Just be

16th November 2019

I’ve slacked- shame on me

I’ve decided to halt travel for a second and just be. Not an easy decision but much appreciated by Pigeon (Le chat) . It’s strange to feel like I’ve been travelling non stop yet have no rolls of film to unwrap 🙁

However, now is the time of year to reflect and organise. So my hard drive spring clean is encouraging me to widen edits of the projects I have focussed most on this year: The Cracker, Purity and Topside (work from Tas)
I was interviewed for Huck magazine about The Cracker today and some of the questions really made me consider how the work was made and may be received.

“So are there any memories from your trips to the Cracker that really stuck with you?”

Delving back through the mess of scans I’m reminded by how I will always be an outsider when shooting but how lucky I was that so many people I met gave me their time.

I will always proclaim that time is the most valuable currency.

This image of Lewis was made after a group of us were ‘Lost city side’. There were drones flying everywhere and an abundance of police. We were questioned and as we left one of the lads decided to moony the officers. The innocent but provocative gesture was not received kindly. Immediately the exchange with the police became heated and one of the youngest boys was ‘grabbed’. This term is a badge of honour in the area and references an officer grabbing the body of a young person – in this case his arm. I was quite shocked and thankfully the ordeal was soon resolved and we left the scene. The boys were buzzing – high as a kite and couldn’t wait to share the news of the incident to anyone we passed- stranger or friend.

The next reminds me how winter is looming. Returning from the beautiful warm climate of the Middle East I’ve now been forced to dig out my Uniqlo attire and brace myself for the bone chilling London cold. It seems strange this was captured just over a year ago.

Lastly Ill leave you with a final image from Israel. I’ve been continuing my Purity project for almost 8 years yet I have very few images to show from it. I can’t quite unravel why but I think it’s because most of the moments I experience I don’t feel the desire to capture.
I met an incredibly warm family a few trips ago and this is an image of two of the children. The eldest had a great gaze and her innocence instilled calmness in me when I shot. I hope I’ll get to reconnect with her and the family soon and escape this arctic chill!


OAO x