OVER THE HILL: A PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNEY

OVER THE HILL by Roberto Foddai

          

‘Alright boys, this is it, over the hill’ is the intro of the song “Bring on Lucie” by John Lennon and, although the phrase ‘over the hill’ has somewhat negative connotations, it is announced on the record in a very positive way by Lennon who goes on to sing ‘Do it, do it, do it, do it now!’ and so, for me, the title of this exhibition is optimistic despite the double meaning.

In May 2007, I answered an advertisement in Time Out from Graeme Montgomery, whom I know now to be an extremely talented professional photographer. He was compiling a book of nudes and wanted to photograph the first 100 people to answer the advert so I thought ‘why not?’ and went along and found that I was number one! Strangely enough, two other photographers advertised in the following two issues of Time Out, this time for people to pose for portraits, and they both photographed me subsequently. That was that for a while until, in February 2008, I answered an advert in our local newspaper from a student, Daisy Lang, who wanted to photograph people with illnesses for her final year’s project. Subsequently, I discovered that there were many photographers advertising on the Internet for models for particular projects. I wrote an email to the first photographer explaining that I was 57 and had Parkinson’s Disease and that ‘I wanted to continue on my path of being photographed by different people during the course of my illness’. Suddenly, as I wrote those words, I realised that I had my own project.

Since then, over 240 different photographers have photographed me and it has been incredibly interesting and exciting as I have seen the project develop day by day. I have met many wonderful, skilful people many of whom, normally, I would never have met let alone spent several hours with them.

It has been a fascinating journey. I have always loved photography but never had the patience or skill to practice it successfully. However, being a model has enabled me to collaborate with brilliant practitioners of the art and to be part of the artistic photographic process.

I decided on "Over the Hill" as the title of the project in January 2009 but I had not discussed this with anyone until I met Roberto Foddai a few weeks later to talk about his ideas for our shoot. He produced two pieces of headgear he wanted me to wear and said that one of them had some wording on it which he felt was somewhat ironic. He turned it over and on the front were the words  – ‘Over the Hill’.


This project is dedicated to my wife the artist, Jane Andrews, who has taught me about integrity, truth and wisdom through acts, words and deeds all of which are encompassed in her truly wonderful paintings www.janeandrews.co.uk

Free the people, now.

Do it, do it, do it, do it now.

Tim Andrews

YOU'RE SAFE WITH ME by Sarah Lee

YOU'RE SAFE WITH ME by Sarah Lee

Just about every week, I come across a great photograph in The Guardian and I ask myself, "Who is this by?" and, almost without exception, I find that it has been taken by Sarah Lee. What is it about Sarah's work that makes it so enjoyable? I think it is the softness of the image; the love and care that has been invested in the taking and developing of the picture; the connection between photographer and subject; the knowledge and experience that she has built up over her successful career. And yet, after she had photographed me, she looked again at the other photographs on this blog and said that she felt a fraud in the face of all the breathtaking imagery that I had commissioned. I have encountered similar reactions before by some photographers but Sarah could not be more wrong and I told her so but, even then, although she thanked me for my reassuring comments, she commented that she felt I was prone to being kind in general.  Now, I would like to discuss this briefly lest any other photographers feel the same. I am often accused of being gushing when I comment on my photographs and that may well be correct...to a point. However, I feel that no self respecting artist will ever be fully satisfied by what he or she has done and often will be highly self critical which is as it should be and it is not for me to dwell on the negative and certainly it would not be fair or appropriate for me to analyse photographs critically as I am not a photographer myself. Of course, I have opinions about photographic work but I am a very positive person and I am fortunate to be so and, therefore, my tendency is to look for the positives in anyone's work. But that is not to say that my opinions and critiques are questionable. Indeed, I do feel I have been very honest in my assessment of the images in the Project. So when I say that Sarah is a GREAT photographer, not only do I mean it but also it is true.

It must also be mentioned that I wrote to Sarah as long ago as 2009 asking if she would like to photograph me because I loved her work so much; I did not receive a reply but apparently that was because the email went to her office computer and disappeared under a welter of emails and goodness knows what. Four years later, Luke Dodd, the curator of my exhibition at The Guardian Gallery proposed that I be photographed by one of the Guardian's photographers and suggested, to my sheer and utter delight, that Sarah took this on. And take it on she did. I travelled by tube to Mornington Crescent and it was not long before I was shaking the hand of a large rotund woman with greasy hair and rotten teeth - wrong flat. I found the right flat and was met on the threshold by very attractive open faced woman with eyes of the brightest blue set off by short blond hair, twists of which curled prettily in front of each ear. We shook hands and Sarah introduced me to her charming little dog, Frieda, (whom, I was informed, has a penchant for men) and then offered me Apple and Cinnamon tea and we chatted a bit before Sarah set up a black backdrop against which she took some headshots using both her large heavy digital camera, the make of which I forget (if I ever knew it), and a recently acquired and much loved Leica digital camera which Sarah quite rightly said emitted a far more pleasant whirring sound as the shutter clicked at the defining moment. We decided to go outside as well and do some location shots which we did on the stairwell of her building, through a pub window and, finally, along the canal at Camden Lock. It was these last shots that Sarah enthused about, particularly those with my eyes shut which felt weird as, by then, the effects of my medication were beginning to wear off. But, dear reader, please look at the images above and below and tell me that they are not superb. You cannot because they are superb in every way. The gentle sweep of the sun over my face brings me forward into the viewer's consciousness prompting various questions. Who is this man? Where is he? What is he thinking? Anything or nothing? What are the blotches of light behind? Who cares? We do because, by virtue of her innate skill, Sarah has ensured that we do, that we engage with the person we see before us.

Afterwards, we returned to her flat over looking the rooftops of Camden and had tea and biscuits whilst Frieda looked on longingly, not at me but at the jammy dodgers balancing on the arm of the sofa on which I was sitting - so near and yet so far. We talked (that is, Sarah and I talked - Frieda was otherwise engaged) about photography, Phillips Roth's Nemesis and the various versions of songs with the title "Over the Hill" by John Martin, Loudon Wainwright and Annie McGarrigle until it was time for me to leave. I tickled Freda's ears one last time, kissed Sarah goodbye and threw myself off the balcony and floated down to the street below using a white handkerchief as a parachute. That last bit was a lie - I took the lift - but, as I walked away, I noticed a spring in my step. I had just been photographed by Sarah Lee.

I received the photographs from Sarah the next day and, whilst thanking her, asked her if she remembered whether I had proposed a title for the photograph. I thought I had but she could not recall my doing so but did suggest one of her own - ''You're safe with me''. And I was too.

WEBSITE: http://www.sarahmlee.com/

LEE MILLER

Picnic by Lee Miller

© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Years ago, I saw this photograph in a Sunday Supplement and I was transfixed. Some people are born uptight and out of sight, some people achieve that state of being and some have it thrust upon them. I have no idea where mine came from but I was uptight and out of sight for many years until Jane got her teeth into me and slowly I unwound myself. Underneath, I was fine. I never took any drugs but I loved getting high on life, love, nature and film and so, when I read about the effect of drugs, I felt somehow that I had been there and that I knew what it was all about. Of course, I knew nothing but I had something coursing through my veins making my toes curl. So, when I saw this photograph, I knew it was about the inner me. It is so beautiful, so natural, so free. I fell in love with it and I fell in love with Lee Miller.

Fast forward a few years to the computer on my desk at work. I used it only for legal work but eventually, we bought a computer to have at home and, tentatively, I began to use it. One day, I typed "Lee Miller" into the search engine and my life changed forever. That sounds a bit melodramatic but it is true, in fact. I found that her house, Farley Farm, in East Sussex, was open to the public and so I booked a tour and one lovely warm summer's day, Jane and I went down to Muddles Green and, with several other people, we met Lee's son, Antony Penrose who gave a short illustrated talk about his mother in the hall of the house. Then he and his daughter, Ami, showed us around the house. The tour started off in the kitchen and we were shown a tile made by Picasso which was fixed to the wall behind the Aga and I remember thinking "Who cleans that with Jif?" Farley Farm remains a house, a home rather than a museum, even though it is packed full of wonderful paintings by Roland Penrose, Miro, Max Ernst and Picasso and photographs of and by Lee Miller and Man Ray. At the end of the tour, I felt my eyes were filled with light. We all reconvened in the hall and we were served with tea and biscuits by Antony's former nanny, Patsy, and I introduced myself to Tony.

I said how much I loved the photograph of The Picnic and that I thought I had seen another similar photograph taken on the same day a few years ago. Tony said that I had, in The Observer and, flashing that warm smile of his, he asked "Would you like to see some more?" I think it was Ami who scurried off and returned with a large book which she opened to reveal the original strip of negatives and the contact sheet of the piece of film taken that same day in 1937. It was like finding the Holy Grail.

Tony Penrose and Picasso
© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

The following summer, I visited the house again with my niece, Olivia, and Tony recognising me, chatted in that easy, friendly, wide-eyed way of his. I see something of me in him in that we both believe in true love and we are fascinated by unconventional life styles. We met again, soon after I had been diagnosed with Parkinson's, when he came to Charterhouse School and gave another wonderful illustrated lecture about his mother's life and work. At dinner afterwards he talked to Jane about her work and I mentioned my project. Of course, we talked about his mother too and I realised that he was as much of a fan as I was.

Tony at Farley Farm
© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

So how did this change my life? Well, I have always liked taking photographs but I was never really any good at it. However, once I was introduced to Lee Miller and her work, I developed a passion for Photography; not the craft or act of taking photographs but the meaning of Photography. I found that, if I walked into an exhibition of mixed media, I would head for the photographic images. If I visited the National Portrait Gallery, I would be drawn to the photographs rather than the paintings.

As I am a bear of little brain, it is not easy to intellectualise what it is about photography that grabs me. The nearest I get is that I am fascinated by the fact that a photograph is real in that it depicts what we actually see but at the same time it is unreal because nothing is ever frozen in time. This love of photography caused me to answer the advertisement to model for Graeme Montgomery which was the start of my project - the rest is history.

Lee Miller

© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

So I fell in love with Lee Miller but what is it about her and her work that I adore so much? Well, I never met her but I feel I know what she was like because her photographs are infused with her personality. There is humour (see the brilliant picture of the two models wearing masks); there is romance (see the image "A Portrait of Space"); there is courage (see any of her war photographs); there is compassion (in spite of her anger at what the Nazis did - look at the beautiful face of the young german girl whom, with her parents, has committed suicide); there is the unashamed display of her body (see Man Ray's gorgeous pictures of her). And there is deep depression brought on by the horrors which she witnessed during the liberation of Europe and which precipitated her decision to pack up all her photographic equipment and stow it away in her attic together with thousands of negatives some of which are only now being developed and made public for the first time.

A Portrait of Space
© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

In 2005, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. In 2006, I retired as a solicitor. In 2007, my project began and 240 photographers, four exhibitions, a piece on the Culture Show and articles in various magazines later, Jane and I were invited to exhibit jointly at Farley Farm itself. Can you begin to understand what that meant to me? I was so bloody honoured. I have no idea how cameras work. I could never be a professional photographer but I can say that I have worked with some of the very best photographers around - do you know how good that is? And, in doing so, I have collaborated with wonderful artists and we have used humour and romance and courage and compassion and nudity to produce some stunning images.  

And so, on 2nd June 2013, Jane and I will open our joint exhibition "Over the Hill and Don't Look Back'' at Farley Farm - Lennon, Dylan, Miller, Penrose, Jane Andrews and me! I know, I know, I am not in their league but what acts to follow.

"Alright boys, this is it...over the hill" 

© Lee Miller Archives, England 2013. All rights reserved. www.leemiller.co.uk

Over the Hill at The Guardian Gallery 22nd May to 21st June 2013

I am very pleased to say that I have been invited to exhibit some photographs from my project, "Over the Hill", at The Guardian Gallery in King's Place London from 22nd May until 21st June 2013. 

The exhibition will incorporate over 30 of the photographs including those by Steve Bloom, Alex Boyd, Jillian Edelstein, Spencer Murphy, Rankin, Lucy Ridges and many other similarly distinguished photographic artists. Needless to say, I am very proud to be showing there and chuffed to bits on behalf of all the wonderful photographers chosen by the Guardian to be represented.

The Exhibition is being supported by the charity, Parkinson's UK, with which I have been closely involved over the past seven years or so since my diagnosis. I do hope that many of you readers of my blog will be able to come along and I also hope you don't mind me asking you to consider making a donation to Parkinson's UK via VIRGIN GIVING. This will help tremendously in funding research into new and improved medication and also in helping to find a cure not for me but possibly for future generations

Over and out!

THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY - Number One

I have been photographed by some photographers and have enjoyed their company and the shoot immensely and they seemed also to have done so but, for one reason or another, I have never received a photograph from them. In most cases, I am sure that this is because they are busy earning a living and they simply haven't the time to complete the editing, retouching, scanning or whatever needs to be done. This is quite understandable and acceptable. Furthermore, I have been very fortunate in that, in just about every case, I have not paid for the photograph (and neither have I been paid for my modelling) and so if it is your profession, I fully appreciate that you have to ensure that you give priority to paid work. This is in no way a moan about anyone who had not sent me the photograph - quite the opposite in fact. As I say, I have really enjoyed working with them in every case. However, I thought I would tell the stories of the shoots anyway.

The first guy who photographed me but who has never sent any photographs was a man called Matthew whom I contacted through Gumtree in April 2008. He replied saying that he was impressed with my idea of a photographic diary of a PD sufferer and that he would love to be involved in generating some of the photographs. He suggested that he come over to Milford from his home in Brighton, where he worked as a teacher. He came over and spent quite some time photographing me with two cameras, one of which was an old favourite 35 mm camera which I think had been owned by his mother or grandmother. In fact, he left it behind and I called him on his mobile and, luckily he hadn't driven very far so he came back to fetch it. One month passed without any photographs so I wrote but received no reply. I wrote twice again and then called him and he said that he had put a CD in the post but would do so again. I sent him my address by email but heard nothing and eventually my last email was returned to me in December 2008 as it could not be delivered. All I have is a photograph of Matthew which is shown below. A very nice guy but quite why he never sent anything, I shall never know.

Matthew in our garden at Ravenswood

THE CENTRE OF FOCUS by Rob Hudson

THE CENTRE OF FOCUS by Rob Hudson

We parked the car just off the road and Rob changed his shoes, picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. We turned towards the woods and climbed over the style and made our way up the hill. The ground had dried out and, as our feet fell upon it, there was that lovely soft crunching sound that spoke of the richness of the earth below mixed with dead leaves and twigs all feeding the roots of the trees and the plants surrounding them. We followed and then traversed a dry stream dappled with the grey of the slate washed clean by the winter rain and all the while nattered between breaths as we drew in the fresh morning air and then let it drift out on our intermittent friendly chatter. I looked up at the canopy of the twisted branches seemingly knitted together by some unknown hand or maybe there were boughs invisible to the eye around which the branches had wrapped themselves as they were forced to turn this way and that to produce a crochet of wood, succulent and alive, for our special delight. These misshapen limbs were dabbed with a vibrant green moss which heralded a calamity of colour that will surely follow as finally, happily Spring arrives and when the green woods laugh with the voice of joy. 

We arrived at our destination - a small clearing - and Rob put down his rucksack and proceeded to light a cigarette as his brain began to tick and I stood and watched as the all the constituents of the photographs yet to be created began to collect in an orderly manner in the thoughts that had begun to take form the moment he had read my first message to him some days before. He directed where I should stand and whether or not I should move and then we decamped and he circled me as I lifted up my arms at his behest, luxuriating in the physicality of movement in nature. Who would have thought when I sat at my desk some eight years before, that in a few years' time, I would be spending my days with people like Rob in places like this? 

After about an hour, I suppose, we retraced our steps to the dry stream, the style and then the car and moved on to the verdant sand dunes overlooked by the satanic silhouettes of Port Talbot fortunately sufficiently far away not to dampen the ardour of the master photographer and his willing model. Only this day, I did not feel like a model - I felt as one with the woodland and soft creamy landscape of the dunes covered by the dry dead of grass rolled out like carpets that children have played on and laid on while listening to stories of old. The tune of "The Fool on the Hill" was playing over and over in my head as we searched for and found a suitable mound where I twirled round and round and round as Rob kindly filmed me for later. 

Another hour passed before Rob returned me to Llandaff Station and we said goodbye. Only a day earlier, I had met him for the first time at the bottom of the stairs in my hotel in Cardiff. A tall handsome man slightly shy of me until we relaxed into a genial discussion of his ideas for the shoot the following day over a cup of coffee. His easy manner and casual dry humour foretold of the perfect pleasure of his company on the shoot itself.

Reconciliation by Rob Hudson

And the photographs? What of they? Well, see for yourselves. "The Centre of Focus" represents all that is good about this project and about Rob Hudson. Total concentration and passion merged with my willingness to embrace all things that pass. A fractured tree inhabited by a fractured Tim both feeding on a wealth of goodness in this world of ours. Ours? Yes, we all belong. We all come from seed. We are all born and we all die and in between, we all LIVE!!

''...and all this he saw, for one moment breathless and intense, vivid on the morning sky; and still, as he looked, he lived; and still, as he lived, he wondered."

Rob

WEBSITE: http://www.robhudsonland.co.uk/

FUNNY PECULIAR by Helene Roberts and Tiff Oben

FUNNY PECULIAR by Helene Roberts and Tiff Oben

On 15th August 2009, I appeared on the Fourth Plinth as one of 2,400 people chosen by ballot as part of Anthony Gormley's "One and Other" concept. I think that many of the 'plinthers' felt a strong affinity with each other - I did certainly - and watched and supported others who appeared on the plinth. One of my fellow plinthers was Tiff Oben whom I discovered was a photographer. I told her about my project and she agreed to photograph me which she did in Cardiff in 2009. At the same time, I met her friend and colleague, Kim Fielding, but was not able meet her longtime collaborator, Helene Roberts, as she was away at the time. However, I envisaged returning to Cardiff one day so that we could both work together with Helene. And this happened on 6th March 2013.

The first shoot with Tiff had taken place in a mock seedy Victorian Hotel and this time we intended to continue on that theme using another installation built by Tiff and Helene. However, for some reason that I have forgotten, that was not possible and so we decided to use my real hotel room which had a certain seediness about it. I brought some props and that is how I ended up sitting on a bed wearing a clown's mask and false moustache and ready to go! Helene shot on a fish eye lens and we took shots in the bedroom and the bathroom, some clothed and some nude.

The results were extremely interesting with the fish eye emphasising the voyeuristic tone and the props, the clown mask, the false moustache and the black gloves adding to overall creepy feel to the whole thing. This is my favourite shot from that shoot. I like particularly the contrast of my serious facial expression with the daft silhouette of my wig on the wall behind me.  One watches and wonders.

Helene was a delight to work with and it was lovely to be involved with Tiff again. They were up for trying anything and invested each shot with their own quirky sense of fun but at the same time, they treated the whole shoot very seriously and clearly enjoy working together. I have to say that I love working with people (like Tiff and Helene) with whom I feel I can express myself freely both in the poses and in contributing ideas as the shoot progresses.

Great fun.

WEBSITE: http://www.tiffanyoben.co.uk/

UNTITLED by Lucy Ridges

UNTITLED by Lucy Ridges

Lucy was recommended to me by Jonathan Stead and I looked up her work on her website and couldn't get my email off quickly enough. Her portfolio is excellent. Three days later, I received her reply and it was an enthusiastic yes and she asked if it might be possible to come up to her studio in Manchester. Her initial idea was to project an image of an ocean onto my body using an overhead projector but she said that this was just the first idea and no doubt it would change completely over the next few weeks. It did change but not completely. 

We arranged a date for the shoot a few weeks later and she wrote again with more definite ideas. She planned to work with double exposures. She had taken a black and white film out to the mountains in Switzerland the previous weekend and had shot the entire film out there. She intended now to reshoot this film with me in the studio, taking photographs largely of my eyes and face. The loose idea around these images was to recognise the perceived weakness that comes with an illness, in contrast to the strength it takes for a person to live with it. Also, she wanted to photograph me nude sitting on a stool with my legs crossed and to play around with the shadow and with silhouettes and again with double exposures. She wanted to focus on the simplicity of the body for these shots. She also wanted to have a hand coloured image of me. The original image would be nude sitting on a stool and she would print this and hand colour it herself maybe with the colours slightly incorrect to give it a fairly surreal effect. Finally, she wanted to play  around with some circular mirrors which she would pin to the wall and have me looking directly at them so that the eventual photograph would show my face made up of many circles.

And do you know what? That is exactly what she did! Apart from the hand coloured images that is.

I caught the train to Manchester and, as agreed, I waited for her at the station and after a few minutes, this pair of beautiful blue eyes locked onto mine as Lucy walked round the corner and introduced herself. The eyes belonged to Lucy by the way. The reason I mention her eyes particularly is that they said so much about her. Calm, intelligent, fun and assured. And that was how the shoot went. She had a lovely studio cluttered with all sorts of interesting things - a pair of ballet shoes, the model of a boat, a black and white photograph of a nude woman, a shawl. First of all we had a cup of tea. Then we started on the mirror shots and then the nudes and then back to being dressed. In between, we ate our packed lunches (I love the phrase ''packed lunches'' - it reminds me of special outings at school) and then the sad moment that I always dread when she said that she had finished. She walked me back to the station and we said farewell. It was a lovely day working with someone so committed and interested. 

Shortly afterwards, I received an incredible set of pictures all of which I loved. She told me which were her favourites and which one her boyfriend really liked but this was the one I kept coming back to. It is so wistful and sad - like Brian Wilson's beautiful song "Wonderful". Sad is not a bad thing - it speaks of emotion and that tingly feeling I get when watching an Eric Rohmer film when I allow myself to float on a cushion of lazy ecstasy as the story unfolds before me out of my control - bit like my life now. 

It is all in the eyes.


...all fall down and lost in the mystery......


WEBSITE: www.lucyridges.com

CONFRONT AND SURVIVE by Brian David Stevens

CONFRONT AND SURVIVE by Brian David Stevens

Well, here you are - my choice from some beautiful photographs taken by Brian. I had thought that the obvious choice would be "Over the Hill" which is printed below. It might be easy to assume that this was a posed expression but if you read my earlier post, you would know that when Brian gave me the piece of paper with "Over the Hill" on it, and asked me to think what it meant to me, I just broke down which was a real surprise. But it was the sudden emotion of the moment which, looking back, was when I realised that this was the one phrase that day that connected me to Brian and both of us to the project. However, I feel that, in some ways, it is not for me to put this particular picture into the project as it is almost too personal although it is simply a most wonderful photograph. Brian has created the moment and captured it perfectly but it is the composition and the tone and the collaboration that come to the fore and prove themselves. But those words apply equally to all the others and certainly to "Confront and Survive''. 

The title comes from an incredible documentary called ''Five Broken Cameras'' which is the story of a Palestinian who films his village's ongoing battles with the Israelis concerning a number of issues. At one point, his wife berates him as he is about to be arrested once again and she yells at him demanding to know why he keeps doing it. He replies ''It helps me confront life and survive''. And this what my project, my films and my writing do. They help me to confront the life I have been given and to survive.

It has been an absolute privilege and an honour to be photographed by all these people and to get to know them and I cannot speak too highly of Brian in this context. A hugely talented photographer, a gifted and sensitive artist and a thoughtful and warm hearted person to boot. 

So the traveller closed his eyes and he listened and he heard

Only the river murmuring and the beating of his heart.

Then he heard the river laughing, and he heard the river crying

And in it was the beauty and the sadness of the world

And he heard the sounds of dying but he heard the sounds of birth

And slowly his ears heard all the songs of earth

And the sounds blended together till they became a whole

The rhythm was his heartbeat to the music in his soul.

- The Ferryman (Ralph McTell) 

WEBSITE: http://www.briandavidstevens.com/

-

BRIAN DAVID STEVENS Part One

I am writing this on the train on my way back from the shoot with Brian and I am going to post it out of order - in that I have always posted in chronological order. Also, I am posting it without having yet received the final photographs. Another unusual aspect is that Brian contacted me first having obtained my email address from Alex Boyd. However, when I looked at the work on his site, I knew that he was the man for me! The portrait of Billy Childish alone was sufficient justification for including him in my project.

Billy Childish by Brian David Stevens

We met, for the first time, a few weeks ago at the Courtauld Gallery which was Brian’s idea as he thinks it is one of the best galleries in London. And he is right. The works on display are incredible. One masterpiece after another. All those paintings which are so familiar – Degas, Seurat etc – they are all there. Amazing. And what surprised me even more was that I was so knocked out by them that I found myself discussing their various merits in quite a sensible and cogent manner.

Over a cup of coffee and a carrot cake, he explained the idea he had for our shoot together. He wanted me to think of some words or phrases that had some meaning in my life and then to write them down so that he could photograph them and then shoot me thinking of each one and what they meant to me. Also, he asked if l could write them with a stick rather than a pen. In the weeks that followed, I cut back the branches of a shrub in my garden and made some into pens. Then I went to WH Smith and bought a bottle of Parker Ink for the first time in years. There is something about a bottle of ink that is so evocative – the way it looks, the feel of the shape of the bottle and the smell of the ink itself.

As Brian requested, I wrote out the phrases at home but, at first, they looked too neat so Jane had the bright idea of holding the twigs further away from the ”nib” so that the writing wasn’t so controlled. It worked like a dream. I sent some through to Brian and he loved the simple ones. So, listening to the 1970’s Elton John album (where “Your Song” first appeared) I finished them off ready for the shoot.

The shoot was today – 2^nd March 2013. I travelled to Highgate in North London where Brian met me off the tube. Brian is an interesting fellow. At first, he comes across a bit guarded but one senses pretty soon that he has a desire to be open and honest and that transcends everything else and one soon realises what a special person he is.

Once at his home, he produced some carrot cake and he remembered that I had decaf coffee. We chatted and then he asked to see the words and phrases which I had written out and he sifted through them putting them in the order in which he wanted to shoot them. We went out on to the balcony and he asked me to remove my shirt and T shirt and he put up a small velvet back drop and said that the material had been used for so many of his shoots and he smiled fondly at the memory of all those sittings. I held each phrase or word up separately and he photographed them so he knew which ones were which and then he asked me to react to the what I had written. I had thought about this beforehand but I had not realised how affected I would be doing it in practice. But the greatest surprise came when I held up the phrase “Over the Hill”. This of course is the title of my project – a phrase I had used so many times verbally and in writing over the past 5 years or so. Nevertheless, when Brian asked me to think what it mean to me, as he had done with the previous phrases, I choked and tears welled up in my eyes. Why? Well, I think it was because, of all the phrases I had chosen, it was the only one which connected me with Brian. I didn’t think that at the time but my heart must have understood immediately the difference between that phrase and the others. Isn’t that marvellous?

As I write this, the sun is streaming through the windows of the train as if to confirm my discovery. We finished the remaining phrases but none had the effect of “Over the Hill” and, as we finished, Brian leaned over and shook my hand and I could see how much it meant to him being involved in the shoot and the project. I was very touched. He remarked that for him it was quite a long shoot. I had been there almost two hours and yet he had predicted that it would be over in minutes. He is certainly a fast worker but, as I have discovered, these shoots do not just involve photography and that is what I love so much about them.

Afterwards, we talked about Photography, Artistic Criticism and the photographs in my project. Brian’s favourite is “Blue” by Vicky Slater. I recounted to him how that shoot had worked out and how wonderful all her photographs were.

Isn’t it strange when you meet someone who suddenly brings meaning into your life? One such person is Brian David Stevens - a man of strong opinions and clear ideas. He has a tidy home and he owns many books which are stacked neatly on the shelves and he works methodically but he is no automaton. He has a spirit and a love of humanity running through him.

"The river flowed within him

And with it he was one"

His photographs are invested with such power and strength.

Boy, I am a lucky guy. Now all I need is for Spurs to beat Arsenal tomorrow…..

FALLING by Mattia Maestri

FALLING by Mattia Maestri

I met Mattia when he was assisting the great Giulia Zucchetti on her shoot with me in July 2012. That was such an enjoyable shoot and we all got on very well and so it was no surprise when Mattia wrote to me subsequently asking if he could photograph me. I asked him to send me some examples of his work and he did and I was suitably impressed. He had certainly taken his duties as Giulia's assistant seriously and that conscientious attitude shone through in his own work too. 

After a short exchange of emails, I arranged to meet him at a studio in Dalston on 16th February 2013 where he had everything all set up. First of all, he asked me to wear some yellow gloves and to be stripped to the waist and sitting at a table with my gloved hands before me. Then he asked me to remove the remainder of my clothing and for me to stand in various positions and to collapse with my eyes closing as I did so. This sounds quite straightforward but, with my condition having worsened in recent weeks, I found the sensation of falling with my eyes closed rather worrying at first but gradually, I relaxed and we tried different positions and timing until Mattia was completely satisfied. He seemed very pleased with what he had done and certainly, I found the whole experience very satisfying.

I received the glove photographs from him first and I really liked the contemplative pose at the table and the slightly bleached blueness of the shots. These seemed very peaceful and calm. However, then I received the ones where I was falling -  I loved the close ups but my immediate favourite was the full length shot because, again, there was a peace and tranquility about the the whole slide of my body towards the floor. It was so louche and languid and gave the impression that I was content to allow whatever was affecting me to lower me gently to the ground. I loved the image and each time I look at it, I love it even more. Why is that? What is so special about it that affects me so much? I think it is all tied up with the relationship with the photographer. I had complete faith in Mattia that he would look after me and help me produce the shots he wanted. I became increasingly relaxed and confident that Mattia would arrive at the place that he had pre-planned with such care and expertise and that he would take me with him. If Mattia does that with all his models, then he will produce great work.

It was simple, clear and easy. Just like falling off a log. Like falling to the ground in soft, slow and sleepy motion. Like dancing, slowly, gloriously.....just like the slow dance that love is...

WEBSITE: http://www.mattiamaestri.co.uk/

REFLECTIVE RAIN by Travis Hodges

Reflective Rain by Travis Hodges

Well, it was like this you see, I was at Miniclick at The Old Market Theatre in Brighton and I found a seat at the back next to this guy and we got talking and I told him about my photographic project and he introduced himself as Travis and said that he was a photographer and he gave me his card. It is sometimes the case with a chance meeting like this that it subsequently becomes hugely significant and that is precisely what happened here. At the time, I thought immediately what a very pleasant person he was - very genuine and good company, albeit for the brief period we chatted. The next morning, I looked up his work on his website and I thought ''this guy is good''. I found his work quite inspirational. The portraits had a quirkiness that made me think back to the man whom I had met the previous evening and realise that he had flair and imagination - in bucketloads. I scrolled through the gallery and stopped at the portrait of Big Issue vendor Dave. It shone like beacons can sometimes shine - bright and dazzling. Dave is looking up into the sky dreaming of what? His life before? His future? His drink on the way home? His supper? His kids? Whatever it is he sees in the clouds, it has painted a look of wonder on his beautiful face. Did I say that Dave, a Big Issue Vendor, is beautiful? Yes, he is and not because Travis has made him so by employing some sort of photographic trickery but because he has recognised and captured the innate beauty of a human being in his lens and reproduced it for all to see. It is a great photograph. Beautifully lit and composed and considered. 

I received notification from Twitter that Travis was following me and the next thing was a direct tweet from the man himself saying he had an idea for a portrait if I was interested. Interested? I'll say I was and I replied saying just that but explained that it would have to wait until January because my diary was so full up to Christmas. Travis then responded saying he was happy to organise the shoot in the new year. At the same time he informed me that his idea was a studio style portrait with the expression being everything. He wanted to shoot through wet glass to give a dappled pattern which he felt would give a separation between the viewer and subject, a physical barrier that mirrors an emotional one. He proposed to shoot wider to include a bare chest; with nudity being a recurring theme through my project, the glass would become a protecting element. As I said at the time, I like it - let's do it. 

Then the significant bit happened. Travis mentioned that he organised a talk series in London called Photo Forum, much like Miniclick and wondered if I would like to show my project, talk about the ideas behind it and some of the individual images and possibly invite a few of the photographers along to talk about their own image. I replied saying that I had been invited by Brighton Medical Centre to give a talk about my project in December and that I would be very happy to do something smilar at Photo Forum. Why was this hugely significant? Well, because I did give a talk at PhotoForum on 14th February 2013 and ten of my photographers were there and spoke and my family were there too and heard perhaps for the first time exactly why I was doing what I was. I was so moved by the fact that the photographers came along at all but even more so by the kind sentiments which they expressed that night. I hope to write in more detail about the evening in another post. 

The Diptych

The talk at PhotoForum was preceded by my shoot with Travis who welcomed me warmly when I arrived at Calumet in Euston where both the talk and the shoot took place. Travis set up a slide projector showing an image of water on glass and he reflected that on my body. I was completely knocked out by the two images he sent to me and I told him so. I was very torn between the two and so was Travis who has ended up presenting them as a diptych on his website. I was very tempted to do so but I felt that this image was so strong on its own that I couldn't dilute it with another, admittedly superb, photograph. The expression is all. It is dripping with emotion and the dappled effect only enhances this. I am so very proud of this photograph which was taken on a day of huge significance for me, a day on which I stood before family and friends and told them what my project meant to me. A day on which I was photographed by Travis Hodges.

WEBSITE: http://www.travishodges.co.uk/

05:51 PM - 16 Nov 12

ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY CHARACTERS by Chris Floyd

In July 2010, the brilliant photographer and ace tweeter, Chris Floyd, decided to begin photographing people that he followed on Twitter. The idea came to him when he realised that he had not seen or spoken any of his best real and actual friends for over a month. However, in contrast, he communicated with some of the people on Twitter several times a week. The project began and continued until, one day, he counted the number of shots to date which totalled 130 odd. He knew where it had to end - at 140 characters - the maximum allowed in a tweet.

The exceptional photographs are on display at Create in Brighton until 24th February and I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Private View. It is a very interesting show that says as much about Chris as it does about the subjects of his wonderful images. As I said to someone on the night (it might even have been the man himself), only Chris Floyd could have taken these pictures. They are snazzy, fun, crisp, black and white gems, to be treasured forever. Chris is a fun guy but he is deadly serious about the quality of his work and boy, does it show. I urge you to get along to see a scintillating collection of portraits by one of the UK's finest photographers. 

Also, alongside the exhibition, Create are offering the public the chance to have a private portrait session with Chris on 23rd and 24th February. You'd be mad to pass up this opportunity. 

Chris Floyd's Website : http://www.chrisfloyd.com/

MASK OF THE DIVA by Martina O'Shea

MASK OF THE DIVA by Martina O'Shea

Every so often, I find that I just cannot choose between two images taken by a photographer and so I choose them both. This has happened only three times before and this is the fourth time. I loved Martina's shot of me at Hampstead Heath, "Eye See You" and yet I love this one too and I found that I could not ditch either of them.

Martina and I had always wanted to do another shoot together and, whilst she had some lighting available to her in her home studio, we took advantage of this one evening. We tried various subtle changes to this pose and this one works because of the head slightly bent over to one side giving it a softer, almost feminine effect. The arms crossing the chest in a somewhat skewed heart shape lend it a pathos which is beguiling and, to me, the lighting is perfect - slightly bleached and cold which accentuates the sadness of the image. It is quite beautiful and it has been taken by a young and very talented photographer who knows what she wants to achieve in a shot and has the confidence to get it.

On the same evening, Martina also made a large sticky roux of flour and water and we played around with that on my head but I haven't seen the results yet otherwise, Martina might be one of the few people to have three images in the project! That may still happen as we are talking of another shoot together. I have done additional shoots with some of the photographers and I do enjoy them. To some extent, the pressure is off and, as we have worked together successfully before, it is a more relaxed situation and enables both the photographer and myself to improvise and experiment which can be so exciting as it was with the lovely Martina.

Gotta go!

WEBSITE: http://www.martinaoshea.com/

OBLIVION by Josie Ainscough

OBLIVION by Josie Ainscough

It took a long time for Josie and I to meet but meet we did and eventually we had a shoot at my home in Brighton and the results were superb. This was just one brilliant photograph amongst the seven that Josie emailed to me after the shoot. Josie's work first came to my notice when some of her photographs were displayed in The Sunday Times magazine. I went to her website the day I saw them and found some wonderful images especially those in her "Clouded" series and I mentioned this when I wrote my first email to her in July 2011. She responded quite positively to my initial approach and asked me what about the "Clouded" series that I liked. She explained that, for that particular project, she photographed through a lens covered in Vaseline  and printed using liquid emulsion, in order to create a distorted and blurred effect, reflecting certain perspectives of body image. I replied saying that I loved the "Clouded'' images because not only showed her desire to experiment and discover which is what all great artists have but also, they were so vital and full of movement even though the figures themselves are obscured. It was the obscurity which resonated with me and my mixture of involuntary movement and the desire to live my life to the full as well as my aspiration to go further and search for the ultimate picture and be in it.

What with one thing and another, we did not meet until October 2012 but we enjoyed a fruitful discussion about what each  of us had been doing and resolved to go ahead with the shoot once Josie had formulated some ideas in her head. A few days later she came out with an idea to photograph me coming out of an egg representing a rebirth such as the one I had enjoyed since retiring. However, she experimented with that but it didn't quite work out as she wanted but then she had the idea of a headpiece of candles which sounded both interesting and slightly dangerous. 

And so it was that Josie came down to Brighton on 29th January 2013 with her necklace of candles. We shot the photographs down in our basement where it is quite dark during the day when the shutters are closed. The necklace and the candles needed some adjustment but Josie got the shots she wanted and we both agreed that they looked excellent on camera. We also tried some alternative shots with me seated and surrounded by candlelight She sent me seven images but this was the best one as far as I was concerned. It is so haunting with the light from the candles reflecting shadowy fingers on the wall behind me but, although it is full of mystery and danger, I look so calm and at peace whilst the fires are raging around me. Josie described it as a phoenix rising from the ashes and said that it was her favourite too. 

She has produced a unique photograph - I have nothing else in my project quite like it. It tells the story of the awful destructive nature of my condition which is closing in on me but, at the same time, it shows me at peace and enjoying my new state which, most of the time, is one of tranquility and calm. Aesthetically, it is an explosion of gold and light suggesting a life full of riches and promise. Josie is a very talented young woman who has demonstrated that she is prepared to think and work hard at developing ideas and then successfully bring them to fruition. She is a photographic artist of rare talent and I was very fortunate to find her.

WEBSITE: http://josieainscough.co.uk/

SABINE MIRLESSE

Copyright: Sabine Mirlesse

Sabine Mirlesse has had to refuse my invitation to partake in my project because, at the time, she is unable to take on any new projects. I am not surprised - she is a fantastic photographer and is likely to be in great demand. Of course, I am disappointed but I can't have everything.

Nevertheless, in case some of you out there have not heard of her - this is the link to her wonderful website - enjoy!

http://sabinemirlesse.com/

NADAV KANDER - Bodies. 6 Women, 1 Man

Michael curled away by Nadav Kander

I was very fortunate indeed to have been invited last night to the Private View of the latest exhbition by Nadav Kander,  "Bodies. 6 Women, 1 Man" at Flowers Gallery, Cork Street. I was worried in case my Parkinson's had a detrimental effect which it has been prone to do recently when I have been attending functions of this kind. I don't know the reason for this but perhaps it is nervousness or just timing so far as taking the pills is concerned. However, as I turned into Old Bond Street, I could feel that spring in my step which told me that I was going to be ok.

Of course, the Gallery was packed but not so much that one couldn't see the wonderful photographs. And, dear readers, they are full of wonder. They were also beautifully lit which accentuated their almost ghostly appearance but these are warm blooded human beings painted with white marble dust and lovingly photographed by a master. They are certainly bodies but their beauteous shape seduces you not by sexuality but by Nadav's eye which has looked over every part of each body and has managed to reconstitute that concentrated gaze onto the image.

I walked past four of the photographs and each one gently unfolded before me as I stopped and allowed the magic to work.  When I am feeling good, it is easy to forget that I'm ill but nevertheless I felt a great deal of empathy with these figures some of whose heads were turned away hiding perhaps a feeling of vulnerability but still brave enough to expose other parts of themselves. Of course, with so many people there, it was difficult to have a really good look so I am going to return on another day. I thought about writing a piece on my blog as I left and determined to delay doing so until I had had a better look. But I couldn't wait and I wanted to convey something of what it is like to look upon this fabulous work for the first time.

Elizabeth with hand on shoulders by Nadav Kander

I turned away from the simple beauty of "Elizabeth with hand on shoulders" and a pretty woman came up to me with a lovely smile and said. "Hello, Tim!" For a few seconds, I didn't recognise her but then she reminded me (just as my addled brain was working it out for itself) that she was Christina Theisen whom I had met in late summer when she was assisting on my second shoot with Jillian Edelstein. We hugged and kissed and she introduced me to her handsome companion, Alexandros Vasmoulakis, and we all enthused about the photographs. Christina knew Nadav and kindly introduced me to his First Assistant, Felicity McCabe, a very nice woman whom in turn introduced me to Nadav's Studio Manager, the delightful Zoe Tomlinson, whom I had been emailing over the years with plaintive requests for Nadav to photograph me. I enjoyed my brief chat with Felicity who confirmed what I had already gathered from various people who had worked with Nadav, that he was a charming man of great humility. And it is that humility which shines out like a beacon from this work. This is all about the people he was shooting - it comes down to that simple fact. Often, I look at a great picture and, although I could speak at length about the lighting, the composition, the inner meaning, invariably it is nothing more than what you see. A body. A person. A human shape. Simple but dripping with the emotion, the passion and the loving care of the man behind the camera - Nadav Kander.

Now THAT is why I would love to be photographed by him.

I had to leave and said my goodbyes to Christina and Alexandros as well as Stacey Hatfield but then I wormed my way over to Nadav and introduced myself. Of course, he was charming and afterwards a little cloud bore me down Oxford Street to the Underground as I called Jane and told her that I was on my way home and what had happened the night I saw "Bodies. 6 Women, 1 Man". 

                                                              "Did my heart love till now?

                                                                Forswear it, sight, 
                                                                For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

THE SIXTH POSITION by Erin O'Connor

THE SIXTH POSITION by Erin O'Connor

Erin was recommended to me by Lisa Wormsley when I asked Lisa if she could suggest any other photographers in Brighton for my project as we were just about to move there in 2011. I contacted Erin via her Flickr page in February 2011 and she answered fairly positively in that she suggested that we meet and have a chat about my project which she had seen featured on The Culture Show on BBC TV. However, before that happened I had a bit of a blip and informed the world that I had decided to end my project because I found the whole thing too exhausting and I needed to prioritise things in my life especially as we were just  about to complete our move to a new house in Brighton which needed a lot of work doing to it. I was so touched by the responses I received from all these photographers most of whom I had not yet met including Erin who wrote the kindest email in response to my rather plaintive cry. As a consequence of receiving those messages, I decided that I would re-assess everything once the house move was completed. So, it was all back on but it took me a while to get round to contacting Erin again which I did in August 2012. We met at her house and, after talking with her for about an hour, I remember coming away with a spring in my step. 

We had a further meeting to discuss a change in her idea for the shoot. Originally, it was going to  involve water somehow but Erin felt, with some justification, that that was fraught with potential

problems and so we agreed on - actually, I cannot remember exactly what we did agree on but I know that I was up for it! It is strange but often photographers come up with some stunning ideas when we meet but if you were to ask me the next day what we had discussed, I probably wouldn't recall much about it at all. I wonder why that is? 

Anyway, eventually, we set up a date for the shoot at some studios in Brighton and Erin said that she would have some footless tights for me to wear. I met her and her assistant, James, in the studio which was white and bright. She explained that we would try the white tights first (I had also brought some bright purple ones which we never used, thankfully) and then we would do some nude shoots. James had a huge fan and I donned the tights and arabesqued my way across the floor of the studio and took up my position with a piece of white silk which I twirled and threw into the air so that it was caught by the air from the fan. I then discarded the tights and we did some nude shots. Erin asked if I wanted to try anything else and, stupidly, I did a few jumps and paid for that later when my hip began to ache  - I must learn to stop throwing myself about.

After the shoot ended, I got dressed and said goodbye to James. Erin walked me to the door of the building where we said goodbye. I walked out into the bright sun and got into my car and put on the CD player really loud and it played "La Luna" by Madness and I was smiling in my heart as I drove home singing all the way.

This had been a very satisfying shoot - one of the very best. I think this was because of the connection with Erin. I saw a different Erin in the studio or rather, a different side to her. She was resourceful, in charge, confident and pretty. I wrote and told her all this and she understood and agreed that the shoot was very satisfying from her end as well. She felt that we were all well prepared and had a common vision and so it felt effortless and she was very pleased that I felt the same way. Although I was her first nude, she said that she didn't prepare for that in any way whatsoever apart from thinking about making skin look authentic; she explained that she liked skin tones very much as they are all so unique. As for the images, well, I was not at all disappointed when I received them.  They were beautifully presented and it was a tough choice between the one I chose (above) for my project and the others. Erin was torn too but felt this was the best overall.

Erin is a lovely person and the more one gets to know her, the lovelier she becomes and that infuses her photographs with a freshness and a vitality that is wonderful to share. She is a thoughtful person too and takes her photography very seriously and that shows in these marvellous images of which I am very pleased and very proud.

FLICKR: http://www.flickr.com/people/erinoconnor/ and          http://www.flickr.com/people/gloriousfreaks/

HELLO, GOODBYE by Alexandro Pelaez

HELLO, GOODBYE by Alexandro Pelaez

You say yes, I say no

You say stop and I say go go go, oh no

You say goodbye and I say hello

Hello, hello

These are the opening words of The Beatles' song, ''Hello, Goodbye'' written and sung by Paul. The lyrics do not seem to say much and the story goes that John was not too pleased that his masterful ''I am the Walrus'' was relegated to Side B of the new single. Nevertheless, as with many things, what seems to be simple is quite complex, in fact. Either way, the song is uplifting and it makes you want to sing along so what more could you want?

The shoot with Alexandro was quite different from other more recent shoots I have been on. The plan was simple, the execution quick and there seemed to me anyway, no doubts as to the outcome. 

I came across a site called ''Independent London Photographers'' and I browsed through it to see if anything caught my eye and the images displayed by Alexandro certainly did. They were also quite simple; there seemed to be no tricksy lighting or post production but there was a beautiful clarity and a directness that enabled the viewer to look the model in the eye and communicate.

Alexandro was very interested in working with me and we arranged a time for the shoot quite quickly. And so it was on 22nd November 2012, that I arrived early in Hollywood Road in Chelsea and so I strolled up and down the street for a while and noticed Brinkley's Restaurant opposite the address I had been given and my mind went back to 2003 when I met two friends from the Hoffman Process, a sort of self-awareness course which we had all been on in the previous year. It was the Hoffman Process which was very much the precursor of Over the Hill in that on the Process, I met people I would never normally have met, let alone get on with famously. Both my companions that evening were self-assured career women and I found that I did not need to put on any act or otherwise pretend that I was something I wasn't; it was me and they were cool with that. My photographic project was an extension of the realisation that, at last, I could be myself and not be ashamed of the fact. I digress.

I rang the bell of the flat and the door was opened by a very handsome fellow with a lovely smile who introduced himself as Alexandro. He told me that he shared the flat with his girlfriend who happened to be a lawyer. They were both from Venezuela. He was completely charming and we sat down and he explained what he planned to do in the shoot. He was going to start with some fairly normal head shots with me wearing a suit at first and then topless. He would then download a suitable image and put it on a monitor and ask me to pose next to it, looking at myself on the screen. We moved into a room set up as a small home studio and whilst we ran through his planned shots, we chatted, mainly about feature films that we loved, both old and new. It made for a very pleasant afternoon with a very nice guy - what is it about photographers which makes them so personable? Maybe it is nothing to do with the fact that they are photographers but just the simple fact that, if you spend time with someone getting to know them, you realise how much goodness there is in that person and in everyone and in the world.

A few days later, Alexandro sent me about ten images by email and I chose one for my project. Funnily enough, Alexandro had said that if I chose an image, it would be one taken towards the end of the shoot whereas in fact I chose one of the early ones. BUT.....then he sent me this image and it eclipsed everything that I had seen before. The concept was so simple and straightforward but the final image says so much about my former life where I was trapped by a sense of duty and by financial and other constraints. Now I am free and able to look back. However, and this was a surprise, the more one looks the more one realises that there is also a deep sadness in the photograph. Not only because it portrays the former lawyer trapped in his world but also because there were good times then and, of course, I was healthy so the caring, sympathetic look is in the eyes of both the person looking in to the monitor and the person looking out. The healthy me is pleased for the new me but my freedom has come at a heavy cost. And that is the most wonderful thing about this photograph - Alexandro has captured that sadness in a way that few others have achieved. 

Of course, I congratulated Alexandro on this picture and he replied saying that he thought it was among his favourite photographs if not the favourite. Wow! I am in Alexandro Pelaez' favourite photograph - how good is that?

I say high, you say low,

You say why and I say I don't know, oh no

You say goodbye and I say hello

Hello, hello,

I don't know why you say goodbye,

I say hello

WEBSITE: http://www.alexandropelaez.com/