I dunno really, thats not for me to say. Have a look matey.

To some extent (and I mean more with fashion) yes. But I mean I've lived, studied and now worked here for 7 years so it's bound to happen a bit, if it has. I work a lot in France too so maybe I'm 'euro'. Fuck knows, but without writing out a huge thing I do know exactly what roonygee is saying.

to me it looks like the kind of photography that you are likely to see in a big international publication like vogue hommes etc. so for that reason it could be italian or american. it looks very professional on that level if you see what i mean.

but i am still interested to see if anyone can post anything that to them encapsulates an example of a very 'london' image.

This was definitely more possible in the 60s and 70s when the production of photography was more specific to the publications based in different cities. Of course it's a nonsense to say 'the 60s were all about London' (though people do, of course)- look at what Peter Knapp was doing at French Elle, for instance- but there are just times when particular relationships crystalise in a certain place and great work comes out of it, which, in hindsight, comes to represent an era. Take Norman Parkinson's trip to New York at the end of the 40s - when Alexander Liberman (was it?) persuaded him to start working in colour. His images from that date took on a commercial vigour that you might associate with Americana more than the Beatonesque poignancy of his 40s black and white work... Same goes for when Newton and Bourdin were shooting for French Vogue in the 70s: that pent up sexuality and obsession with strict, bourgeois sexuality comes to be a shorthand (albeit too glib) for Paris during that time (when compared with the loucheness Studio 54 and New York) etc. It's just lazy journalism, isn't it, but these 'time/place' hooks are handy all the same.

Anyway, before I reprise a diatribe that I must have written on the site somewhere before (The Belgians?), my point is that the production of fashion imagery has become so globalised (particularly after 9/11, when the clamp down on budgets meant that the disaster was used as an excuse to make everyone shoot in New York because it's cheaper than Europe) that it's not so much about the centres of production any more. Everybody *knows* that the fashion content of Chinese and Japanese Vogue is co-ordinated out of an office in London and that the covers of the Biannials are shot in beaches in Ibiza or in New York studios: it's not about a local geography or 'the studio on the top floor of Vogue House' any more (and hasn't been for some time). The only hope for the retention of any sense of 'national identity' for the magazines probably lies in China: it will be interesting to see how they develop their publishing cultures. In UK education, lecturers are reporting that students are being sent from China on a sort of reconnaissance mission to learn as much as they can about Western fashion culture, which suggests that the national objective is to set something up of their own.

you should write a book on geopolitics and the evolution of the fashion image post 9/11. I would also be inclined to think that globalisation has destabilised any notion of a hegemonic visual order especially in fashion photography. I think that through working as a photographer you will undoubtedly become more sensitive to the kind of idiosyncrasies borne of working in a certain city but really, on a larger scale, I think it a little absurd to claim visual imagery is as geographically disparate today as it once used to be. I mean, how many of us are going to look at 'the man's' pics and say. 'oh my god, that is just so toronto'? Sure, maybe if you've lived there you will pick up on something but by the same token, there are probably numerous other pockets in small suburban parochial subculture spots that will generate similar imagery. And if anything, is it not contra-punctual photographic 'voices' that can so often be heralded as the new thing? - especially during our current vogue for reclaiming the nostalgia of suburban conservatism and community and the growing distaste for the aesthetics of urban overkill

Toronto, Bangladesh, North Korea, Missouri, Plymouth, Shanghai whatever. The point was that in regards to "the man's" interest in finding an overnight agent in London is going to be hard since his work currently has very deep roots in a market that is completely unlike London.

I can see that he understands, that he has a vision for something else, but he's still not reached the level needed to compete in a place like London. You only really get one chance to impress people.

And I just went back and I agree with you Detlev, I see very specific things based only on my own experiences in Toronto [like the alleyway South of Queen on Bathurst behind the Bip Bop ;)]. I also would like to suggest a re-edit of the Fashion portfolio as well as maybe re-composing some of the images via cropping? There is no real flow to the folio, and the scattered feel makes it hard to actually find a real defined style. Also Jayson, please, I beg you, the next time you do a shoot make sure the stylist has a steamer machine... some of those wrinkles are just really tacky.

I think you have some really strong images in there. There is a lot of nice Black and White work that I would slightly play around with in curves to make sure it's got optimum latitude for both Mac's and PC's [some are lacking proper shadows]. Actually, if you got a good retoucher to just bump these pictures up a little, you can really get some nice stuff going.

Go to Strut, they're in Tronto now and looking for Photographers. Eye Magazine is looking for weekly cover photogs, crappy budget but exposure, get in touch with Taylor or Gordon [if you don't know already]. Good practice and easy access to nice clothes.

And I would suggest meeting Geoff Barrenger and maybe assisting him once or twice, just to see what he does. You'll be amazed. The image he takes on his digital camera makes a looong journey.

Please don't get offended... I really think you can have a decent book with just a tiny bit of work. It's all there, just the kinks.

eucinpyos, while we're on the subject of toronto - did you ever know a girl called Jowita? she was torontan(?) polish as well, like you. I met her while i lived in berlin and she knew merle (peaches) and took me to my first gonzales concert in the Maria am Ostbahnhof.

or are there just loads of poles in toronto that makes that a totally ridiculous question?

hi Jason i didnt mean for you to take any offence by that it was just the opinion of a rep in london, which is what i do. your casting process one would say can develop a style that perhaps develops a look; for instance using ben as an example as he has put himself up here I would say his casting identifies his pictures as being quite now, especially the mens fashion story which is brightly coloured. thats a very london choice of model that would not really make so much sense in the states. does that make sense???? Alasdair mcellan uses similar kinds of models, very british for shoots like topman which is universally known as a very british label. i didnt think jasons fashion work was that exciting though technically it was great so my advice would be to up the ante on the casting process as itsso important!!

Too many poles, but, I'm sure I know someone who knows her. Kevin Bacon wins again.

ben, by the way i think all your images are really beautiful to look at. i also think that a lot of your documentary subjects were really sensitively chosen as well.