Big city, umbrellas, flowers, coffee and rain.
7.30am Thurs morning, Starbucks, Hammersmith, London.
I’m sitting watching the world go by whilst on route to the SWPP Convention at the Novotel just across the way. Steams of people pour across the pedestrian crossing just in front of me and a young girl no more than eighteen stands under cover of the building, selling newspapers out of reach of the pouring rain that is colouring this scene in ever increasing shades of black.
Fifteen minutes earlier I had been walking from the municipal car park head down, hands in pockets and camera safe in its bag over my shoulder.
7.15am and all of life is here.
It’s still dark, the pavement is shiny black with rain water and all around me are people; a sea of umbrellas, all going to the same place, but going their own way, I past a delivery van full of flowers, delivery man collar up against the weather and a small deli / sandwich shop just setting up for the day busying themselves within a room so small that three costumers would fill it. In the distance the tree’s of Hammersmith are full of lights adding to the shine of a pavement that is mainly obscured by the minions on there way to work.
On the opposite side of the road there’s a small advertisement poster of David Cameron airbrushed to within an inch of his life proclaiming a safe and prosperous nation under he’s leadership, this seams to be in stark contrast to all the dark and wet of the surroundings..
Had this been a street photography project I could have happily spent an hour here filling my boots, however I have a seminar to attend and there is a cup of coffee with my name on it only a couple of hundred years away.
Cities I think, have a unique charm in the rain. A couple of years ago Val and I were in Florence, an ancient city the center of which is pedestrianized and whilst there we experienced a down pour that rendered the city a wash with umbrellas not far removed from the scene in Hammersmith. The photo above was taken shortly after that down pour.
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