In the 1970s, I was living in a small Yorkshire town called Hebden Bridge. It was a very primitive existence as my stone row house had just one coal-burning fireplace for heat, and no indoor plumbing other than a cold water tap! Needless to say, rent was LOW!
I commuted to Manchester for work, where I was trying to re-establish myself, having recently left London. In London, I had recently retired from EXIT, Britain’s first photo collective, and I was starting my own collective, REFLEX, in Manchester. This new collective attracted photographers such as Aileen Ferriday and Phil Portus.
The year before, I was in a group show of women photographers, including the Hackney Flashers and others, in London. The exhibit, called WOMEN, shown at the Half Moon Gallery, was hugely successful. Because it was such a big hit, a follow-up show called MEN was the next step, and I was asked to participate in this second exhibit.
One weekend when I was in Hebden Bridge, looking for new subjects, I saw this gentleman walking along the street. I admired his fedora, and I asked if I could take his picture. Much to my surprise, he then invited me to his home, where he lived alone with his pet Budgie! I was especially taken with the crocheted poodle bottle cover on the windowsill. I snapped about 3-4 frames using the natural window light, and this was the best shot.
I don’t think this picture made it into the MEN exhibition, but it has remained one of my favorite photos from my 10 years in the UK. It was published in the very first zine that Cafe Royal Books published of my British work, called BRITS (now out of print).
I am now working on getting all my zine work under one cover, thanks to a Polish publisher called RUST.
What are the TWO most impactful features that make your image a good photograph? Don’t be shy!
The natural light, the man’s attire, and surroundings.
If you could make this photo again, what would be the ONE thing you would like to do better or differently?
Nothing, really.
Diane Bush shared this photograph with the FRAMES Facebook Group.
Photographer
Diane Bush, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Equipment and settings
Nikkormat, 28-35mm lens, slow shutter speed.
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