Photographer William Furniss likes taking pictures in the rain
Photographer William Furniss loves the city when it rains, so much so that he's made it the subject of his latest exhibition. Kylie Knott takes her umbrella
slides open a cupboard door to reveal an impressive collection of photographic equipment. There are lenses and cameras of all sizes, and from all eras. He pulls out an Agfa camera from the 1950s, admiring its "beautiful" chunky body. Next is a Rolfix folding camera. Both look prehistoric next to his sleek iPhone.
But what gets Furniss excited is not the vintage cameras but a plastic bag containing, well, plastic. It's a waterproof cover worn over the head and shoulders to create a protective bubble for the camera and the photographer. "This is my latest purchase," he says proudly. "Isn't it cool? I can't wait to try it out. It's the hippest thing around. People are going to go crazy for this."
It's not surprising that Furniss thinks the plastic is so fantastic because this London-born artist loves taking photos in the rain. To be more precise, he loves snapping Hong Kong in the rain from the top deck of a moving tram. At dusk.
"If the weather's bad, I'm out in it. I'm obsessed with the weather. I haven't run out of meetings to capture the rain, but I have run out of a dinner," the 43-year-old says enthusiastically.
"There is such ease of movement around this city because of the public transport. All you need is a cloud of ideas that at any time can match the circumstances. Just jump in and do it - that's how I operate."