In the company of women

“Luck is believing you’re lucky.”
~ Tennessee Williams

Yesterday I got lucky.

Not like that you perverts. Although I wouldn’t say no if I got the chance, but let’s leave that thought for now and concentrate on yesterday.

I spent it in the company of women. Five other amazing women running round in woods and gardens in an undisclosed location in South London. Despite the fact that the heavens opened and it literally poured buckets (in the picture in the header above it is absolutely hammering it down) these amazing women happily stripped off their kit and posed in various settings. The weather, although a bit of pain with regards to muddy feet and wet cameras, actually worked in our favour because the place was deserted. After all who the hell goes out walking through torrential rain on a Monday afternoon, apart from 6 women who want to take nude pictures that is? The answer is no one.

We walked and talked and laughed and giggled and everyone came up with ideas. There were umbrellas and muddy feet and a see through mac and at the end of the day their was lemon cake, tea and a very  bruised toe. See @19syllables Twitter timeline for evidence.

I have not been out with my camera to take self portraits in a while. Life has been busy and stressful but this trip has been in my diary for quite a few weeks now and I have been really looking forward to it. Taking pictures of others is something I have wanted to do more of for ages and I was excited to get the chance to that. I don’t think I really anticipated how amazing it was going be though, but in the car on the way home late last night I actually had a little cry. Not a sad one, but a happy one, because I just felt so damn lucky to know such amazing women and to get to spend time with them not just taking photos, although that really was a massive highlight of the day but also just spending time together and how wonderfully nurturing and joyful the whole trip had been. I really can’t thank Exposing 40 enough for doing all the organising and giving me a bed for the night and @19syllables @katteroo_ @ht_honey (Happy Come Lucky) and @katelessons (Lessons with Kate) for stripping off their kit and happily cavorting round in the very English weather while I took their pictures. (I will post more of them over the nest few weeks.)

I didn’t think when we set out that a picture with me in it would be happen as setting my camera out on a tripod in the pouring rain was not going to be possible but the rain eventually dissipated and Haiku was absolutely determined that we should have at least one image with all of us in and I am very glad she was as it was the perfect ending to a wonderful adventure and maybe my favourite picture too.