This is Mohammed who I met in the Victoria Centre indoor market, Nottingham on Wednesday.
The number of unoccupied market stalls in the indoor market is probably 80%. See my previous photo on 365 for the stark reality of the market.
One of the few occupied stalls was a Tailors shop “Sew Perfect”, located on the outer perimeter of the market near a fire exit. I had my camera in hand and asked the owner if I could take a photo. Mohammed said “Yes” before I’d introduced myself.
Mohammed told me he’d been in the unit for maybe 16 years. He’s of Pakistani heritage. I asked if he was busy, if business was good. He told me he was managing OK, despite the market (which is owned by the city council) suffering hard times.
The photo was really difficult to shoot as Mohammed’s unit only had one overhead florescent light tube as a source of lighting. I had to recover my shadows and highlights in post processing to get a usable photo.
I bumped fists with Mohammed and thanked him for his time and wished him well for the future.
Thank you Mohammed.
BTW : look at the size of his scissors on his desk ....amazing !!!
Very atmospheric photo Phil, the black and white really gives a great insight into the interior of an old tailor's shop. I hope Mohammed's business picks up along with the fortunes of the market!
@philippar Philippa , thank you , the market is a sad reflection of the times . I think it's no way back for the market , it's owned by the city council who are officially bankrupt.
@ankers70 suzanne , that's kind of you to say , it was a difficult shot to take , the lighting was really poor , but I do think I managed to capture Mohammed's life
Not so good for those still there! They will want a thriving busy market with a bit of a buzz! Sad state of affairs! I like this in black & white. It suits your story.
I recognised the workshop immediately and it brought many happy memories of my dear dad who was a tailor and continued on his business till he was 90 years ago. Sadly you will see very few tradesmen nowadays, everything is mechanised but the quality will never match those of the past when products were hand made.
@happypat Pat , I think markets everywhere are struggling. Some do well but these tend to pop up one's with a theme
@carole_sandford Carole thank you , I think a colour image would be so noisy and grainy due to the poor light .
@marlboromaam mags thanks , you are so kind with your words of encouragement
@christinav many thanks Christina
@jamibann Issi good shout re' the gritty nature of the shot , thank you
@busylady Fabric scissors Judith , I am impressed with your knowledge , thank you very much
@will_wooderson William thank you for your comment and support