File: 2016001-0084
Lulu modelling and photographed in casual outfit. Newport, Wales, United Kingdom, 29th January 2016.
She is seen here, modelling in a light brown and cream coloured stripped faux fur coat made by Quality Fashion, bought second-hand from a charity shop. She is wearing her own black scoop neckline top, with her own dark blue jeans. She is wearing a pair of black high heels. The photographs were taken in front of a studio backdrop, using a Nikon D200 DSLR.
In 1985, when I was at a deaf school in my last year, I decided to get into doing photography as a career. It is the kind of off-beat job that I would like to do, so I tried to apply for a college course studying photography. But the hearing teachers, my own family, family friends, career advisors, and even the social workers, told me that I should not do photography as a job because I am deaf.
In those days here in the United Kingdom, there were discrimination against disabled people, as there weren’t much laws protecting our rights at that time. My mother told me I can’t do photography, because I’m deaf with speech impaired.
I tried to make an effort to get them into helping me get a college course, studying photography. But they got me on a training course at college, instead of a proper serious course. From 1987 to 1989, I spent two days studying traditional graphic design while at college, with three days work experience for a professional photographer as part of my training course, mainly as photographer’s assistant and darkroom technician.
I admit that I became hooked on doing graphic design, so in additional to wanting to become a photographer, I decided I want to become a graphic designer as a second option.
After leaving college, I attempted to get a job working either in photography or graphic design, but as I mentioned earlier, in those days, there were still discrimination against the disabled people, so employers are likely to favour hearing people over deaf people.
For a few years, I continue to do my own photography and my own graphic design projects at home, in order to keep up my skills, while at same time, trying to find a job. Then I got married, and started a family life, but divorced her and I became a full-time single parent, so everything was put on hold for a while, until the kids were much older.
Finally, in the United Kingdom, we got The Equality Act 2010, that would protect our rights.
Few years later, while my kids were old enough to attend full-time school, I resumed my own projects, mainly to refresh my skills. I would need to improve my portfolio if I were to try to apply for a job, or may even consider going freelance. One of the graphic design projects I planned to do, requested a female model.
So I searched online, looked at some of the modelling agencies and model booking websites.
I booked Lulu for a two-hours outdoors photo-shoot in Newport, Gwent, South Wales. I arrived at her home, met up with her, and went through the details of the photo-shoot. We went into city centre, and I found a perfect location for my needs, did the photo-shoot for my graphic design project.
When the outdoors photo-shoots were done, there was still time to spare, I think maybe one and half hour of the booked two-hours slot was used up, leaving maybe half hour left.
I think that both she and her husband didn’t think it was right, I think they feel like they were overcharging me for less time used, or something like that. They were nice and polite, and they allowed me to use up what was left of the booked timeslot. They pointed out that they have a small makeshift studio in their spare bedroom, and suggested I could use it for some indoor photo-shoots, use what was left of the booked timeslot to do more photographs if I wish to do so. I figured why not? Not only that I would get my money’s worth, but also take a chance to do more refresher photography.
And this is one of the series of photos I took in the remaining half hour of the booked timeslot.
Point of note: Lulu had left a glowing and positive review on my profile, on the model booking website, pointing out that despite my being deaf with speech impaired, she had found working with me a pleasure and enjoyable.
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