I started this exercise working backwards – looking first of all at the venues that are available to me. We’re really quite provincial here, so larger public venues are not easily accessible.
· I considered the local co-operative supermarket, for which I attained permission to take photographs, but looking at the building, the opportunities of a position to take a meaningful image eluded me – lots of aisles or rows of checkouts, but nowhere that would show the ‘function of the building as a whole. Just may individual separate areas.
· The visitor information centre was another option and while there was potential to get the image, the permission wasn’t granted (too much ‘jobsworth’ attitude)
· The florist looked like a good venue, but although I had permission the girls were just too ‘silly’ about their appearance.
· There’s a specialist knitting supplies shop in a converted Baptist church, selling unusual and rare yarns, traditional patterns etc. which I thought may provide a good venue and although I obtained permission to take photographs, I couldn’t find any one position which portrayed the function of the building. Putting several images in a collage may have been an option, but I don’t think that’s what this exercise is all about.
I decided eventually to use the local delicatessen for the project – if they refused permission they’d be in danger of losing a good customer, so that should be straightforward enough.
So what is the function of the building?
· It needs to display its wares
Dried fruits, cheeses, coffees, teas, breads, pickles, sauces etc.
Environmentally friendly clothing, accessories (it’s a very PC shop)
· Provide a pleasant experience for the customer.
Easy atmosphere
Easy knowledgeable staff
· Toward the back of the shop is a tearoom which provides respite from the shopping, using the wares from the shop, but I decided not to include this in the photograph, as it is run a separate business.
This business has been trading for years and using its specialized brands and products and trendy ‘hippy’ assistants the equation seems to work well. It can seem a little cluttered when entering the shop, but why change something that works?
Having gained the necessary permission I set about taking the image:
Travelling as light as possible, to be less intrusive in the relatively small area, I took one camera (Nikon D300s) and two lenses (18 – 200 mm and 10 – 20 mm). I didn’t want to use flash as it would be a distraction in such close proximity, so I used a tripod to allow slower shutter speeds.
The 10 – 20 mm lens proved to be the best for this location, producing this image:
Distortion with this lens is unavoidable, but I’m willing to accept the diverging verticals in this image, as they don’t impact on the purpose of the shot. The wide angle also meant that the shop assistant wasn’t aware that he was in the frame, so a more natural image has evolved.
We can see the type of goods on sale with the fresh bread in the foreground, through the dried fruit on the counter and in the many storage jars to the Turkish delight and on to the cheese counter. The sales assistant looks as though he’s giving the right level of attention to the customer and his manner of dress shows the ‘easy’ atmosphere in the shop. There are other parts of the shop which I haven’t included here – displays of wine, coffee, pickles etc. and the clothing department – but I feel that I’ve captured the essence of the store with this image.
