On Wednesday morning I walked from Woodthorpe Park into Sherwood and visited Sherwoods charity shop to search for vintage lenses. At theCancer research shop, I found a really nice Tokina 70-200mm f4-f5.6 zoom. I don’t normally buy zoom lenses, but it was in good condition.
Chantal, the shop assistant who served me, seemed really interested in why I’d bought it. I told her about how I adapt the lenses to modern cameras. Chantal gave me the box and said she didn’t know what all the information on the box meant. I said the info’ on the box was really good and told me a lot about the lens.
Chantal asked me what kind of photography did I like. I told her I was a street photographer and loved to take photos of strangers on the street, emphasising that I ask permission to take their photo. Chantal said that sounded really interesting. I told her I’d took over 320 strangers in the 7 years I’d been doing it. Chantal said Nottingham is such a vibrant city, I would get some interesting people to photograph. I then asked Chantal, if she would be one of my strangers. As you can see, she said yes.
I told Chantal it would be OK to photograph her behind the till / counter, as the light was good and the big window at the front of the shop would be good for portraits. Chantal told me she is a cancer survivor and volunteering in the shop was part of her recovery process. Chantal had breast cancer and she told me that she has to learn that she cannot be the ‘old Chantal’, the ‘new Chantel’ has to slow down a bit. She began volunteering in the shop in December and it was really helping her healing process.
I asked Chantal if she wanted copies of the photos, she said she didn’t, so we bumped fists and I thanked her for letting me photograph her. Thanks Chantal, it was lovely to meet you
You meet the most amazing people who are ready to pose for you. You have great talent the way you convince them . I really love your street photography. Another beautiful portrait. And a beautiful story to go with it. Well done.
Nice one!