Nothing like a cosy tearoom to ward off the winter cold

In between classes...

Mentors of Hackney

Last December I had the pleasure of taking photos of the young mentor team at the Off Centre, a Hackney-based charity that works with vulnerable young people. They were a truly wonderful and inspiring group of people. 

A bike courier on his break in Soho.

The wonderful Mavela

Got to know a classmate better today.

Clubland

"Did you want to take a picture of me because I look English?", he said as he cheerfully obliged.

Portrait of the day

Happy Chinese New Year

This year my mother has written on the red packet some traditional phrases usually uttered at Chinese New Year. These express good wishes-success, health, prosperity etc. It's a sad reflection of how quickly the intergenerational transmission of tradition stalls when I think how few of these phrases I  recognise, and how much fewer my nieces and nephew know...

Another from the archives...

The late summer evening light was liquid ambar and London Fields was packed with people having picnics.

New year, new faces...

I've found taking portraits of strangers a very useful exercise in photography for getting over fear of engagement and having to make decisions about the shot quickly. I've also been pleasantly surprised at how most people are happy to be photographed.