When I was in London a few weeks ago I covered a lot of ground. So far I’ve only posted images from the Charing Cross area – click here and here for examples. Prior to that I was in the Knightsbridge area and shot some images of One Hyde Park. Arguably this is the single most expensive development in London with penthouses changing hands for over fifty million pounds.
From a photographic point of view I love this place. The lines are clean and precise, it’s very geometric and those are qualities that appeal to me as will be obvious from some of my previous images.
It can also feel remote and very clinical. Partly because this is another world – a world of privilege, privacy and money totally foreign to me. Slightly at odd with those concepts, the interconnecting links between the blocks are highly visible and as I shot I was conscious, occasionally, of someone moving from one of the elevators into the adjacent apartment blocks. They weren’t owners: they were security or staff or cleaners.
Finally first one man and then a second stood in the glass-fronted space and stared out. From my vantage point on the street some distance below I thought they might be communicating with each other. But what were they talking about? Could they see me? Were they watching me photographing them? It felt slightly unnerving. The extremely wealthy guard their privacy very highly. Was I regarded as an intruder although I was standing in a public place.
My shoot was finished and I vanished into the London underground.
After 9/11 it was difficult to photograph in public places, I think the insecurity level was high. Now most folks with cell phones carry cameras and no one notices or at least appears to care when folks shoot in public. I like the idea of being able to move around and not arouse vague suspicions.
I like this set of photos, Andy. Are you using a perspective control lens to keep the vertical lines streight?
Thanks for your comment Ken. I’ve encountered one or two problems from over-zealous security if I am shooting close to a building. The claim they pavement is private property – it isn’t of course. I wish I had a tilt-shift lens. All the verticals are corrected in photoshop – either with the standard Lens Correction or using the Transform tool.
The cool blues and reflecting matrix of windows do seem to emphasise the buildings remoteness . … I can almost feel that hand on the shoulder Andy … Great vanishing act 😉
I wonder if the owners of a one bedroom duplex there feel underprivileged compared to the owners of a 5 bedroom apartment 😀
I expect they feel the poor relations – everything is relative! I suspect too that most are foreign owned and with absent owners. If you ever get up to London, this is well worth taking a look at.
Terrific images Andy. Lots of great lines. I particularly like the last one with the two people on their phones.
Thanks Len. It’s my style of architecture.
You have done a lot of interesting photography of architecture lately. Nice.
Thank You, Bente. There’s plenty of interesting architecture to be found walking round London
Amazing building Andy. The pavement of course doesn’t belong to security guys but they can get pretty heavy handed. A swift exit would always be prudent I think..
Always good to have an exit planned! It really is an impressive set of buildings. Thanks Adrian.