Facing Fears, Finding Frames: London Encounters Experience
How two days with Neale James pushed me beyond my photographic comfort zone
Last week, I did something completely out of character - I attended a photography workshop. Not just any workshop, but Neale James's "Encounters" in London.
For those who know me, this decision might come as a surprise. I've always steered clear of photography workshops, assuming (probably incorrectly) that they'd focus too much on basic camera settings or take me to locations I could easily find myself. But there was something else at play here – something more personal and challenging.
You see, despite years behind the lens, I've always gravitated toward natural and urban scenes – subjects that don't talk back or require permission. Where people are included, they are almost always candid shots, taken as silhouettes or from behind. As someone with a naturally introverted personality, the very thought of approaching complete strangers to ask if I can take their photograph sends waves of anxiety through me. It's not just mild discomfort – it's genuine fear.
My photography has always reflected this tendency. I've developed a keen eye for human-influenced landscapes precisely because they don't require awkward social interactions. I can disappear behind my viewfinder, invisible and undisturbed, capturing the world without having to engage with it directly. The following photograph is a great example of this.
So what drew me to this particular workshop? When I heard Neale describe it on the legendary Photowalk podcast, I was immediately intrigued. The concept wasn't a traditional workshop but more of an experience, focusing on encounters with people and places and how we capture them photographically. Something in me recognised this as exactly the challenge I needed – a guided opportunity to push past my comfort zone with the support of like-minded photographers.
It was terrifying. It was exactly what I needed. And so, despite the anxious knot in my stomach, I signed up almost on the spot.
Day One: Framing New Perspectives
We began early Thursday morning in Covent Garden with coffee and croissants before heading to the Fujifilm House of Photography. The morning featured presentations by Giles Penfound, a renowned documentary photographer and close friend of Neale's. Giles' talks centred on how we use photography to tell stories, demonstrating how just two photos can create a simple yet powerful narrative - something I'd never considered before. Oh and yes, before you ask, it was very confusing to have two Giles' in the same room. Well for me at least!
Each of us shared a personally significant photograph with the group. Some were our own work, others from photographers we admired, but all came with powerful emotional stories behind them. One moved many of us to tears.
Neale had organised several challenges over the two days, to push us outside our comfort zones. Our first assignment was to capture movement, with complete freedom in how we interpreted it. I headed straight to Trafalgar Square, first chasing pigeons around trying to get them airborne (they stubbornly refused to fly!), then attempting panning shots of vehicles with Big Ben in the background.
As lunchtime approached, I discovered an unexpected composition: my static feet in the lower third of the frame with other people's moving feet above, complemented by a strong diagonal shadow from a lamppost. I spent a happy 15 minutes perfecting this composition of feet and shadows.
After a group lunch, our afternoon challenge was "frame within a frame." This, I felt, played to my strengths - I'm naturally drawn to shapes, lines and shadows. Wandering through Chinatown, Leicester Square, and Piccadilly Circus, I found many compositions, including a gentleman sitting in a perfect pocket of light and later spotted a man in his van with light falling across the window creating natural frames.
Hands-On Encounters
Before the day ended, we were given one more challenge - perhaps the most daunting yet. We had 40 minutes to have an encounter and capture someone's hands. I felt it was difficult enough asking someone for their portrait, but asking to photograph just their hands felt even more peculiar.
I wandered around Covent Garden struggling to find interesting hands - everyone seemed to have a phone in theirs. Eventually, I plucked up the courage to approach a stall owner who was packing away his jewellery. I asked if I could photograph his hands as he worked, and to my relief, he agreed. I had ticked the box for the challenge, but wasn't particularly inspired by the results.
I was then struck by some musicians playing in a basement area. Looking down from above, I captured shots of their hands as they played their instruments - the positioning, the lighting, the movement all coming together perfectly. These unplanned shots ended up being some of my favorites from the entire workshop.
In the evening, Tim Lewis led us around White Chapel on a Jack the Ripper tour. Though I've photographed the East End many times, Tim showed us unfamiliar streets that transported us back in time. This was when Neale and my fellow participants first noted my photographic fascination with doors - which lead to me discussing this in last week's post. It was something I had never really talked about with others before but looking back through my photographs from that night, I can see why it stood out.
Day Two: Facing My Fears
Before our breakfast meet-up at the Photo Book Cafe, we'd been given a challenge: go to a location, wait for 30 minutes, and see what shots emerged. I stopped at the Lloyd's of London building, though at 9 AM there were less people about than I expected, with many already at their desks. I captured some interesting light as it fell on the opposite side of the street, finally taking a few shots of the Lloyd's building itself.
After breakfast and a review of our shots from the previous day, Neale took us to Portobello Road Market. I'd never been to this part of London before and was amazed by the size of the Friday market and its characters, colours, and textures.
I recorded a conversation with Neale for the Extra Mile podcast, confessing my love of doors and my terror at approaching strangers. During my walk with Neale I spotted someone who I thought would make a great subject and, feeling momentarily brave, approached them - only to be promptly refused. Just the boost to my confidence I needed but with hindsight I can see how my abrupt approach probably didn’t help.
Our market challenge was to "smell the picture." I enjoyed melting into the background capturing market life, but my natural shyness prevented me from making connections with subjects.
Our final destination was the South Bank for Giles' two-photo story challenge. With Neale's encouragement that my encounter should be with a person rather than a place, I knew it was now or never - I needed to overcome my introverted nature.
Walking from the London Eye towards the National Theatre, I had planned to approach one of the poets who sometimes work along the South Bank, but couldn't find any. Instead, at the outdoor book market under Waterloo Bridge, I spotted a bookseller painting miniature figurines.
I approached him and struck up a conversation. His name was Gareth, and he explained that he painted these figures every day to while away the time at his bookstall, working on multiple figures simultaneously before selling them to interested customers.
I asked if I could take his photo, and he happily agreed. Being unused to portrait photography, I felt awkward as I composed the shots. After capturing Gareth, I needed a second image to complete the story, settling on a shot of his books. The resulting two-photo story I hope captures Gareth's daily life and how he keeps himself entertained during quiet moments.
Reflections
After two intense days and over 30 miles on foot, I was physically exhausted and mentally drained from repeatedly pushing myself outside my comfort zone.
While I won't claim to have had a eureka moment about portrait photography, it was an incredibly valuable experience. Neale created a fantastic couple of days with a small but perfect group of photographers plus himself, with guest appearances from accomplished photographers like Giles and Tim.
What made the workshop special was the enthusiasm everyone brought and the interesting stories we all had to share. It was refreshing to do something more challenging in London and discover new areas to visit with my camera.
Neale plans to run more of these workshops, and I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking to challenge themselves. If you haven't listened to the Photowalk podcast, I'd strongly suggest adding it to your weekly must-listen list - it's been one of my greatest sources of inspiration.
Finally, a massive thanks to Neale, Giles, Tim, Anthony, Keith, Gina and Neil, who made last week such an enjoyable experience. It was great to make some new photography friends and I look forward to sharing our photographic journeys together.
How about you? Do you have a fear of approaching strangers for photographs and if so, how have you overcome this? I'd love to hear more in the comments below.
I have just read your story properly and it definitely resonated with my feelings about portraiture. I love shooting the streets but when it comes to the people that walk them, I shut down. It is definitely a combination of fear and not wanting to cause any disruption but I understand that is also about making a connection. Thanks again!
Great images Giles, and a fabulous review of the workshop, plenty of details but never less than interesting and engaging. It’s certainly made me think about how I present the numerous workshops I’ve been involved in when I get to them later in the year. Thanks for sharing.