We walked up the stairs of St Paul’s Cathedral with the afternoon sun on our backs. I was going to take photographs of Albert in a secluded area, a sort of arcade, set into the façade of this magnificent church built after the Great Fire of London in the seventeenth century.
A diffused, warm light permeated the space, while sharper shafts of sunlight shone between the columns. This complex duality of light suited our ‘stage’ perfectly.
The tall, dark, heavy door behind us was locked, so we knew that our session would not be disturbed.
I loaded a film into my Canon A1.
Albert paced about like a tiger checking its territory.
I nodded my head and pointed with a hand towards the area where I wanted him to be.
Albert took off and I watched a professional dancer at the peak of his sublime abilities flying effortlessly against the backdrop of a wall made of soft Portland stone. I asked him to jump again and again, and only then did I take the first photograph.