Two cool togs were meeting up in London and wanted to do a big photography networking event. One was the incredibly popular Lara Jade @larajade_ and the other is the very cool Felix Kunze @felixkunze . They have launched a new photography networking event for London called @inspiremeetups .

Here’s the story of what happened that afternoon. Just after lunch time I had already rushed around at work to finished up in order to leave by 1pm so that I could get on the bus to Marble Arch. 45 minutes later I arrived and started walking towards the Hyde Park Corner secton of the HUGE park. Even though I was later, by almost 2 hours, the planned 12pm meet up time .. I took a few shots along the way.

On arriving at the designated corner of the park I tweeted out “where are you?” or some such to the twitter verse as I couldn’t see an obvious photography crowd .. and believe me we are obvious!! In the 15 minutes it took for Felix to see and reply to my cry for help finding them, the heavens had already opened and a river came from the sky .. not just rain but a RIVER I tell you! I needed shelter, quick, fast, anything?! I walked rapidly to a little cafe next to the lake in Hyde Park, going *squish, squish, squish* with each step.. such a lovely feeling. I didn’t want to run because doing splits from running on water slick pavements is NOT fun .. trust me.

While I stood under shelter I saw a couple of swans and thought “hey, I’m already soaked, why not take some photos” so I did. A while later the rain slowed to a drizzle and I started walking back to the tube in order to meet up with the people who were lucky enough to avoid the rain at a pub near Victoria Station.

Part of my ‘reward’ as such for getting soaked was to admire a double rainbow .. it was truly beautiful.

But, then it rained again! Yet another river of rain again to be exact .. buh!

I legged it to the tube station and made it to the pub where everyone coming to the #inspire meet up was going. Everyone had been there a while by the time I made it but I got there. I treated myself to a pint of lemonade mixed with fresh orange (my favourite drink if your buying) and went to meet the crowd, one person at a time.

When meeting everyone I had my camera out with my conversation starter trick ready for action. I own a Lensbaby 2.0 and this is a lens that most people have never seen and ALWAYS want to play with! It takes beautiful blur photos with a gorgeous sweet spot where ever you want to bend the lens to focus the sweet spot on.

I was semi prepared to show and discuss our photography works in that I printed a collection of my photos as 5 by 7 inch prints. So I networked, chatted, collected lots of business cards of contacts which I’ve now indexed (go geeky me!) and here are a few of the people I met and some momentos. I also drooled over other peoples large 11 by 14 inch prints in leather bound portfolios .. I’ve some news on my own portfolio coming soon, heh heh!

Note to London Photographers: Remeber you can come to other London Inspire events and get notified by following @inspiremeetups on twitter.

Some of these photos below were taken by me and by others, I think you’ll be able to tell which is which by the captions when you click on the photos! We chatted in the pub, gathered and looked over portfolios, drank and celebrated our art .. the bending and capture of light for eternity, to wax it poetically.

To end the night a few of us continued on and went to Covent Garden for a light dinner before moving onwards to a small hotel lounge to round out the night with a group of 6 of us, before we went our separate ways home.

Finally I can say yes, I went out and met people! I have evidentiary proof! I met the two people who organised the event and whose work I absolutely love and want to do myself! No, they didn’t produce their work, I did .. not them but meeeee. Mine, all mine .. uh, but not. But sooon my collections will be as magnificient and great as theirs, yes, yes it will.

@cathiegraphy , @felixkunze , @larajade_

You can help me on my journey by asking me to be your portrait photographer for a business headshot, to feel and be beautiful in yourself as a beauty. Ask me to do your family get together remembrance photography .. I’ll even be your future historian.

Your humble London Portrait Photographer,

– CathieGraphy