The Street Portrait Photographer

It's been a gorgeous day. I cycled in over the moor road and came back via Otley, Norwood Edge and Timble. The light has been beautiful. Despite taking some delightful landscapes which were shouting to be posted in colour, with rich, rich greens and blues, I have to be true to the journal and put something up from my afternoon walk around Market Square.

It was another day when I left the office for a late lunch with my head not in the best of places. I often start out thinking that this will be the day when I'm not going to find a face to photograph, but then logic clicks in and I remind myself that I've done this for almost 400 consecutive days now so the odds are pretty heavily in favour of someone turning up. But who? It's a slightly odd feeling setting out in the almost certain knowledge that twenty minutes later I will have had a conversation with and photographed a complete stranger. I will admit that there is a bit of an adrenaline rush to that. Perhaps if I was completely at ease with this then I wouldn't find it so compelling and rewarding.

I was out for about ten minutes and there was no face that really 'spoke' to me, when I noticed Ian at the bus stop. From a quite a long way off he cut a very distinctive figure with his hat and pipe. He was a fantastic character but there was very little time as his bus was pulling up. Having taken a few quick shots I was manoeuvering him out of the direct sunlight into the place I really wanted him to get the photograph I was after (something I'm getting quite adept at now), when Andy here popped up with his pipe in hand. He pretty much demanded to have his photograph taken. It might not be long before queues start to form! I lost Ian to his bus but I was happy enough to get this shot of Andy - and of myself.

Like yesterday, my dark mood was now completely lifted after these encounters and I was very much open to approach anyone. As it happened I ended up in a conversation with a young woman whom I know from the Health Food Store but had never properly talked to before today. I was blown away with her story. But there is no time to describe that encounter right now. I'll see if she'd be happy for me to talk about her.

Finally, you lovely people have offered up a lot of love for my photos this last few days and I've not had the time to comment back to anybody. My days are incredibly stretched at the moment. I've been working 10-12 hour stretches at the office and I've been trying to eat well and sleep well, so with a bit of exercise thrown in for good measure, and posting my blips, there is literally no time left in the day. It's a deep regret. I really hope that can change soon. For now, quite simply ... thank you.