Shoot with MC Ty - Part 2

I know, I know, it's been a while - my laziness will be the end of me. Literally.

Anyway, back to 22nd of May. The photo shoot was scheduled with Ty for 11.45, I requested the studio and asked Ray to meet me at 11 (I've a paranoia about ever being late, or other people being late, so I do what I can for it not to happen - being late is disrespectful, always was, always will be, and I won't change my mind about this). So I'm on the tube making my early way to the studio in Hackney and who do I see on the same platform waiting for the same train? Ty. Oh sh-t. So much for having everything ready for his arrival. With my heart sunk, I approach him and introduce myself. We talked a little bit about the exhibition and this and that, but my mind was going crazy, I had nothing prepared, I didn't even know where the studio is! I've always been a panicking person but I've also been working so hard lately on learning to "accept and let go". This was definitely a good time to practice it haha. 

I did get myself together though, and Ty and I managed to find our way to the studio and had a lovely conversation in the meantime. 

And Ray was late. Not very late but late nonetheless. Despite my having called him at 9 in the morning to 'confirm' he was going to be on time. It ended up being ok though, I knew he was on his way so I was in my 'staying calm no matter what' mode (I think I got Ray feeling pretty traumatised with all of the hundred calls I'd made to him in the days leading up to the shoot). 

And then it all fell into place. Ray came (yes he makes me stress but gosh I love this boy and it was so nice to see him), a couple of his friends came, Ty was there, I was there, pictures were taken, conversations were being had - it was raw and it was fascinating and I was sitting in a photo studio with one of UK's hip-hop legends. Thank you, life - except I was the one who made it happen. 

I wish I had video footage from the day so I could just post the debates that arose regarding the culture's current and possible future states. This videoing thing - I don't know how to go about it, what the rules are, how to edit it. And it's really annoying. 

Two and a half hours later it was a wrap. So there you have it, as I mentioned in the previous post, for two and a half hours Ty didn't even look at his phone - this is how committed he was to the task at hand. Combine that with his arriving EARLY and you know why he is what he is. Amazing.

I did ask Ty to help me get in touch with Shortee Blitz but as far as asking for favours goes I only managed to make that one. I just already felt so grateful for him supporting this project in the first place, asking for more felt wrong. Am I right? Ty would most probably have most, if not all, people I'm trying to reach in his phone book, but these aren't things I feel comfortable asking for. So the hard way it is then - one done, 19 more people to 'hunt down'. Help me God.

Shoot With MC Ty - Part1

Man.. I will write a proper lengthy one tomorrow - tell you all about how our shoot with Ty went! The day has been so hectic I've literally got 10 minutes before I've to go. Sofia's got sick in the morning which meant no school, I had to frantically find and beg my sister and then Sofia's grandmother to take care of her because obviously I had to be at the shoot.

Ty was absolutely wonderful. And early. And professional. And interesting. And totally willing to give us his time and attention without once looking at his phone. I can't gush enough.

The same could not exactly be said about us (at least I don't think so, although some people do call me out on my inability to give myself praise). This being my first proper shoot, however, I now know exactly what to do next time.

After the shoot I had to run home so I could take Sofia to the doctor. 

Then blog (now)

And I'm all made up already for this date I have in half an hour. 

Followed by an invitation to The Box club (more on that later, too). 

Oh yes, and I haven't mentioned that I've got to be up early so I could make my way to the O2 Arena… for a bungee jump! Woohooo!!!

A few months ago I'd have said no to at least one of the above because, really, it's feeling a bit much with a child on top of that, but now it's like 'isn't that what I've wanted and felt so unfulfilled when it wasn't happening?' Duh.

Emails Please.

Right. Emails. So much is said and written about the powers of contacting people in your field, I have read whole articles and books dedicated to just that. And it makes sense too, obviously. You might not get a reply or you might get a "sorry, not interested" reply (still can't decide which is worse) but I guess if either of that happens at the very least people YOU are interested in find out about your project's existence.
So, so far, where the 'subjects' are concerned, I have sent official project emails to : MC Ty, DJ Shortee Blitz, Skepta, soul2soul, Slick Rick and Akala (check ME out embedding all these links!!! Just now figured out how to do that haha.) Gosh imagine being able to convince Akala to pose for a 'family portrait' with his sister - this idea is making my head spin but thankfully I am good at managing my own expectations - focus on getting them one by one.
(I wonder if I should display the original emails I'd sent on here? I'm undecided on whether I think it's relevant to the blog - I know lots of people freeze at the though of writing the 'right thing' and I know lots of people who feel fine about it. So I guess if I get asked then I'll put it up.)

As far as other people in 'the industry' go, I've emailed: pop-up Ap-Art, Che Kothari (Canada!), Lloyd Bradley, Ali Khalil, Graffik, AJ, Phat Startup (America!), Saphreem King (America!), ABC Life charity (its founder Ashley is sceptical about working with me I tell you, and I am the opposite - super keen!), London Live and, of course, SBTV. These are my big-deal emails (they were long, too!), there have been literally a hundred others sent to galleries, photo studios, photographers, web designers etc.

Like I mentioned yesterday, some reply, some don't, some reply that they don't. And yes it's disappointing to not get the results I want but I have trained myself to not care for longer than an hour. After which I go back to emailing again. Phone conversations are even more interesting - for starters, my English goes and I can easily find myself mumbling BUT I actually prefer calling to emailing. At least when you call you KNOW they will get the information through. I've read lots about how making actual phone calls is what separates the people who 'want' from the people who 'do'. I can definitely see why - I've to spend half a day practicing what I'm going to say before I even dare dialling the number. Oh the effort! (On that note, ABC Life's Ashley's phone has been switched off lately and it's driving me crazy because all I want to do now is keep making offers for the charity)

I guess this is it for today, I just wanted to show that I AM contacting people I think would want/ be able to help and people I would want/ might be able to help. Kelly does most of the research on what's happening in the hip-hop/ art world and she alerts me to something and I make myself known. No matter how long writing that email takes (sometimes 2-3 days to make sure it's appropriate to the receiver). Sometimes it's writing back and forth, sending reminders, asking more questions. As for the results, they haven't come yet, at least not in the form I'd like them to BUT we're having our first shoot tomorrow. OK, arranging 19 more is a daunting thought but I have single handedly put a photoshoot together. With a rapper. And my favourite photographer. It's too bad (is it?) that I'm not good at praise because I should probably celebrate, but I will come home, put my little girl to sleep and start sending more emails.

PS. I've a joints condition, it's really making my life hell today - do you think for someone whose fingers constantly ache a career in blogging is a bad idea?

New Photographers

Well, like I said, I now feel that the project will actually benefit from having more people involved in it. It is not only about having more photographers on stand-by (although the panic attacks I get when I can't get hold of someone are incredibly serious, sometimes I worry for my mental health) but for the most part it is about having more creative power - young talented people throwing ideas around is. The. Best. So when Kelly (my best friend who's behind ForwardA's social media) put information about the exhibition, we were given names of two girls - Alexia and Emma. So I emailed them and we all met up. I swear there's no feeling like seeing people not only willing to share your vision but also build on it. I MUST start videoing these meeting and posting them. It just still feels so awkward I can't seem to get over this barrier. Yet.
By the way, still to this day, as far as my own tastes in photography/ portraiture go, I am convinced no one does it like Ranen http://www.rayfiasco.com/music#5 Sometimes when I go through the proposal and notes I come across his work and I can't stop looking. This boy's visions are amazing.
So I guess this was it for today. Not as hectic as yesterday but I met new people and I tend to consider this an achievement.
It's getting pretty late and my post is looking to be rather light tomorrow because all I am planning to do is get up to my eyeballs in the work of the MC we've scheduled to shoot on Friday. I will spend my time watching him on YouTube so I can be prepared to meet him. So as far as blogging is concerned I'd like to get you up to date on my 'correspondence'. I do send emails you know. Some stay unanswered, some receive replies, none of them has led to anything extraordinary but I originally planned this blog to cover all of my steps on this project. Emails are steps so there you go, tomorrow.
This blog though, it's another headache of mine. Now that I've got the hang of operating it, I want to change its structure so it would look better, be more user friendly and serve the purpose more. I want it to upload my videos and to embed links. I've a structure in mind but bringing it to life is another matter entirely. I have Whatsapped my web designer (she lives in Buenos Aires by the way, we only speak on Skype) and she says what I'm asking is not so easy apparently. Which.. why does it not surprise me?
I'm late for my meditation! Also, this book I'm reading is turning out to be such a treat the 'old' me wouldn't have been able to put it down. But I'm well disciplined these past few days - project first, entertainment second. (Except for this Saturday, my sister and I are bungee jumping at the O2 Arena in the morning.)

Ride of a Day

It's been quite a day. I have finally got the 'courage' to go to SBTV in hopes to find Jamal Edwards and bravely, in a like-i-mean-business way, hand him in my proposal. It is a MUST that he be featured in the exhibition, what he has been doing for the culture is undeniable.

So I knew the street name where the office is but not the number - just, you know, to add to my already unbearable pressure this anticipation of having to go knock on secured doors and ask 'is SBTV' somewhere here? Please enjoy this video of me hyperventilating before I go in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cysv7ZqXS9I&feature=youtu.be 

It all ended worse than I thought though: I was told by one of the receptionists SBTV has moved office ages ago! Great. That's great. Yet another crucial person I don't know how get hold of. Yet.

So I came home and dealt with this photo studio problem I'd got myself into. Because you see I'd made a mistake and assumed one of the photographers has got access to a studio (it's actually more than that, I'd actually assumed they've got their own studio!) and just went on and scheduled our first official shoot without confirming with the boys first. Um, dumb. Um, totally paid for it with extensive growth of grey hairs on my head when I realised what I'd done. So I could either email the artist and ask to reschedule (look up the description of 'unprofessionalism', this is textbook) or do what I have to do to make the show go on. So I googled, made calls, bargained and borrowed money from my friend so we could have our first portrait shoot on Friday, as agreed.

After this was done, I went to the BBC Broadcasting House and waited for Charlie Sloth to appear. By now I have started giving him warning calls that I am lurking around, I've been so persistent when it comes to him I find myself apologising for acting like a leech ha! But please trust me when I say: there hasn't been a man nicer than Charlie. He might not pick up his phone when I call or reply my texts, but when I do see him he never, and I mean NEVER, not willing to help. OK, maybe he does like this exhibition idea and I guess that helps but believe me when I say the man. is. boss.

Anyway, we talked for a few minutes and I was given the email address of his agent so that I could schedule the time for Chalie's photo shoot. Well I've sent the request, and now I shall await.

I'm exhausted by the way. It didn't feel like I've accomplished much but now that I'm writing about it it does look like a long day. I want to restructure this blog and to be able to write more frequently. While the sh-t is fresh you know.

Night now. Meditation time for me. Also haven't read a book in ages, I'm starting 'The Hundred Hearts' tonight. 

It all seems like one never-ending challenge

Today, I have counted and described FOUR obstacles to making this project/ exhibition happen. And I haven't even looked into funding yet. Panicking isn't the word right now and I have to start all over again. But if I don't then I'll have failed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4iQArat1Ro&feature=youtu.be

An evening with Lloyd Webber

The man whom I credit with teaching me the history and evolvement of black music in UK? Lloyd Bradley. And I went to his book event yesterday evening.  

It was whilst I was reading 'Sounds Like London: 100 years of black music in the capital' that I came up with the exhibition idea. So not only did reading his book give me an abundance of fascinating info it inspired my project, too. 

My friend Kelly alerted me to the event. I'd already purchased tickets to go see Kwabs, but as a no-braner work comes first. 

And it was such a lovely evening! Not only did I manage to introduce myself and have my book signed, I also gave him the newly printed and bound proposal (seriously, I feel like it's my baby, too bad I can't belly-cup it because it totally would!)

Whether Lloyd will or will not get back to me - I don't know. But I do know that he's now aware of both my existence and the project. 

Listening to him speak about balck music and London was magic. As random as it seemed for a Russian to be in that room, it was the only place I wanted to be in last night. 

Also, unrelated, Lloyd runs marathons. How cool is that? There's always something totally irresistible about sportsmen. Makes you want to trust them because you know they're well disciplined.