I spend every Saturday lugging my suitcase around busy East London streets, and to be honest, I wouldn't change a thing. Today I talk you through my routine, where to shoot, where to eat and where to treat yourself after a long few hours shooting.
7am: alarm goes off, get ready (and probably pack suitcase because I leave everything until the last minute)
8am: bus to the station
9am: meet a mate and shoot some ideas (mostly "there'll do)
9am-1pm: shooting shooting shooting
And I now realise how boring that all sounds now I've written it out but GO WITH IT.
Okay so location time. Liverpool Street Station is a hub. There's the Exchange next door, with pretty steps and on the weekends, the bars and cafes are closed so the outdoor seating is a hidden gem to use. It's always pretty quite up there (because nothing is open) so the perfect place for a quick change. I always wear cycling shorts and a vest top so no nudity occurs.
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| The Spitalfields shops |
You've got Spitalfields Market around the corner too. Here's where I spend most of my time. There are a tonne of different shop fronts, market stools and hidden roads that I won't shoot in the same place more than once in a few weeks. For food and drink, there is of course a bundle of restaurants inside the market, including a pub and food stall/trucks too. I usually opt for Costa, purely because I like tea & cake AND there's a toilet too for outfit changes. For a treat too I've visited Duck and Dry too, for perfect hair for the photos. It's so quick, half hour to 40 minutes for a blow dry and style. And I can NEVER recreate the bounce and volume that they do there, at home. They've now extended too, with a bar and even more hair eggs (is that right?!). It's Instagram worthy too, if you were wondering, with a flower wall, light word signs and that bar I mentioned? It's pink marble. Oh gosh indeed my friend.
At the back of Spitalfields, slightly more North (as in a few feet away) is Shoreditch. The cool people's paradise. Now, if you're looking for coffee then Shoreditch Grind isn't far, just on Old Street roundabout, but I'd opt more for Brick Lane. The road is packed every minute of every day however. I'd recommend shooting at one of the far ends, as it's 'less' busy and some of the roads are one way too, so less traffic for those walking across the road shots. My pamper NO.2 location is the new Luka Spa. I attended their packed out launch party and was kindly gifted a gel manicure and Swedish back massage. Get a massage if you can. Shooting 6 outfits then going into a dark room with the sounds of waterfalls and just calmness, was a wonder I'll never forget.
Other Eastal locations include the likes of St Pauls, The Sky Garden, and even the Shard, if you don't mind heights.
The East of London is home to many fab places. It's my home, my workplace and happy place.
The end.
Duck and Dry blow dry: Before and after
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