6 November 2011
Every once in a while an idea comes along that is just so surreal you want to grab a camera and shoot it there and then. Cherry Red Rachy came up with just such an idea back in October when we did the Best of British shoot – she mentioned she lived near an abandoned railway station that was fairly intact but with the platforms all overgrown with bushes and stuff (I am no gardener). Her vision was of an old lady sat at a perfectly laid table for afternoon tea, perhaps waiting for a train that had never materialised – not an uncommon event in Lincolnshire.
We took the idea and ran with it. To provide some interaction and character we decided to add another model to the scene – possibly playing the part of the old lady’s niece. This role was eagerly accepted by Sian who fancied doing some character work, even though it meant being fully dressed for once.
Messages were passed to and fro to sort out props and outfits – a Roaring Twenties theme was to be adopted – and shortly before shoot day we found out that another great model would be staying at Rachel’s that weekend and she was keen to get stuck in – Scarlett T’s (Tracey) who I hadn’t met before, so it was an opportunity to work with someone new.
On the day of the shoot Sian and I drove to Spalding and then carried on into the back of beyond through wildest Lincolnshire, heading east until I was sure we must have passed the destination and would shortly be arriving in Ostend. But eventually we got there and met up at Rachy’s house for Sunday morning cocktails (models) or coffee (tog and driver – how badly did I plan that!)
Make up and hair was fixed and sorted, then Rachy whipped up some sandwiches and buns before packing the most important props of the day – gin, vodka and Martini. Yes, for authenticity we were using real props, right down to the cream cakes – “food fight”, said Rachy with a distinctly knowing look in her eye…. Oh dear.
Outfits were dug out and put on, and I have to say I was spellbound when all three girls lined up in the kitchen. Sian sported a twenties flapper style dress with accessories – not entirely a surprise as I had got the ensemble from a charity shop the week before – but the 20’s hair and make up by Tracey really gave her a whole new look. Tracey epitomised sheer elegance in a green flowing dress topped off with an orange feather whilst Rachy took the mad lady idea to its logical conclusion and appeared in a sort of tennis set with blazer and a gold Egyptian headdress – think Cleopatra meets Navratilova for afternoon tea in Spalding and you’re on the right lines.
We loaded a couple of cars with props and what amounted to a pub and set off for the railway station. It lies right next to a quiet country road, indeed we parked on what would have been the level crossing until I realised that the cars would be in shot so we moved them. The station is remarkably intact, with both platforms and the old booking office / waiting room and facilities still in situ. Even the wooden awning still remains and this would frame our tea party beautifully. Everything is covered with decades of undergrowth, flora and fauna – the station closed in 1959 although to be fair it is in better condition than some places still maintained by Notwork Rail.
Setting up involved hacking out enough vegetation to set up our authentic 1920’s picnic table from Ye Olde B&Que, then laying out the tea set, accessories and the food and drink. Mostly, it must be said, drink.
One of the first tasks was to give the characters suitable names. Rachy fancied something to do with Gobbitoff – with its Russian overtones to match her surreal appearance I added Vishnya as her name, being Russian for cherry. These things don’t just happen you know!
Tracey, being a real lady, went for Madame Fannie Tophille and I don’t think I need to enlarge on that one.
Finally Sian, who was absolutely freezing and complaining of a numb bum, became Lady Chillie Lil Koldbottom, which seemed appropriate.
The shoot didn’t follow the usual format of direction and poses. The ladies got stuck into the booze and I photographed them, mostly fly-on-the-wall style as they interacted with each other and the Gordons. This worked remarkably well, although with things happening so quickly it became more of a point-and-shoot affair in order to capture the ever-changing action as it occurred in front of me. The food fight didn’t materialise, although Sian did end up wearing a cream bun in her face for a while. These things happen on a BBW shoot!
As the booze flowed the action got ever more sublime, and some priceless moments were caught on camera. I could describe them, but to be honest, the photos have much more impact, so go and look!
Each model took some time out to do some posed solo shots – Tracey went for elegant headshots and full length waiting for a train platform scenes; Sian adopted ballerina-like arabesque poses which aren’t easy when you’re tipsy and she kept falling over – so she waved and shouted hiyyyaaaaaaa at passing cars instead. Rachy wore a teacup on her head and a cherry on her nose before falling off the platform whilst reading a newspaper … nothing too unusual there, then.
Solo shots in the bag, we went for the final push which involved the three of them lined up on the platform edge in increasingly unlikely and surreal poses – these are some of the best from the day and my favourites in my entire port.
The tea party was an immense success, and the outtakes outnumber the photos by around 3 to 1, which shows how much enjoyment and laughter there was on the day. I have never had a shoot like it before, but as I hope to work with 'The Ladies' again shortly, who knows what the future will bring?
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