...is where I worked today. Boy, it was a long day. By 3 a.m. I was in the car, heading out West towards a small village in rural Wiltshire, in a valley divided by the healthy stream of the River Kennet, one of the prettiest in England. My brief was to photograph the river, the beauty as well as some river keepers cutting weeds in the riverbed.
I organised an underwater housing for my trusty G9, got myself a spare pair of jeans and shoes, and prepared myself for a wet day's work. Luckily, John and his son Rob had some waders waiting for me in their truck, so I ended up staying dry although immersed in cold river water up to my chest. After a beautiful, mild sunrise with gorgeous light, my morning got better with the two of them working their way upstream and letting me photograph them going about their business without any qualms. Needless to say, I really enjoyed my day.
My friend Tony Sleep came along for the trip and shot a set of pictures of me working. Rare, but it happens, apparently. I was very chuffed seeing them afterwards, as it is so rare that I ever get pictures of myself in weird and wonderful moments when it's usually me behind the camera.
Some might say that getting up at 2:30, standing up to your chest in cold water by 9, and continuing to shoot until the afternoon goes beyond the call of duty for a one-day assignment. Well, it probably does, but then shooting pictures to me is not comparable to an office job, regular working times, clocking on and off after your hours are done. Photography is about chasing that elusive, unique moment captured in one picture at a time, be it in the water, early morning, late evening, or whenever else the urge takes you to shoot. Admittedly, I was pretty tired by the afternoon and it took some effort not to fall asleep on the way home, but I reckon it was worth it. See some of the results here, and a full set on my Archive Site.
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