Zombie Portraits

For many years there was an annual zombie walk through Brighton - always an amazing spectacular to see and photograph (although I am sure a few kids had nightmares afterwards).

The first time I went down I got a lot of fun shots of zombies wandering the street but the next year I wanted something a little different. Especially as there were a lot of photographers around.

And so the Zombie Portraits was born!

I took a pop up reflector and covered it so it was black which we used as a background. I held a small portable studio light attached to a monopod out to one side (wedged against my hip for support) and followed the zombie hoard as it made its way through the street of Brighton. As we mingled with the walking dead I found myself shouting (in my best London market trader accent) “Zombie portraits, get your zombie portraits here” which seems to work as the dead slowly started lurching towards the makeshift studio.

Not sure any of the portraits will make it onto their next passport application but the costumes were quite impressive and who thinks of being a Zombie Airhostess or Zombie Truck stop mechanic anyway.

Although it was an annual event in Brighton for several years many people had no idea what was going on when a zombie started shuffling down the main shopping road trying to find a hoard to join. I think the collective screams from the bus passengers when one zombie banged on a window was particularly impressive. 

It was a great day but my arm was killing me after holding out the studio light. However I don’t think you would ever realise the portraits below were taken outside on the streets of Brighton.

It did leave me wondering that if a zombie apocalypse did ever happen then would we all just think it was joke and start taking pictures until they started eating us?