I believe London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world. In no other place, do you feel closer to the core of a new fashion or culture movement. If something happens, it happens in London. It’s no wonder why London is one of the most visited cities in the world. It’s a central hub for people who come and go through its six busy airports.
While I lived in London with my partner, we were lucky to enjoy a rare luxury- a spare room in our apartment in a central location of London. AS a result of this, there was a continuous stream of visitors, friends, and family drawn by the idea of visiting London (and us) free of the pricey London accommodation charges…or at least that is what they thought! Indeed, I was very happy to have them at home, but as payback, they had to let me photograph them as part of one of my portrait photography projects: “Waking Up at Home”.
Personal projects are an important way to get motivated, to improve your skills and to stretch your boundaries. My “Waking Up at Home” project kept my photography momentum awake for more than three years.
The result of this project was, on one hand, an invaluable portrait portfolio of many of my dearest friends and family, and on the other hand, a wonderful photo album that served as a visitor’s diary with more than 70 different people in it.
From Visitors to London, friends who missed their last train or got trapped during blizzards, to those who were trying to escape the London riots in the summer of 2011; these are the portraits of the people who found shelter with us. I am tempted to believe that there were also some who stayed solely to be photographed the next morning…plus the nice breakfast we provided didn’t hurt either.
