Visited another few shops today, and photographed two of them.
Jo Sorrell, Proprietor, Cardies. (With Jack!) © Trevor Coultart 2014
Jo was a delight to chat to, and had loads of information about the High Street and its traders. She opened Cardies in 1988, but her High Street connections go back further than that: her father (Roy?) opened a kitchen design and fitting business right back in 1979 and settled in its final location when Jo was just eleven. The family lived “out the back”, and so for Jo this isn’t just her shop, it’s her family home, and she believes herself to be the only High Street retailer still living on her premises. Her knowledge of her customers was evident while I was setting up to photograph: more than one customer who came in was greeted by name and given very personal assistance choosing an appropriate card for their loved ones. Jo’s Labradors have always been a popular feature of her shop, starting with Poppy who was resident for sixteen years, then a succession of rescue dogs. Jack, pictured, has been in the shop for the past eight years.
Alan Cawthorne, Partner, A & D Framing. © Trevor Coultart 2014
This was the first time I’d walked in to introduce the project to a new subject and ended up taking the photograph on the same visit. Alan seemed a touch suspicious at first, asking if I had any ID as he gets “all sorts of people in here asking all sorts of strange things”. I gave him one of my trusty letters of introduction and that was enough for him to say I could do it straight away seeing as I had my kit with me. Result! I think this one might be my favourite so far. The shops full of contrast and interest and there’s a tantalising glimpse into Alan’s workshop: the world behind the scenes. Alan learned his trade in East London before marriage brought him to Stevenage twenty years ago and he set up his own shop with his new wife. He’s seen an increase in the number of people who seem to want “something for nothing” these days, but doesn’t try to compete with mass market off the shelf frames, sticking to his core business of quality bespoke craftsmanship.
Two more shoots lined up for tomorrow!
I did call in to a few more new businesses today, too, where I either had to leave details with staff or, in one case, had my third straight refusal. (On the grounds that “I don’t know where it might end up.”)
Now, to my concerns.
Okay, this one’s more a conundrum. As I’m seeing this as primarily a sort of documentary/editorial project, should I be ruling out any re-touching beyond colour balancing, sharpening and the like? Look at the ceiling of the Framing shot above. See those white bits of cord dangling down? Should I let myself remove them? Or is that altering reality?
In the Alta Image shot I posted before, I have removed a trailing electrical wire, and wondered whether I ought to have. Any thoughts?
Next, a technical concern. I’m really not convinced about the sharpness and focus of the shots I’ve taken so far, and I’m planning to print fairly large so this is important. This is where I blame my tools (though focusing isn’t my strong point!) but I’m shooting with a Canon 600D, which is a 1.6 crop sensor, and I’m using a Tamron 10-24 zoom lens. Now, I love the lens and have been delighted with it since I’ve had it. It’s become my general purpose lens for most shooting. But here I’m using at at the very extremities of its range, shooting at 10mm, and I know that zooms aren’t at their best at the extremes. But what alternative do I have? Shoot medium format? That’s a whole additional dimension to the project. I’m not confident enough with film and exposures, nor do I have any kit, and medium format digital is way beyond any budget I could conceive. Find a prime lens I could use instead of my 10-24? Well, Canon do a 14mm prime. Retail price £2809.99. Cheaper on Amazon, but still. That’s not happening. (Yes, I’ve looked on eBay. Still beyond my budget.)
And my last concern? Well, that’s just me. With all the time spent on this module, the other three modules are getting increasingly behind. I’ve still done virtually nothing about finding a work placement, and that’s worrying me.