Moving on

11.3.2011

Well, I've completed three more character photo shoots over the past week; the photographic historian John, Colin the fossil hunter and my IT student MIchael. I'd like to try for a few more pictures with Michael as he plays the drums, but it was very difficult to get the address of the garage where his drums are stored, so I gave up on it last week. Hope to get more info when I see him again next week. All my subjects couldn't be more helpful and posed as requested after they overcame their slight self-consciousness at being photographed.

John had his own studio with an attic room, not small and cramped as you might imagine an attic room, but a large, well lit room 3 floors up. He has the most amazing collection of everything to do with photographic history and over 300 cameras. Here's a couple of possible shots to include in my portfolio. The close up image, taken with a Nikon D700 and an 18mm fish eye lens turned out okay, but I don't think it will be the defining image of John.

Colin, the fossil hunter, is a well know character around Lyme and has such a collection of memorabelia from his seaching in and around Lyme that he has devoted a whole floor in his flat to store it all. His collection ranges from fossils (of course) through bullets, belt and shoe buckles, bullets, coins, maps, old books and whatever else you can think of. He knows precisely where everything is and can go straight to the cupboard/cabinet and find what he is looking for.  He was a great subject to photograph:

My IT student, Michael, is a 20-year old lad who tries very hard. He left school with no qualifications not helped by the fact that he is dyslexic, and wants desperately to get a permanent job. With no qualifications and being dyslexic as well the outcome is poor but he keeps trying. He spends his spare time in the local internet centre working on his literacy, numeracy and IT skills and I thought he deserved a mention here. His main interests are cars and music.