Last Tuesday I joined these guys, Caroline & Dave, in London for their pre-wedding practice shoot around the streets of Soho
I caught an early train down so I could have a scout around the streets for some cool photospots and it took me AGES to find their wedding reception venue, The Union Club. It’s a private, members-only club, so doesn’t really advertise it’s location!
All that gives it away is the U outside!
As I had a bit of time to kill before I hooked up with Caroline & Dave, I thought I’d try my hand at a bit of Soho street photography
Walking from Piccadilly Circus through Chinatown towards Soho, you could definitely see Olympic fever was in town.
The streets were bustling and there was a suspiciously friendly air about the place!
Theatreland
Chinatown
Soho
I’ve recently been watching some interesting documentaries called The Genius of Photography, many of which have touched on the art of street photography. Capturing those ‘decisive moments’, of the world around us. 
I make no claim to have decisively caught anything, but it certainly was interesting trying to capture the flavour of the area
This is a particularly ‘London’ scene to me
People are all too aware of photographers pointing the barrel of a lens at them, and it seems the skill of street photography is capture without capturing attention. Shooting into reflections is one way of doing this.
Shooting from the hip (ie. without looking) is another, but I still seem to have been rumbled by smoking man number 2!
I like to tell a story with images, mainly because it’s so hard to do it in one. Multiple images compliment and build on one-another, embellishing and adding context.
Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to be a bit more obvious though, and spell out the context.
Capturing natural portraits, unawares, is no easy task…
…but flanked by London’s sea of tourists, also sporting cameras, the locals seem to ignore you.
This ropey Soho ‘model’ studio made me smile when I saw it.
Not quite the first rung on the ladder of success an aspiring model might hope for.
A few shots of some London frontage, including Marco Pierre White’s Snail.
Ronnie’s infamous Jazz haunt, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. Nice to see John Bon hanging outside!
As I wandered past later, some Leeds musician pals of mine were hanging outside, and they were playing that night! Top work lads.
Another exclusive members only club was at the top of Greek St, surrounded by paparazzi waiting in the wings.
After a good mosey and some fun street photography, I hooked up with the happy couple Caroline & Dave outside The Union Club, and we popped inside for a beer and a look around.
Downstairs it was like a kooky Georgian London boozer; red gloss walls and an eccentric, eclectic selection of pictures adorning the walls (but as it was a private place, I didn’t take any pics). I loved the U’s everywhere and the peeling banisters of the 270 year old staircase!
You can see it’s widely loved among the senior media folk of the area as a unique and exquisite institution; a little oasis in a bustling metropolis! 
After their exclusive wedding reception downstairs, they gang will be heading upstairs to an equally bohemian yellow room for their meal.
After we’d done the admin, we hit the Soho streets for a few portraits, to get our happy couple used to how it feels to be in front of the camera!
I rather like this set.
Dave is a long-standing pal of a good friend of mine called Jules Birkby (who co-incidentally designs brilliant stationary for weddings and events – see here!) and once upon a time (back in the grungy haze that was 1996) Dave & I hung out with Jules out in Sheffield once. Jules showed me a photo when we were last round for dinner at theirs. I’d’ve posted a copy to show here, but it wasn’t pretty. Dave looked cool – but I believe I was rocking highlighted blonde curtains, some dodgy band shirt and camel chinos (oh, how fashion comes around and around)!
I’d also met Caroline while running my photobooth at Jules’ mates hen do earlier this year. So, while we’re all tenuously connected, it was great to spend some one-on-one time with them in London!
And as the streets were packed, it was fun to occasionally include passers by in the shots too!
I like this one in front of a garage shutter!
Aww
On my recce I’d spotted this cool little yard and thought it’d be perfect for a smooch!
Lovely.
It took them a little while to loosen up, as is generally the case…
…but we got some lovely relaxed portraits in the end.
I loved this london doorway!
Then we took a turn round Soho Square
For a few cuddles
On the way back towards the tube station, we stopped for a cuddle on this busy street
And perhaps by coincidence, both these chaps gave their girls a peck at the same time!
This was asnother I liked, up a quieter London side street.
By the end, they certainly had found their groove, and now I know it’ll be an easy ride on the wedding day!
So I’m now really looking forward to their big day on September 1st!
I always love a London Wedding, as the city is so much a character in the wedding, so do check the blog again soon after that for their wedding highlights!
Cheers for reading!
B