100 Strangers : Round 5 : No .418 : Ray by phil_howcroft

100 Strangers : Round 5 : No .418 : Ray

100 Strangers : Round 5 : No .418 : Ray

I was taking some photos in Cobden Chambers, Nottingham on Saturday. It’s a little courtyard with a lots of independent shops, studios and a hub for Nottingham creatives.

As I was taking some photos, Ray, walked through the gate / entrance. Ray apologised for getting in the way of my photo, but I said it was OK.

Ray was opening the door to one of the shops when I decided to ask for a “strangers photo”.

I introduced myself, explained my project and asked for a quick photo.

“The camera only takes black and white photos, I hope that’s OK?”

Ray said it was and I took some photos, Ray removed a hat and glasses for the photo.

“What’s the shop you were entering”?

“It’s a record shop, I collect vinyl”

“Ahh OK any particular genre?”

“Look at me and take a guess” was Ray’s reply.

“Punk?”

“Correct, how did you guess?”

So I took a few shots, asking Ray if I could move a bit closer as I was shooting with a 24mm lens.

I showed Ray the photos.

“So how many vinyl records do you own?” I asked

“About 6K”

“6K, that’s a lot, I gave my collection away to charity”

“6K is relatively small collection” said Ray

I wished Ray a nice day and hoped the shop would provide some additions to the vinyl collection .
I think even without the makeup, he would have very striking eyes.
March 11th, 2024  
@casablanca Ray's eyes do look great , I shot this at f1.7, so wide open , I think I could have got them a tad sharper though
March 11th, 2024  
@phil_howcroft Yes, his right eye is less sharp but it is still a good image.
March 11th, 2024  
@casablanca I possibly needed to go to f2 , although to be honest I shouldn't pixel peek , I should just enjoy the photo and art I've created
March 11th, 2024  
@phil_howcroft But that is the whole point of playing with your creativity. I always look at photos and wonder what I could have done better or differently and that's fine. You still have something impactful here to enjoy.
March 11th, 2024  
A very striking chap. Definitely punk makeup & a different era. Super shot though!
March 11th, 2024  
@casablanca thanks Casa' 📷
March 11th, 2024  
@carole_sandford thanks Carole , Ray had a Cossack style hat , but removed it for the photos
March 11th, 2024  
A cool character and stranger capture!
March 11th, 2024  
@marlboromaam cheers mags glad you like this
March 11th, 2024  
great portrait of a cool looking guy
March 12th, 2024  
Wow, that's a lot of vinyl. Great shot and story Phil
March 12th, 2024  
Just a little heavy-handed with the black eye-liner ! ha !! - typical of the punk era ! - Great shot Phil, !
March 12th, 2024  
Terrific shot, glad you got some background on Ray.
March 12th, 2024  
Kind of scary - but well captured
March 12th, 2024  
A great model for your strangers project. Another black and white wonderful portrait.
March 12th, 2024  
He looks like a musician.
March 12th, 2024  
There’s no punk like an old punk. Great portrait!
March 12th, 2024  
Put me in mind of David Bowie (maybe the hair)…cool portrait
March 12th, 2024  
Interesting looking character, very David Bowie like
March 12th, 2024  
A terrific portrait.
March 12th, 2024  
Aging punk rocker, excellent
March 12th, 2024  
Fabulous - that is a lot of vinyl. I wonder if he can sing along to all of them?
March 12th, 2024  
What an interesting looking guy. I wonder how he looked with hat and glasses?! Great shot and narrative, as always!
March 12th, 2024  
Fav. He does identify himself with the genre he loves. His eyes are very impressive. An excellent capture of him, Phil.
March 12th, 2024  
Much enjoyed reading your conversation! Yes, I think I might have guessed punk too! Fav
March 12th, 2024  
V striking portrait
March 12th, 2024  
Amazing how 'strangers' allow you to take their pictures. Great photos in your 100 collection.
March 12th, 2024  
Great portrait and story
March 12th, 2024  
@zilli I've photographed over 400 , I very rarely get a "No" , thanks for your visit and follow

@jamibann thanks Issi , much appreciated , I think Ray looked better without the hat and glasses
March 12th, 2024  
@boxplayer aging indeed , I liked how punk evolved from raw energy and anti establishment into bands / artists with a bit of a social conscious and proper musicians
March 12th, 2024  
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