Paul

One Street: Market Square, Shipley #49

I saw Paul sitting on a bench opposite the bookmakers, thumbing through a number of betting slips. I think he'd lost and had come outside for a smoke. He had a look of quiet, almost habitual resignation. I really wanted to capture that look but we made eye contact before there was a chance to take a candid photograph. I sat down and struck up a conversation. It wasn't difficult. I had a bit of a misspent youth closely involved with betting on the horses. A few words on the folly of gambling led to chatting about Shipley and the wonderful community here. Paul was born less than a mile from where he is sitting here in Market Square: truly a Shipley man, born and bred, like so many people here. Interestingly, he also carries a camera around with him, a little disposable, to catch the odd special moment, just as I do myself. It's amazing how I find that, no matter who I chat to, I can always find some common ground.

I'm up and down like the proverbial yo-yo at the moment. Today has been a better day. Found a way out of the hole I was left in yesterday and managed to avoid digging any more for myself! Still lots of frustrations but I coped better, feeding on the few positives rather than stewing in all the negatives. Thanks so much for your advice. It's great to feel all this support. It remains impossible for me to catch up with more than a handful of you so I hope I can continue to repay your time and generosity with my photographs. I'm learning all the time and I'm loving it. The street portraiture is something I'm really enjoying. I cannot recommend it enough.