A GEORGIAN STEW FOR THREE, NO TWO… WITH MAX E

Wednesday was a particularly busy day of our Berlin shoot week. After three days in a row of going until late evening with only our morning porridge and single cup of coffee to keep us going, we made a plan to have a proper meal. There was only about an hour spare between getting back from the David P shoot until Max E would come, so I sent Andriy on to the flat to set up while I went to Kaiser’s Market to get some pork, tomatoes, peppers, onions and coriander (which was effing expensive!). I’d be using it to make a Georgian style stew (I would LOVE to do an issue of Elska in Georgia one day, but sadly I think that homophobia is still too high to make it a safe choice for us our the subjects we shoot).

Anyway, I got to chopping veg and preparing the chashushuli stew, which was finally ready for its simmering stage when Max E rang the bell. I’d bought a large enough portion (plus bread bought that morning by Andriy – you can always trust a Ukrainian to choose good bread) so that we could invite Max to eat with us.

While the chashushuli was slowly bubbling away, we did the photoshoot, but Max seemed so nervous that I lost the nerve to ask him if he wanted to stay for dinner. It seemed like he wanted to get out, so I let him. And perhaps that’s why Max didn’t make it into the final issue – there was just a lack of ease in some of the pics. Also, he never wrote his text in time (bad Max!).

The chashushuli was lovely by the way. Sorry you missed it, Max.

Max E didn’t make it into the final cut of Elska Magazine Issue (02) Berlin, but only because he didn't submit his story by the deadline. Bad Max!

Elska Boy: Max E

Photographer: Liam Campbell

Location: Berlin, Germany

Elska Magazine: N/A

#BerlinGermany