Sale and Return

Today's one day assignment was entitled "Sale and Return".

For this assignment I was expected to visit a local business and photograph the staff working there but also collect produce they were selling to photograph as still life's in the studio.

I was listening to what other people in the class were saying, where they were thinking of going. Some said chip shops, others said haberdasheries and charity shops so I wanted to think of somewhere where no one else would be going and somewhere where I could spend some time photographing.

I wanted a business that would not be too busy but still interesting. I was taking into consideration that I needed to bring back items from this business to photograph in the studio, how much could I afford if I could not borrow the items? How big would they be? What would I do with them in the studio? There was not a great about of time. I felt like I was thinking a step ahead.

The business I chose to photograph was "The Butcher, The Baker and The Ice Cream Maker" at Barton marina. I chose here because, it's outside the city the centre, it's not a chain store and it has a bit more life to it. I already knew that they produced their own produce, and I felt it would be good to get some behind the scene shots.

Driving over there in the car I was going through in my head what I wanted to get out of the visit. I wasn't nervous about going in and getting some photos but I was making back up plans in my head in case it didn't work out. My second plan was to try and get some photographs of the boat repairers and failing that I probably would have gone to a business where I knew someone who was working.

Luckily, the people at the BBIM were great! Within 5 minutes of being in the shop I fashioned a stylish white butchers coat and pretty much left to it.

I feel that this photograph works the best for what I was after in terms of a portrait. The photograph is split into thirds, the man on the left holding a pack of liver, Kevin in the foreground producing the sausages and the view into the shop from the window. I like that you can see the blood splatters on the overalls and the hacksaw hung up on the door.

I had an idea for the still life photographs which was inspired by Daniel Stiers "2 for £5" project. . I found some bright coloured and patterned wallpaper and a couple of other colourful props that on there own looked bold and gaudy yet put them all together and they create an interesting kitsch style photograph.