Visiting Brighton and its Pier for the first time this July, the sea air reminded me of my hometown of Vancouver, Canada, crossed with the chaos of New York’s Coney Island and the architecture of Victorian England.
My wife and I made London our permanent home the previous summer; we had only explored a little of what the United Kingdom had to offer since then, as we had been transfixed with London. Finally, moving past our past wedding planning, establishing my photography career to a place of consistency, and feeling settled, we began to make waves, discovering England and the rest of Europe. The opportunity to travel and grow my photography portfolio further is what brought us to this incredible city.
I didn’t have to look far to discover what connected me the most with home, combined with the warm destinations I sought after. The energy of Brighton while shooting street photography, especially on the hot and sunny day I arrived, gave me a window into the kind of British summer I had not yet experienced – and a canvas for editorial fashion photography.
I came to London in a cold, windy, rainy summer. That’s often par for the course in Vancouver, too. No harm, no foul. However, when the sun comes out, there’s a shift in all of England’s energy and momentum.
When days are sunny, especially on the weekend, there’s an unspoken anxiousness to make the most of fleeting favourable weather. It’s as if Brits assemble at their battle stations ready to take advantage of the sun at a moment’s notice – because there’s so little of it. But when there is, there’s a societal shift and cultural warmth.
Londoners are a little more patient with each other, they’re friendlier: they can feel they’ve made it out of the cold winter. Even when clouds drift in or a light rainy drizzle rears its head, that doesn’t faze the conquest from undertaking all the activities for a sunny day.
Summer always comes to an end – and the longing for sunny days lasts all winter. This inspired the editorial for Rakish Gent magazine, “An Ode to British Summer”, playfully exploring the cultural desire to make the most of fleeting sunny days in Britain.
Thanks to menswear stylist Dianah Gwendu, my collaborator on the fashion editorial Broken Windows Theory for 1883 Magazine and whom I refer all my male personal branding and dating photography clients to for professional styling guidance.
Special thanks to Louis Toledo, our set and prop designer, with whom I collaborated on Sandra Yi Sencindiver’s digital cover for LE MILE magazine and Repurpose for Trend Privé Magazine. Talitha, our groomer, Rennato OIiveira, my lighting assistant, Matthew Dominic, our styling assistant, and Wylan Amah of Body London, our talented model.
I invite you to check out more of my street photography from the streets of London, my street style collections from London Fashion Week, and my fashion photography services if you’re a creative, brand, or publication looking to collaborate.