Monday, April 20, 2009

London Independent Photographers Greenwich

LIP in short, the group from Greenwich is expertedly lead by John Levitt who gave us yesterday a great challenge: go from Greenwich cross the Creek to Deptford and look for contrasts, old and new and hope.

For once, I'll try to make the same note here as in my French one, using the same images and telling the same stories.

Let's try.


John Levitt has also offered me the first time for me to speak in English in public in London.

Yesterday, we met at the Viewfinder Gallery, center Greenwich, for a challenge photo walk, here he is showing us the proposed trail and inspiring us.

How differently I felt after yesterday's great walk then the one the day before when I had come home so sad.

I had a great day, first discovering and meeting places and people, and then, after I arrived home after more then two hudred images, working on them in my digital dark room and this morning writing about them, thinking it over again.

But one has to choose, so difficult for me, but here are only thirty of them.


Greenwich has its magnificent Painted Hall, near the Pier, painted walls from another century. After I crossed the creek, I discovered Deptford's new painted art!

But before I started, I went through a small fleet market, in Greenwich, and met this young woman choosing hats of 5 pounds.

"Are you an artist?" she asked me.
'Yes, I am!" did I answer for the first time in my life.

The smile you see in this picture is the result "being photographed by an artist!".

Which new hat to buy

Before and after crossing the Creek. This old man, at least ten years older then me, had difficulty to ride again his bike, finally using the boards he did succeed: happy went away again.

Deptford has no rich Painted Hall, but I found magnificant wall art by small or grown ups, here you may see details: 40 images.

Two examples of the wall by children:

Deptford Hight street, with market Wednesday and Saturday, was relatively quiet Sunday, with a mixture of feeling I have fallen in the very old London, that of modest people's place and at the same time people from all around the world combined with fresh new life and a lot of kindness.

Children, adults, young and old, happy with the bright warm Sunday. I love the mood I find every time I come here, and yesterday was even better without the busy market.

Old walls and houses, new life and energy.

On the trail, I met a few times with my collegue photographers from LIP Greenwich and after a few smiles and words, each continued its own discoveries.

I met towards the end with a man in wheelchair asking me to approach and telling me:"people do not take time nowdays to live, to discuss, even not in the pub!"

After we chattet for a time, and I took some photos of him, his face bright up:
"I'll finish in a Gallérie!"

Alas, the place he choose for the images was not good enough for the Gallery, but at least here they are in a blog.

Soon, I'll have to choose an image for the Viewfinder Gallery where each of us can show one of our photos. Perhaps I could choose the woman with the violet hat, what do you think?

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