For a light so tranquil, glowing an afternoon gold, this place feels like a bustling highway.
There are waving cats and hanging ducks by the bundle; scooters to dodge down cobbled alleyways. There’s monks passing by, slippered feet on footpaths two thousand years old.
We must appear spectacle- an entourage of designers and lecturers wielding clothing and reflectors, spectators joining the chain and mirroring every move. The removal of strangers from the frame is a full time position.
The model doesn’t speak a lot of English but can move elegantly and pull the fabric so that it billows out when he walks, just managing to keep the wide brim from falling over his eyes.
A burst of sudden unstoppable inspiration and I visualise a smoky haze through which the model emerges. A dedicated team of people chug on cheap chinese cigarettes just off camera in attempt to achieve the clouded feel. It is hot and I’ve got one 2GB card left, the portable lights are on the blink and the daylight is fading.
I love it, the uncertainty, the pace, the feeling of being completely out of my depth. I feel a million miles from it, yet somehow home behind the camera.
– Written as a guest post on A Gathering Blog Jan ’13
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