record number of restaurant self-portraits ( part one )

a few weeks ago i had a shoot in a fantastic restaurant in london.

oh. what i mean is, a fantastic looking restaurant.

i can't really vouch for the food as i haven't eaten there

but i would say they do nice coffee, so that's good.

i like it when i have a shoot and they send a p.r. girl to keep an eye on me...

or rather to help me with the logistics of shooting.

it's as if i speak a different language to the restaurant staff and the p.r. girl 

acts as an interpreter.

this girl was very nice indeed. let's call her 'u'

so 'u' asks me what i'd like and i say i'd like a couple of tables setting and that

if any customers come in, to seat them in the far corner.

then she whizzes over to the reception and says "that miserable photographer

wants those tables setting and if any customers come in, bung them in the corner...

got that ?"

so, after exchanging pleasantries and gossip with 'u' i started taking photos.

naturally after a couple of minutes i got distracted and spotted a place for a 

self-portrait.

it was genius.

so i asked 'u' to come and join in the fun

what the what ?!

i told her that smiling was unacceptable and that i'd have to take another frame.

hmmm...

that's better.

in fairness, i cracked on and did the shoot properly, getting some corking shots

if i say so myself. i was really having a good time because 'u' was a good help and

a good laugh, plus at one point a couple of policemen came in and i told them to poke 

off out of the way because they were in my shot.

oh, i also told them i thought they were strippergrams when they walked in.

they seemed to like me saying that... ( or did they ? )

anyway, just before i packed up i thought i'd crack out a few more self-portraits.

i got 'u' to stand in while i tested the frame

perfect

so i set the camera on the self-timer and jumped in.

boom !

how do you like me now ?

as you may have noticed, 'u' was smiling in the previous frame so...

still a bit smiley for my liking

one more try

oh well.

( you might like to note that i maintained my serious face the whole time )

and it was a bit tricky during the last frame because the two policemen

sat down just behind the camera and started hurling abuse at me

saying things like 'smile' and other abusive words.

oh no !

my pizza has just turned up.

i have to go.

i'll finish this post tomorrow.

bye !