Intersections, A portrait of London

London is a global city, constantly changing and evolving, both geographically as developments take place, and with a constant social change accelerated by COVID, Brexit and the arrival of refugees fleeing conflict. London’s population is 9.32 million and, like an enormous ant’s nest, is constantly on the move, working, playing, socialising, criss-crossing on complex journeys by foot, bike, road and train. As Londoners we both share our city and live our different lives. We come together in shared spaces and retreat to private spaces. We co-exist and connect at many different levels but how much do we know and understand about each other? ‘Intersections’ is about creating a portrait of Londoners at the junctions where they meet on the street, reflecting both our shared experiences and our individuality. I identify an individual on the basis of their visual personality, attitude, curiosity and ask them if they would like to take part. I explain the project, show them some examples of previous photographs and explain how the images will be used: On Instagram, as a book and exhibition using my photographs with their stories. I explain it will 5-10 minutes of their time to have their portrait taken then we go to the camera. This is a totally different experience from the grabbed images of street photographers and selfies taken on mobile phones: it involves connection, reflection, talking, and sharing in a completely different way. It is a sort of “slow photography”.