As a commercial photographer, whenever I get to travel for work I try to schedule a day or two after we wrap to explore and shoot some personal work. It’s a great way to decompress, scratch my travel itch, and continue one of my personal projects. In this case, I stayed on after an industrial shoot in rural Wyoming to discover a state I’d never explored.
I love Honolulu. There’s something about it that reminds me of New Orleans, where I lived and worked for a decade. It’s overgrown, hot & humid, unkempt in places. I love that about both cities. It also shares a quirkiness with New Orleans. It’s more subtle. New Orleans tends to wear its freak flag on its sleeve, but you don’t need to look too deep to notice island life has its own unique style. Take personal transportation. The forms and sizes are varied. Personal style expressed via helmets, or not, flip flops, shorts, and even the vehicle themselves.
My trip to London was weird. Something felt off. It was my first visit. I was excited. There were several photo galleries on my list, not the least of which was the Victoria & Albert collection. But when I got there, the photography halls were closed for an installation. This happens, it’s not common, but it happens. But it kept happening when I went to visit various sites. It’s not to say there wasn’t plenty to stay entertained and culturally enriched. It was just…off. Or maybe I was. I can’t think of any other way to put it. I didn’t stay still. I never do. I saw lots of neighborhoods. Once I got back in my studio and started editing my images I noticed just how rich and unique each of the neighborhoods was. In retrospect this was the highlight of the trip. Walking the streets without a specific destination. While in London, I kept thinking, is this all there is, what am I missing here? It seemed underwhelming. Since I’ve been away, it’s all I can think about – I can’t wait to revisit. It’s the people, the streets, and the neighborhoods that make a place meaningful. Here’s to my London reminder and to getting back as soon as possible. I promise this time I’ll appreciate all it has to offer.
St Dunstan of the East Church
Camden Town – Camden Lock, Regis Canal
Smoker – Soho
Pub – Westminster
Pimlico
Speakers House – Westminster
Scooter – City of London
Look Both Ways – Bloomsbury
Women Walking – Chelsea
Walker – Chelsea
Coronation Route – Westminster
Stairs – City of London
Serpentine Bridge, Kensington Park
Scarf – Notting Hill
Phone Booth – Pimlico
Smoking – Paddington