Monday, August 25, 2014

Post-Meetup, With Sore Feet


Yesterday's Bleeding London photo meetup was interesting. I showed up at the Golders Green tube station with three other photographers -- all women -- and the leader of the group divided us into teams of two. Each team was assigned a sector of the map and we set out to photograph all the streets in our sector. The effort has been described as a game of Battleship, though I must confess I don't really see the analogy.

In my case, my teammate Sarah and I split up, and we finished everything that was assigned and then some. We wound up farther south in Hampstead, near areas where I've walked with Olga.

Afterward Sarah and I met with Jen, another meetup photographer, for a pub lunch at the Old Bull and Bush on North End Way, just down the street from Evelyn Waugh's former home. We talked about the project and about camera bags and lenses and other photo-related stuff. Jen said she expects we'll finish all the streets by the end of October as planned. "Why not be positive?" she said.

One of our group laughed about how her standards have slipped for photos. She doesn't even try to make them all artistic, she said -- she's just focused on getting the street. I feel a bit of that in my own work. I think my standards are slipping, which always happens when quantity takes precedence over quality, right?

Today is supposed to be rainy and I've planned to stay home and take it easy. I have some laundry to do, and I'm allegedly reading a book that I haven't so much as opened in more than a week. But there are two more meetups if I get motivated!

(Photo: Hampstead, yesterday.)

5 comments:

Ms. Moon said...

Such an interesting project.

Sharon said...

If I stare at a map of London (even the kind with only major streets on it) I can't imagine covering it all. I admire you for taking up the challenge.

ellen abbott said...

what are they going to do with all the photos once the project is complete?

Wayne said...

Urban street photography is my favourite, especially at night but I know what you mean - it’s so hard to make artistic and put your own spin on.

Having said that, artistic intention is only a small part of photography. Its about capturing a moment and you look as though you’re doing a great job!

37paddington said...

Why not be positive? Indeed! I rather like her attitude.