Good friends and famous houses…

Something that everyone expects from the photojournalism life is constant travel, exotic locations, and fascinating people. Imagine my surprise when I realized, only after a short time “in the field” that all that world is a fragment of the actual work.

But every once in a while the planets align. Was it Hong Kong or Ethiopia or some remote island off the south coast of Haiti?

Nope…

A cold, damp night in a tiny English town at a drafty old house.

This is Max Gate: the home of writer Thomas Hardy.

Shame if you aren’t familiar with his work.

These photos are from an evening at his home with close friends (even if they span four countries), famous musicians and artists, and historic surroundings.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include a few photos of the surrounding Dorchester town.

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Opera darling Letizia Dei sings. Jeff Hopper plays.

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Now, it isn’t every day that I get to make a really special portrait. Jacqueline, the overseer of Thomas Hardy’s house, is a fellow co-worker and my (our) boss requested a portrait be made of her in the house somewhere.

In Hardy’s office, there is photograph of him at his desk… like this:

It just so happens the BBC article featuring her has a crop of the original photograph. For subtlety, the original photograph is on the desk at the right of this frame.

And Jacqueline and Jeff Hopper outside the front door…

It was a lovely evening. A lovely day. A lovely stay in England.

Stay tuned…
-Noah D.