One of the hottest, most oppressive days in London this summer made a trip to visit Joel Stein in Brighton an even more appealing prospect. Little did I know, this visit with Joel, formerly of Howling Bells, and now performing solo as G L /\ S S M /\ P S, would be one of the silliest photo sessions I’ve had in ages.
Having recently relocated to Brighton, Joel and his wife Sandra, who came along were great to hang out with and allayed any fears I may have had about the dreaded ‘awkward subject’ a common species when you shoot a lot of bands. He was super relaxed and up for anything, including climbing on to beach hut roof to stand in front of a giant plastic dog that I thought looked cool.
Doing the touristy Pier trip took on a new dimension when trying to shoot among old arcade games and dodgems lights whose retro style make for great settings. Between this and a walk up to some chip shops and bars for more photos, my respite from the stagnant heat of London was as productive as it was necessary.
Any photographer knows that it’s always good to have some ideas and locations in mind for any shoot but that it’s equally important to be open to incorporating ideas that crop up spontaneously. To this point, Joel had some great suggestions that never would have occurred to me and that worked really well. I was eager to shoot in the arcade but didn’t even think of shooting wide to include the whole scene around him which such a different feel to shooting up close which I would have done. What a great way to see a new city, especially when it’s full of breezy sea air on this hottest of summer days.
Photo Story by Rachel Lipsitz
The single Summer Rain is out now: