The book creation adventure continues, with new-to-me parts of London getting added to my favourites list. I lived here for ten years the first time and I can’t believe I never ventured out to Kew Gardens — it’s absolutely magical! I only had time to see a fraction of the place, but what I did see was enough to persuade me to buy a season ticket. If you only have a couple of days in London there are other places you should check out first (and I’ll be doing a Things to See in London post soon), but if you’re here for a week or more, plan to spend a day there. It’s worth it, trust me.

Creating this book has been an invitation to submerge myself in photography — I snap photos with my iPhone every day, but breaking out the big cameras is a whole other game. Still, I really do believe it’s our eyes that take photos. It doesn’t matter what camera you use, it’s more about the intention behind the picture you take. Recording a memory… creating art… sharing a peek into your world… taking a portrait to treasure. To my mind, photography is magical.

The autumn session of Photo Meditations is currently enrolling, so if you’d like to take your photography up a notch with me (smart phones are more than welcome, by the way!) head over here to read more and sign up. This is the last time the class will run this year xo

I thought I had words to share this month, but it turns out all my creative energy has been needed for the new book. When I wrote the proposal for Chronicle last year I knew the project was an ambitious one. Photographing a book about London? Yep, that will take a bit of doing. As it turns out, it’s physically exhausting — London is a big place! — but I’m loving (re)discovering this city of mine. Even though I get home barely able to keep my eyes open, I’m thrilled to be flexing my creative muscles in such a focussed way again. The words will return but for now I’m pouring everything I have into this. Can’t wait to share it with you in the spring of 2016!

In other news, we took Noah to the circus last weekend. He was completely in his element :)

 

I’ve been shooting photos for my new book and it’s starting to take over my life — which is as it should be because I want this book to be beautiful and inspiring and, well, good. So no pressure then! We’re having a heatwave here in the UK so the last few weeks of shooting have been pretty intense but thankfully the Circle line has air conditioning so I’m planning my travels accordingly. Pro tip: avoid the Central line at all costs. It’s like sitting in hell’s kitchen.

 

 

This book is going to be a portrait of the city and with a population of 8.3 million I’m inevitably photographing a lot of passers by.  I’ve never felt comfortable taking photos of people in the street, but the more places I go the bolder I get. Like actors in your own private play, people bring life and character to the shots. I’ve been fantasising about creating a Humans of London blog in honour of the wonderful Humans of New York, but the truth is, I prefer wandering the streets unobtrusively. I like to observe rather than interact.

 

 

Of course, when you have a 40 year-old Polaroid camera hanging across your body, you tend to become a people magnet. Each day I speak to at least five or six souls who are curious about the camera. I’ve chatted with policemen outside the Houses of Parliament, the old boy in Camden Passage and Jesse, the Spanish dude I met on the Southbank who insisted I take his picture. There was the girl in Chipotle who said she had a Polaroid at home, the charity worker in Islington who wanted tips on shooting at night, and Darren in Chinatown who was so inspired by the Vivian Maier film he was out snapping strangers.

You are never stuck for conversation when you’re shooting with a Polaroid. This is turning into quite an adventure…

 

Londontown: A Photographic Tour of the City’s Delights is available for pre-order over here