At the end of a very long couple of weeks
I’ve finally returned to Chicago after several weeks of travel taking photographs for two upcoming book for London and New York.
Each city’s schedule included 50 locations in a week. Invaluable to me during each shoot was my project manager Shane Parton, who magically arranged everything to line up, coincide, and be in place at the right time for all the shots.
The photo here is one of the last shots I took before leaving New York. It was at very discreet Japanese restaurant in Murray Hill called Tsukushi. At another table I noticed that one of their party was practically sleeping at the table. When I saw that one of his mates thought it funny to take a snapshot of it, I reached for my camera. I love shots of people taking photographs themselves. To see what another photographer is visualising is revealing.
So, some stats from my trip
2 cities covered
50 locations in each city
8-10 days in each city
non-stop, grueling, 12-15 hour days
3000 exposures in London
4000 exposures in New York
100+ cab rides
25lbs of equipment lugged all over town
35gb of images
20+ portraits of artists, bakers, restaurateurs, designers, and entrepreneurs.
During the trip I would go through all sorts of pressure, excitement, tiredness and disappointment. But there was simply nothing more invigorating or inspiring than finishing the shoot of a space or interior and then taking a portrait of the creator of that environment.
The proprietors’ taste, personality, even their demeanor, came through in everything that we saw or touched in that space. It seems so obvious now, but taking these portraits connected me so personally to the space in which it was being taken.
As a growing photographer, I think that taking portraits of the inspiring individuals who have created these unique businesses was the most rewarding part of my trip.
