This morning I recieved my ordered books, several copies of Palestinian Walks: Notes on a Vanashing Landscape, for which the cover photograph was taken by myself.
I received a bulletin from Fotolibra in May of this year asking for a suitable photo of Banksy's Balloon Girl.
We were traveling back from Beit Mreen after taking Jamal and his mother back home when we stopped at Ramallah to meet Steve (CEO of Palestine Children's Relief Fund). He was to drive us back to Jerusalem. En- route we stopped and did a quick interview with Steve. I quickly took a few snaps right after we finished of the boys throwing rocks at the wall and of Banksy's Balloon Girl.
I logged on to me free account at Fotolibra and uploaded the 2 photos I had. A month and a half later I received an email from Gwen at Fotolibra telling me that a publisher wanted my photograph and also to change some elements. I replied asking what book it was and why they wanted to change it. They explained why and told me about the book and so I was over the moon and agreed.
When I came back from Edinburgh I found out that the author launched the book on the 23rd, a few days after I had asked for one at the Waterstones (who didn't have one). So I figure he was there at the book festival. I was in the tent at the book festival 3 days prior and still in Edinburgh on the 23rd.
I wrote an email to the PR rep at Profile Books about getting them signed and she said the author would love to and please send them to- and she gave me- an address in Edinburgh...
Anyway. It's been nearly exactly a year to the day when I took the photograph. And I'm very proud it the cover for this book. Even if it is a photograph that could have been taken by anyone. I've had a few exhibitions in Vancouver but they didn't mean much. I even sold 3 prints. I've taken thousands of photographs for actors. But this cover means the most. Although having the cover published makes one feel floaty like the balloons, the subject matter grounds me. Below is the cover and the latter is the original.
- J
After a month of on and off pre production we finally came to shoot the project with the ex homeless young people in Medway. The finished film was aimed to be distributed to schools in Kent to screen with the intent of deterring young people from becoming homeless, that becoming homeless, be it by choice or otherwise, be avoided at many costs. The film was written by one of the young people. It is 3 short accounts of how each young person became homeless set within a chat show type environment. I wrote the scenes from the accounts. I intended to merge the stories into one whole short film at the beginning but this changed. Apparently, teenagers like watching the likes of Jeremy Kyle. I didn't even know who he was when they told me, I had to look him up on YouTube.
There were mainly only the 3 principle characters of the 3 stories for the 3 days we shot (a script per day). All of the stories seem to be based on real accounts but one is based on the girl who wrote all three. She also acted in her own reconstruction, which was potentially either very easy or difficult to direct. It was my first time directing fiction. I had to shoot it at the same time, which made it a little more challenging. With only one light for one of the scenes which was essential, everything was daylight lit.
I found it great working with the young people. I finally was at the age when youth work felt as i was older. I had done youth work in my early twenties and the youth weren't much younger. It was great that I got along with the young people and could combine both film making and youth work, the two vocations I love. As my first time directing, I too found this liberating. Having shot numerous projects over the last few years and keeping my mouth shut about performances, I finally could direct and I found, that I was not bad at directing!
There were major issues with Moving forward and the Council that week. We were asked to stop shooting at one point though we continued to do so. The young people had worked on it and I too wanted see it finished. It was a runabout few days with Moving Forward's liason running around for cast. I told her she should set up a business, 'lastminutecasting.com". Unfortunately, it is still up in the air whether or not now the film will be allowed to screen in schools.
I invited the writer down to a music video I was to work on on the weekend. She is also interested in photography and drama. Her mother passed away when she was 14 and her father is absent. She's a jolly girl who's got some soul. I have taken it on to sponsor her to come up for another shoot my Camera Assistant invited her to. I may continue to unofficially sponsor her for future endeavours.
I am hoping to direct some short films a friend has written years ago. We were talking about making them with the intent I shoot them. But they never came about. Now I have a spark for directing, I certainly will be endevouring to do something about it.
- J
