I love this picture so much for a number of reasons, firstly, as ever, it reminds me of very happy times. The model in the picture is the sister of a very old friend of mine, she was 15 at the time and I remember her hair was such a vibrant red colour and I took a lot of pictures trying to capture its essence.
Personally I don't think I ever quite managed it, we took some more pictures at her sister's house which brought out the colour nicely, but they still weren't quite right.
So we decided to walk down the road as I had been scoping out some of the local tower blocks, I was really into the whole ugly beauty thing. Basically finding delicate and beautiful things to photograph in the midst of a harsh reality.
Grenfell Remembered
The second reason I love this picture is it reminds me of how Grenfell Tower used to be. For those of you who don't know, seventy two men, women and children lost their lives last year when Grenfell Tower caught fire. There is currently an investigation under way, and hopefully some people will go to prison for the criminally negligent way they managed that tower.
It is still too painful for me to write about fully . . .
However like I said, I prefer to remember it like it was then, and I'm glad I have this picture.
Lastly I love the light in this pic as it makes her look like an angel, the way it makes a halo above her head and kind of wings behind her, and the expression on her face is pretty angelic as well.
Youth Revisited
I actually saw her and her sister not too long ago and reminded her of these pictures and sent them to her. She is now in her 30s and has a husband and three kids, it really made her day when I sent them through and she said that she hardly recognised herself.
I've now got my good scanner working again and so will send her the rest of the contact sheets.
Anyway I liked to think of her (Kirsty) as The Angel Of Grenfell.
One day there will be justice for those poor souls who died needlessly last June.
