English Rose portraits

If  I don't share these photos now I'll sit on them waiting for the 'right time'.

The main English Rose photograph is the image that means the most to me of the whole set. My studio came with these murals and I had it noted on my shot list to see if the Queen Elizabeth 1st would work as a portrait shot. I had planned for Sophia to do a similar pose to Princess Margaret in the Cecil Beaton Dior dress image, sat with the dress flared all around and looking regal. The proportions and idea of Elizabeth looming over Sophia didn't work. 

I asked Sophia sit up on the mantelpiece where she nestled in front of Elizabeth as a successor rather than a subject. 

The result portrays An English Rose.

I'm really pleased with them but have been looking at them non stop for the last 7 days and have lost all perspective. I hope when I look back on them next year I will still love some of these shots. 

Sophia made every shot beautiful, it was impossible to choose. Usually I get maybe 20% usable images from a shoot. I’m not great at directing or use the wrong settings. This shoot there were 90% usable. A professional model makes a huge difference. 

I booked Sophia to model as I had worked with her before and knew she was professional and had the face I needed. Sophia is also a designer maker and creative from London so in this image in particular was fitting not just in looks but in identity. I understand this is very much my gaze and about my own cultural identity being British and needing a way to look at it with hope and pride. 

To feel the shame of being English which I had for so long, discounted all the people here who are brilliant and inspiring and just getting on. I gave too much focus to those who hate and need to only give air to those who hope. 

I just kept saying to myself, focus on the beautiful. This is what its about. 

These are my favorite 11 today

Model - Sophia Brown aka Velvet Jones

Photographs - Alexandra King

Dresses - Alexandra King 

Black Lives Matter Bristol June 7th

Today I marched because black lives matter. I was here for my Mum and all the people of colour who have had to carry the pain of racism for hundreds of years. 
As a white person I must take responsibility and use my privilege to stand in the way of racism. 
We can't change history but we can change our future. Children of colour are entitled to grow up with opportunities, with confidence and pride in themselves. With absolute equality. 

No virus is as deadly as racism. 

I would like to thank the organizers, smart young people who bought people together and led a peaceful, respectful protest. The removal of the despicable slave trader statue was a joyous point in the march and simply a job that needed doing a long time ago. 

Update - In the week that has now passed I have thought a lot about photographing this moment. Was it voyeurism or documenting a moment that was important to me? Street photography and taking peoples photos without permission in public is hard, it feels invasive despite being perfectly legal and well intentioned.
How would I feel if I had been photographed, I probably was as there were lots of photographers all getting their shots. I suppose I would be fine as long as I looked ok! My face is out there in public anyway and I hope I am a kind photographer. 

Photographing protests in less safe countries ie. China would be a different process. It would be wrong to share anyone's faces. If I photographed the pulling down of the statue it wouldn't have been ok to share the peoples faces as they could have been at risk of arrest.

I need a lesson in ethics and photography. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.

Park Street, Bristol 

This little boy arrived early with his Mum and scootered around college green with his Police Brutality vest on. The next generation is why we must make change now. 

Families arriving onto college green. 

A couple of people have a conversation in sign language. 

A couple of girls sit safely in the bus shelter.

The policewoman watching over the green.

Spiderman poses for photos

After the 9 minute kneel. 9 minutes is a long time to kneel, plenty of time to think about what you are doing.

A girl in a hope T shirt. 

I just loved this dress, fashion spot.

This sound system had all the base, as pictured.

This elderly man did have a sign saying 'black lives matter' which he held up for me but the photo didn't come out. It was wonderful to see such a diverse crowd. 

A photographer gets a higher shot.

After the removal of the statue. 

The police overseeing the statue removal. 

A young couple embrace on the plinth where the slave trader colston once stood.

Eat the rich. They could have at least had a protest sign? 

Ladies taking a break after the march.

Gentlemen having a distanced conversation in the park afterwards.

Castle park

colston tower still over shadows Bristol. Time for renaming.