The last couple of weeks I have had two of my A-listers* from Australia staying with me so I haven't had the chance to get out on the street to take photos (bad) but it has forced me to learn more about the history of London (nothing worse than not knowing anything about the city in which you live when visitors arrive except the easiest way to get to Liberty and Browns!) and to spend time doing "touristy activities" (good). In the past two weeks I've been to the Tate Britain (twice), the Tate Modern (once), Westminster Abbey (once), St Paul's Cathedral (once), The Dorchester for High Tea (once), The Horse Guards Parade (once), a London Walk around the Inns of Court (highly recommended), National Gallery (once) and the Photographers Gallery (once).
On Saturday, however, I took the Nikon out for a spin and took my first "street style" photos in 2 weeks- and it felt fab! I've really missed not prowling the streets for stylish peeps but, more than that, I've missed the conversations, the laughs, the interactions I have with the people I photograph. Despite still getting the nervous jitters when approaching people, I really adore meeting people, finding out about what they do, talking about what they are wearing and, of course, taking their photo....I guess that is why I rarely take "candid" street photographs: the interaction with people is part of the pleasure for me.
And of course, London being London, I get to meet people from all over the world: on Saturday I shot a guy from Germany, a girl from Norway, a girl from London and this girl from Iceland. Fabulous!
*You know, those super-amazing girlfriends that will stick with you like a limpet through anything life throws at you :)
Edit: A slightly different, more vintagey processing of the same photo: