Meeting a real Angel

Today I ventured further afield - Regent Street to be precise - as I had a "one to one" appointment with a "mac genius" at the Apple Store flagship branch in Regent Street. I love my one on ones there. The guys are so cool, filled with knowledge and passion for the mac - besides it's such good value for money - earlier in the year I sign up to have a lesson a week for a whole year on what ever the mac and its dedicated applications do - cost: a mere £79 - a real bargain and well, well worth it. Ok, enough of a plug - but hey- just wanted you to know : I love the mac :)

In case you're wondering, I'm also into filming - documentary style - and enjoy editing my material. Final Cut Express is a step up from i.movie. It takes a bit of practice and "genius tuition" just speeds up the learning curve.

So packed like a mule - laptop, external hard drive and my 5D with 20-70mm f.2,8L lens - I jumped on the tube for my 11am appointment with Jake.

Come 12.00 noon I was ready to change medium and focus on getting my shot of the day.

I don't know about you ? But the hustle and bustle of Oxford Circus and its surroundings does not inspire me in the least... but hey, if I'm already here, I thought, I'd better make the most of it and see where it takes me. Come to think of it, Regent Street is actually one my favourite streets in London. No, not entirely because of THE shop! Its architecture is stunning. I love how the buildings at the Piccadilly Circus end of Regent Street curve.

I'm walking down it, eyes peeled and other than taking a few shots of that famously curved street and buildings I didn't see anything worth taking.

Well, I thought to myself, the "safety shot" could be considered being in the bag :) Specially as I have such an affinity with the place ... and who knows, cyber space might deliver my blog to people who have never ever been to Regent Street? :) if only it wasn't for all the people crowding the pavement though :)

I continued down. Hang round a bit at Piccadilly Circus. Nothing but tourist taking .. ohhh my God: PHOTOS! - I wonder which one of them is a potential thread to the capital?

OK, time to drop it! Yesterday's encounter is long gone - I notice, not quite forgotten though ... but time to move on. And, I do exactly that.

On to Piccadilly itself, my internal sat nav programmed to Green Park where I intend to take the tube back home. Walking along, I'm greeted by a big toothless smile and a "The Big Issue" that sounded like a genuine "hello". I smiled back thinking, that smile and wave of the magazine would have made such a great impromptu shot! If only a blink of my eye could have captured that! When will technology come up with a contact lens capable of taking photos?:)

A few steps later I felt the urge to turn around, walk back, to find out what could possibly lie behind that smile other than wanting to sell as many Big Issue copies as possible.

Have you ever spoken with a Big Issue vendor? I certainly hadn't! So here was my chance. Besides, maybe I could get a photo of him after all?! I knew it was going to cost me (not only a copy of The Big Issue) and I was willing to support the man.

So we started to chat. And guess what? This man was actually an American Citizen! That was the last thing I expected.

" I am homeless. A man doesn't need a home. It's only a burden. Women and children need a home. A man doesn't."

"You mean to say that you sleep rough?" I asked maybe a bit naively.

"Yes, have been for some time now. You get kind off hooked on it.

As our conversation went on it transpired that this man is also a traveller. He's got a wife and a daughter in Eastern Europe (I didn't quite catch where). He used to work with Alice Cooper. Remember him?

"I'm not really into making money, he said, but I have a great idea that would generate a lot of money. If someone gets in on it with me I'm prepared to only take 25% of the profits. I'm a bit cautious though to talk about it because I have had an idea stolen before. So I think I shall save up to get it off the ground myself and keep all the profit."

Fascinating. This visual challenge I set myself is turning out to be much more than simply capturing images. It felt so good to be engaging in this dialogue with a total stranger.

"What's your name", I asked.

"Angel. What's yours?

"That's a great name! I'm Elizabeth, pleased to meet you. I'll have a copy and do you think I could also take a photo of you?"

"Cost you a quid."

"OK, that's fine!"

And then I thought to myself, how funny: usually I get paid to take someones photo ... but then again, I have never had the opportunity to photograph an Angel before!