light, you’ve done all the decision making and you are waiting for the moment to come to you.
In the Spotlight
Just say hello!… Trafalgar Square, London.
How my characters interact with the space around them—and with each other—has become a bit of an obsession, truth be told. It’s all part of the stories I aim to capture—little snippets of life playing out on a grand stage.
The idea for this scene popped into my head while I was strolling along the generously wide pavements of Pall Mall East. There was something about the mix of bustling pedestrians and the charming clash of old and new iconography that got my creative gears turning.
All I really needed to do was set up the camera (fiddling with the focal point, aperture, and ISO—standard faff), frame the shot, and then wait patiently for everything to fall into place. A key ingredient here was having two characters: one snug in the booth, the other facing it.
And oh, how marvellously it all came together! There’s just a hand clutching the phone, the curve of a hip subtly hinted at by a coat—suggesting a woman—while he’s beaming away. It’s one of those rare moments where reality outdoes the plan, and you end up with a photo that’s a delightful surprise.
That’s it – thanks for reading! As always, please feel free to hit reply and exchange your thoughts or to just say “hi”.