I was out and about in Bishops Waltham; the temperature was low and the wind keen.
After a walk around the pond and down the main street, I went into Sweet Corner for an afternoon cup of tea. This shop is much like an old fashioned sweetshop with rows of jars of sweets behind the counter, plus fudge, chocolate, lollipops, ice-cream etc etc, everything you might expect to find in such an establishment. Paradise if I was not on a no-sugar diet!
Morgan, the young man on duty served me my Earl Grey and, after a while, I explained my strangers' portrait project to him and asked to take his photo. He was very willing to agree; I was meantime contemplating the lighting.
Two or three mums came in with children fresh out of school, one of whom asked for an ice-cream (in a rather bright turquoise colour) and went outside with her mother to eat it at a chilly outside table.
When it was again quiet, I took the photos of Morgan, some in colour, also a few using the b&w presets on my a6000. When I was home I found that I did not like these at all, but it was a good opportunity to try them out for portraits in an unhurried situation.
Morgan left school with A-levels, including Maths, and is working in Sweet Corner while he studies online for accountancy exams. He mentioned the discipline required to take such a path and not be sidetracked from his studies. He also said that he does like working in the shop/café and talking to the customers.
He told me he shares in the 3 daily walks for the family dog, a cockapoo and is looking forward to longer and more interesting walks in the summer. He likes going out with his friends and listening to electronic music.
I recently had small cards printed with my details to avoid asking folk to write down their emails and asked Morgan to drop me a line if he would like a photo or two.
Wishing Morgan all the best for his studies and future career.
With regard to posting this portrait in the 'high-key, low-key' section of Flash of Red February, I guess the overhead lighting in the shop would come under high-key type lighting.
I converted my shot to b&w using greyscale option on FastStone.
see more photos here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150442566@N07/39141148215/in/dateposted-public/
watch out for positioning your strangers haze, I always try to make mine look towards a bright area so we get catchlights , it's the eyes that make the portrait :) ....have i said that before !!!!, probably !!
B&w for Flash of red Feb (I have 10% bw in my project). A surprise this is in explore on Flickr (in colour)! The lighting was quite difficult.
It's the first time I tried a portrait with those 2 bw settings - but I do use them OK for other types of photography. In general I think colour converted to bw works better. Good to exchange ideas!
Margo you make the nicest comments and thank you. I am feeling a tad feeble right now, having been indoors unwell for a period of a few weeks and now have a streaming cold. Since our Cairn terrier, Jinks, died in Sept I have had a string of unrelated health problems. Yesterday I contacted the Cairn Terrier Relief Fund.............