It was a typical January day when Studio visited the brand new UEA London Study Centre. It was so cold it reminded me of film footage of The Beatles playing on the roof of Apple, on another bleak January day in 1969.
Outside it may have been slate grey skies but inside the new UEA campus it was technicolour. Studio were here compiling a shot list for a two day photo shoot scheduled for later in the month. Glamourous photographers call them 'reccy's' - is that short for reconnaissance? I guess. But to quote Ben Kingsley's character Don, in Sexy Beast, the key to a successful shoot is, "preparation, preparation, preparation". Just not with Don's intensity.
Together with Studio, is photographer Dave Guttridge (or DJ78 to those in the music business). We had previously worked together a few years ago on a prospectus for City College Norwich, so it's a pleasure to work with him again on such a prestigious project.
It was cool discovering the UEA London Study Centre for the first time and ahead of its official opening too. An exclusive preview of a building in a transitional state before its first students and tutors arrive, its teaching rooms being assembled – even the library awaiting its books.
Situated in Middlesex Street in the heart of the City, UEA London is an impressive building, with a colourful, contemporary interior complimented with superb furnishings. It felt more like a classy advertising agency (I had BBH in mind, or maybe Sterling Cooper) rather than a university campus.
And that's me, standing there like a delinquent Pet Shop Boy on the empty 5th floor - Dave and I thought this position would make an interesting profile shot for the Directors and Academics. Oddly, later on Chris Lowe passed me in the street – I take that as a lucky sign for when we return and populate our photographs with real people. UEA London will be undoubtedly buzzing with excitement.
More on Dave here. And more about DJ78 just there.
