When Collective Members Meet – London

If I had tried to imagine it, it would have been just like that. A long walk in Central London as old friends meet to take pictures and to chat between a pint of beer or two.

With the eyes of two “absolute beginners” – in reality we are two photographers with well-trained eyes – Steve and I tried to give voice to the streets of London and we did it in an absolutely complementary way. If David Bowie had seen us in action in the streets of the West End that day, at the end of January, he might have sung, “… [You are] absolute beginners/With eyes completely open…” That’s right, our eyes are always open to everyday stories!

To accompany us, the many projects realized with the f/50 collective and our Fuji cameras: Steve’s X100F and my old X100 and X30. We have not used anything but beers and coffees.

Matteo Ceschi

Belonging to this collective has always and continues to be a pleasure. Speaking with my fellow members via a text based system on our mobile phones is good, and of course speaking through our mutual love of photography is what we’re about, but to meet in the flesh…Well now, that’s what really counts!

And so it was that after discovering that my friend Matteo would be visiting London I hopped on the train and a few hours later met up with him, and I’m so glad I did. Oddly we didn’t actually speak too much about photography in itself, I was just happy to hear that Italian voice and walk, stop, walk, shoot, walk, drink…Repeat!

But of course we were camera’s in hand and if I’m honest, I could’ve kept walking for ever with my comrade in photography arms. Ciao Matteo! Thank you.

Steve Coleman