November 2023. The streets of London, colder and colder again, whispered with the echoes of history as I stood near the grand façade of the Bank of England, ready to step into a different kind of frame. This wasn’t just another photoshoot, it was a moment captured for something greater, a reflection of the words I had written, for my resume and my enjoyment, and the stories I was about to share once more.

Lidiia Golovina was behind the lens again, and her familiar presence has become a true and peaceful guidance. But this time, there was a shift, a sense of purpose placed into every shot. It was about presence, about capturing an identity that would live on in the pages of All the Battles I Have Lost and beyond. Beyond many other books and stories to be written.

This was a more professional shoot, polished yet personal, crafted not just for the camera but for the books that would carry these images alongside my words. As the city moved around me in this chilly Thursday morning, bracing for a new day ahead, I stood still (just for a moment) before history, before the Duke of Wellington victorious from Waterloo and my own journey collided in the frame.