Ralph Hutchings, 2013
Since 5th May 2012 I have been regularly walking up to strangers and asking them if I can take their photograph. I’m drawn to the stylish and the interesting and all of the people featured here are one or the other or both. Londoners (temporary or permanent) remain a really cool bunch. These shots were taken between March and July 2013.
This time, I’ve included some previously unseen portraits from as far back as last winter. I’m not quite sure why they did not get posted at the time but, anyway, remedied now. Also, I’ve taken out some of the shots I was not happy with, so this isn’t a complete picture, but perhaps it’s a better one.
Grant, Michael and Ralph (above) deserve to be shown in full size, so here they are. And there have been requests for a colour version of Damon Albarn’s portrait, so that is also included.
Grant, 2013
Grant, 2013
Michael, 2013
Damon Albarn, 2013
If you want to see the original posts, a quick search of TFIPM by the person’s name should bring up the relevant page.
Jack Hunt is available for modelling work and can be contacted on Instagram: ahoytherejack.
More on Ralph Hutchings here.
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has stopped and given me their time – it really is very much appreciated. It was a pleasure meeting you all. Hope you like your picture!
*
This post is dedicated to George Skeggs, my first street portraitee – without him there would have been no beginning…
All images © Richard Guest 2013
The Future Is Papier Mâché 
Really enjoy following your portrait “hunting”, very well done Richard… 🙂
Thanks very much, Drake! 🙂 Really glad you like them. More to come I’m sure…
nice to see the pictures in one post again.
proud to be among them 🙂
Thanks very much, Inge. That’s so nice to hear 🙂 Thanks!
a very impressive collection, richard. keep’em coming 😉
Thanks very much. I’ll try my best.
You find the most interesting looking people 😉
Yes, they’re great aren’t they? I only approach people I like the look of. Thanks for the comment, Dawn.
Y/W..you have a great eye.
Thanks very much!
It is great to see old friend and to meet some new ones that I haven’t seen before. A great collection of portraits. Thanks!
Thanks very much, George! Really glad you like them. Some of them do seem like old friends to me (and some of them are 🙂 )
Great Pictures! I really like it!
Thanks very much! Glad you like them.
fabulous portraits.
Thanks very much, John. Much appreciated.
Wonderful faces and photos (and I’m sure there are some time-travellers amongst them!).
Thanks very much, Michelle. (Ha, yes!)
Resurrect the art, and stay the course. Fabulous 🙂
Thanks very much 🙂
There are quite a few here that I don’t remember seeing before and I’m glad you decided to include them here. Like the smiling older woman and the fellow in the adjacent image. Also the one where the girl’s face is mostly covered by her sleeve. Some others too. I don’t think I missed them, I think they’re ones you didn’t already post – I hope I’ve got that right!
It’s interesting, I think, how images one initially ‘rejects’ can later on, with ‘fresh eyes’, seem acceptable, if not rather nice.
Yes, I’ve included quite a few that I haven’t posted before – need to organise my “archive” better so I don’t miss stuff in future. Totally agree – sometimes it takes a fair few months to see the good in something.
I especially like your photos of people wearing glasses . . . . They can’t hide!
How do you mean?
Great retrospective – nice to see them all in one place
Thanks very much. Much appreciated.
I like the additions, and the omissions. Great compilation 🙂
🙂 Thanks very much, EllaDee.
A lot of colorful characters, I love how you’re documenting London (I guess it’s mostly Londoners?) and I think it’s very cool that you’re approaching all of them and ask for their permit to shoot a portrait. A lot of photographers would be to afraid to ask and just settle for flower photography instead.
🙂 Thanks very much, Cardinal. I really get a kick out of it now (and spend more time talking to people). I have terrible trouble trying to photograph flowers – had a disastrous weekend session recently.
One of my photographer friends said to me last night: «Photographing flowers is for beginners and old people.»
I guess that means that you don’t fit into either of those categories.
🙂
What an amazing collection of portraits, made all the more special by your confidence in asking strangers to pose for you and by their generosity in doing so.
Thanks very much, Lena. Yes, I’m so grateful to everyone for stopping for me – very nice of them and very trusting.
Oh no! He’s got beautiful blue eyes! Hehehe! Lovely Ricky! Michael is from those Jason Bourne films, isn’t he? What a lovely, cheery fellow 🙂 !
Is he? I haven’t seen those. Thanks very much, Gigi!
Fabulous stuff! Love 🙂
Thanks very much! 🙂 Really glad you like them.
Nice work. I think you did post a couple of these already though. 😉
Oops, sussed again! 🙂 Thanks very much, Carissa.
No worries!
A great set of images, and nice to see them all together in one place! A great portfolio you’re building there, Richard! 😀
Thanks very much, my friend! 🙂 Sorry about the delay with the collab – I’ll try and email you tomorrow pm.
Haha… No worries! 😀
Fantastic! So happy to see this collection. Such wonderful and interesting faces all around.
Thanks very much, Melanie! It was a blast taking them – great people.
Yes. Yes. Yes. That is awesome!
Thanks so much, Niel. I take that as a big compliment!
I love the collection Richard. It’s wonderful to be reminded of those I completely enjoyed, and to check out the few I happened to miss. Great work!
Thanks very much, Alex! I’m really glad you like them. It was a real trip down Memory Lane for me putting this together.
What a great portrait series! Awesome … Thank you, Richard
Thanks very much, Anette! It was a pleasure, believe me.
Wow. Such an strong collection of portraits. Richard, little bits of your fiction pop to mind when I move through the series. Glimpses of personality and possibilities.
You rock the portrait making scene!
Thanks so much, Karen! That’s great – I’m glad the portraits don’t seem separate from the other things on here. That’s such a nice thing to say – thanks!
Hi Richard, a fantastic collection of your finest shots, it’s great to see them all together.
Hi Cheryl! Thanks very much. No doubt there will be more…
A really strong collection you have here, Richard – what a great portfolio! I seem to have missed quite a few along the way so I have enjoyed flicking through them. I wonder if you have a favourite? I know I do!
Thanks very much, Emily! I’m really glad you enjoyed them. Yes, I do have a favourite, but couldn’t possibly reveal it. 🙂
I thought so! Just wondered 😉
Richard, you should be extremely proud of your gallery of personalities. You must have quite a knack for putting people at ease in order to catch glimpses of real souls. Excellent!
Thanks very much, Elena. That’s a lovely thing to say. I think it’s just down to approaching people I like the look of – they can sense I’m genuinely interested in them so they are more ready to say yes. Thanks!
Excellent collection, Richard. I’ve enjoyed immensely seeing these posts over the past months. Gathered here, they take on a new life. Congratulations on this work. Let’s hope this post doesn’t mean the end of this project.
Thanks very much, Chris. I’m really glad you like them. They’ve been great fun to take. Thanks – don’t think it’s at an end yet – I’ve taken two in the last few days.
Wow, collected is just breathtaking! You should be very proud. You have a strong series here! I can so imagine these as an exhibit: “Faces of London” –and a book too!
Thanks so much, Jennifer! I’d love to put them in a space sometime (along with some of the older shots). But what I really want to do is show them next to abstract paintings (preferably by someone else).
Okay, Londoners do rock. This is a great collection.
Ha, thanks very much TTG! They do indeed.
A thousand stories here. I truly enjoy meeting these Londoners Richard, Carry on.
I’ll do my best, Dohn. Really glad you like the shots. Thanks very much.
Awesome set, you achieved a lot of street portrait, impressive ! i really like some of those shots, keep going this way, it seems to suits you well 🙂
Thanks, Guillaume. I’ve taken hundreds of these of the last two years.
What is beautiful?
These portraits are beautiful.
But, the portraits are not only beautiful,
They are also wonderful.
Thank you so much, NgTom! That is such a nice comment. And a great compliment coming from you.
Richard, they all look so good together and I love the colour versions of Grant, Michael and DA, the animation in his face is superb! Congratulations on such a superb collection!
Thanks very much, Patti! That means a lot to me. I was going to give it a rest for a while, but then I ran into a rather famous actor…
Wow, it’s busy here… And I’m making my way through this crowd you’ve created 😉
While doing this I’m thinking about your latest comment…and dare to ask you: How do you archive your images? As I find that the most delicate thing to do when it comes to seriously looking at your work and realizing that you have something real good going on. Something that’s strong and should also be shown out there in the real world. OH well, maybe, this is to much to ask…and all those people talking at the same time…Anyway, the images in this post Richard are Goed! (dutch for good)
Cheers, and yes, cheers again
😉
Belinda
🙂 Hi Belinda! Thanks very much! I’m afraid my archive is a couple of hapharzardly arranged hard drives. I really ought to do something about it. And you’re right – I should do something about getting the images into a different context, but I’m in a real time-crunch at the moment. Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂
Wish I knew the stories behind those eyes you captured in photos. Great job!
First time I bump into you in this virtual world 🙂
Thanks very much! Wish I did too. Yes, very nice to meet you – like your blog very much 🙂
Richard, such a fantastic collection. Somehow looking at them makes me warm to humanity again 🙂 You’ve captured such souls and characters, and with real style and warmth. These really do deserve an exhibition or book – don’t stop! 🙂
Thanks so much, Cath. That’s great to hear. 🙂 Once I get out of my time crunch, I’ll have a think about exhib/ book. 🙂 Thanks!
What a great body of work, I feel like I know them all personally!
Thanks so much, Alison – that’s great to hear!
Fantastic collection Richard, so good to see them altogether.
Thanks very much, Leanne. I like it that every time I collect them they’re out of date and the next batch have begun.
A fascinating collection. Beautiful images!
Thanks very much!
Seeing them all in one gallery makes them even more impressive Richard! I really enjoy browsing the little ones comparing the pose and the lay out before popping them open. Real nice work
Thanks very much, Chris – that’s a very nice compliment! I’m really glad you like them. Sorry I am so slow to reply – don’t know how your comment evaded me.
I am happy you read it! No worries
Bravo~Excellent job done. I’m so proud and happy to be part of this unique journey.
Thank you very much Richard!
Thanks so much, Arjun – that’s a lovely sentence to read! It’s become something of a compulsion – not sure I could stop now, even if I wanted to.
You’re the chosen one. What this journey sums up to eventually will be read and studied by many.