Market town : Making mussel soup with off camera hand held flash

[PolaroidSky]

Visited with Stuart today. He made mussel soup as I snapped away and we talked over his house's imminent (hopeful) sale and his escape to sunnier climates

[karenoliver]

Great shots, Jim.

First one , I love the reflection of his face in the mirror and love the lighting.

Second one - Great use of newspaper headline to date the shot and add some interest. I've been doing something similar lately with my iphone and papers on the floor. Its got nice light again too and I like the mussels over the paper :-)

Third one The textures in his home are really photogenic. It looks like an old building that's seen better days but for this kind of photography really works.

Karen

[PolaroidSky]

Thank you Karen : )

Stuart lives alone in his late parents house and it's very old and very huge... think... Grey Gardens old and huge!... it's like a time machine and is really a millstone around his neck, isolated on the far reaches of the local town. It's up for sale now and the hopes are to escape to Turkey or Greece.

I took a few shots with digital and a few MF... but they came out awful... the hazard of getting out of date film : S

I visit and chat with Stuart most weeks, weeks been friends for over 7 years now... he's a combination of Peter Ustinov and Quentin Crisp and the best storyteller ever : )

[aRitsos]

Hi,
I like the first and the second photograph. They tell his story, his character and the title on the newspaper
“ …. gone” gives a hint about his thoughts. There is a question about the card on the mirror. The positioning of all the elements give an idea that he feels loneliness and probably misery. In Russian literature such characters have a striking presence and a protagonist’s role in cinema everywhere in the world.
He is everywhere and we are in his room. All of us.
Very good work, Jim, I’m with you. αR

[PolaroidSky]

Hi aR,

what a wonderful reading... as a fan of Russian literature I love it. Cheers!