In 2019, paid photography work took me through Westminster, Soho and other parts of London’s West End. I met people from all sorts of backgrounds, often knowing little about them before we began. We would find a place to shoot, talk for a while, and work out together how to make a portrait that felt comfortable and true to them.
The streets rarely offered the same conditions twice. Light shifted between buildings, rain changed the colour of the pavement, and a location that worked one moment could look entirely different the next. It was a practical education in photography, but just as much an education in working with people. A good photograph depended on trust in both directions.
Some of those brief encounters became friendships, and I am still in touch with a few of the people I met then. Looking back at the photographs now, I remember the conversations and the changing city around us as much as the camera settings.
This is the first selection from that period. I have many more photographs to revisit and share. The attention to people, place and light that I learned on these streets still informs my short films and interactive work.