Abigail, currently a Camden Town resident, is originally from the more exotic utopia of Milton Keynes; a city created in the 60s deliberately placed equidistant from London, Birmingham, Leicester, Oxford and Cambridge. I’ve never been, but per her and her fiancé Kassem’s description, I’m convinced it’s a real trip.
I met Abigail through Kassem Yassin (a prize winning poet), my long lost middle school classmate with whom I have not spoken in 11 years. Kassem and Abigail are pictured below, in their lovely Camden Town apartment, getting ready for the shoot.
It was cold and dreary that day – perfect for the look I was going for.
The temperature must have been very close to freezing. Look at how little she’s wearing. Being the brave Milton Keynes girl she is, she braced the cold without complaints. A sloane from London would have not stood a chance.
Very soon after we started shooting, it began to rain. I had to get this last shot, so we pressed on.
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The following day, we did a shoot at Gordon’s Wine Bar – the oldest wine bar in London. The place looks like it hasn’t been touched in the last 100 years, and you’d walk right past it if you didn’t know about it. Abigail is a semi pro makeup artist, so she did her own:
The place is pretty much pitch dark, lacking any ambient lighting. This was good news for me, for at this point I’m fairly sick of using a softbox as my main light. I proceeded to experiment with candles.
You can see a newspaper clipping of the Queen in the background here:
On the other side of the bar, there’s a tunnel that allegedly was where the underground trains were turned around.
I’m utterly convinced that it was the Milton Keynesness that gave these shoots a special touch. Hopefully, I’ll soon make the pilgrimage to Milton Keynes, and write about it here.
Steve Gong 
What a beautiful model. I’m jealous of her wardrobe. Also I see the improvement in your lighting!
I looove love the photos in the wine bar. The lighting is so soft and it looks like it should be a cover photo for some Bohemian play or opera.
Steve,
You are hands down one of the most talented photographers that I know! I honestly can say that I have yet to see a picture that didn’t give me pause for thought.
You really have an amazing gift and I can’t wait for you to come back to NYC! I hope we can shoot some things together!
Steve, I loved these photos! You did a tremendous job getting such great lighting in Gordon’s Wine Bar — I’ve been there several times and know just how dark and cramped it is. A similarly old and interesting-looking bar is the Cheshire Cheese on the Strand, opposite the Royal Courts of Justice. Much of the interior is from the Elizabethan era. You should check it out – I think you’d be able to get some great photos there!
Karen
Steve,
Your choice of locations still blows my mind, they’re amazing! And I agree, the lighting in these is close to flawless… care to expose some secrets? 😉
BRAVO AMICO MIO!
Great shots in the cave!! Your work is, as always, amazing!
nice stuff steve! where abouts is this wine bar? i have to go there.
Jonny
Steve,
As I’ve told you before, I have absolutely no doubt that you will be a successful photojournalist. Your photos use such varied techniques and have such distinct personalities, which along with your vivid narratives, make me feel like I’m just casually hanging out with you during a photoshoot while you explain to me what’s going on.
I can’t agree enough with the posts above that the lighting in the bar photos was enchanting, accentuating the mystery and beauty of the model’s gaze.
The lighting is fantastic, which intensifies the temperature of the photos. I feel the chills of the bleak, raw winter in photos 3-5, and then am quickly warmed once stepping inside the candlelit tavern in 7-9.
#9 is a true gem. The composition is elegant and the background is interesting but not distracting. Then again, I think all of these photos are very promising.
Also, Nigel is with me, and wants to thank you for teaching him the word ‘sloane’.
Sorry for the the delay in commenting on your extraordinary great Hampstead Heath night shots and your truly amazing Gordons Wine Bar shots. I was very impressed with the choice of your model Abigail and her choice of wardrobe and make up. She is truly a top draw lady with a smouldering intimate look enough to stir the coldest heart. The lighting tecqniques you use are intuitively clever and original and make a real challenge for aspiring amateurs like myself. I am really looking forward with baited gaze to you next edited photo project.
Steve,
Thank you for asking me to do these shoots with you, I Had a great time and I hope we get to do something else soon.