Out walking and photographing the cafes and bars in the West End today, with some workshop participants from City Academy’s Lifestyle Photography class and couldn’t help but take this picture outside Patisserie Valerie on Charing Cross Road, W1
Eros Statue, Piccadilly Circus
The circus is back in town. Every year, the Santus Circus, Le Cirque de France comes to a local park near where I live and every year, I try to photograph the ticket booth, with all it’s imagery and lights, harking back to old times. I failed a couple of years ago, as I was a little too late in the evening, and the darkness had fallen, and the exposure wasn’t perfect. Yesterday, i made it a point to get there at dusk, about 30 minutes before the sun set. I think I nailed the exposure this time, with the little Ricoh GR.
I will be teaching a 1-Day Masterclass in Documentary Photography at the City Academy on Saturday, 18 October at the Actors Centre in Soho, Covent Garden, London. As it is only a full day class, we will have run through some basic concepts, and story-telling tips, with a strong emphasis on current affairs and social issues in London.
This 1-Day course is more suited to those having completed the Level 2 Shoot to a Brief course or more advanced photographers.
More info and booking link here
City Academy website here
STOP THE WAR rally, Israeli Embassy, Kensington, London
Flowers, prayers and words, The Netherlands Embassy, Kensington
Today, about 15,000 people marched from 10 Downing Street to Kensington, where the Israeli Embassy is located in London. Women, children, young and old, Muslims, non-Muslims, white, black, asians, Jews even, people in wheelchairs, prams and strollers, rich and poor walked 3and a half miles in 30C heat to protest. Taking sides in this decades old conflict is pretty useless today. Both sides have issues. The rally today was organised by STOP THE WAR coalition of NGOs, but somehow or rather, the Socialist Workers always get their foot into these events.
Save Gaza rally, Hyde Park, 2009
Which brings me to this. I joined and supported the very same protest in 2009, January, when it was butt freezing, in Hyde Park. See, nothing about this conflict has progress, year in year out. It isn’t going to change a thing. More on the 2009 event here. I think I prefer the 2009 pictures.
Lone rapper doing his stuff, Brick Lane © Steven Lee
Spent yesterday Sunday afternoon at the Vibe Bar in hipsterville Brick Lane sharing a photography workshop session withe City Academy and Yelp Elite members. Yes, Yelp is a huge and popular online review site which organises free educational events throughout the world for their Elite members. Street Photography was the subject for the afternoon, or I would rather call it Photography in the Street, since there are so many definitions of what Street Photography is. We had around 15 members joining the session with Carol Edrich (professional Dance and Travel photographer), Zarina Holmes (Lifestyle and Travel, Design consultant) and myself.
For those that have not ventured along Brick Lane on a weekend, this is the place to hang out, with bars, street food, trinket stalls, and lots and lots of vintage stuff, some of the best curry houses in town and amazing street art and grafitti, and did I mention all the different street food from around the world too, like Japanese, Korean, Colombian, kebabs, jerk chicken, dimsum, burgers, bagels, Thai…
explorenation.net ~ photography posts, workshops, writings and thoughts by Steven V-L Lee 
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