Pancake Cook

Pancake Cook, Manchester, originally uploaded by John the Monkey.

We reach Friday the 13th of July in the Photo a Day for July Challenge today, and this is my choice from the pictures taken that day, a portrait of a beautiful young lady who was working in Albert Square on a very rainy lunchtime. This portrait will also form part of my White Suit Project.

I was determined to use the 100mm f/2.8 lens to take this shot, because a 50mm would have been a bit too short (that sort of focal length distorts the face slightly if one is too close). The result is a slightly cramped composition, that includes less of the pancake stall than I'd have liked. Whilst I was trying to keep the lens under cover, I succeeded in positioning my neck directly under a dripping edge of the stall's roof, but it was the best position for the shot to be taken from. Whilst I'm complaining about my technical ability, I'll also mention the film, which I'd have liked to be less grainy, but I couldn't have shot slower film than 400ISO in the prevailing light.

Despite my shortcomings, I really like this portrait - she has a relaxed, confident air that really leaps from the frame, and I must express my thanks for her time and patience while I took her picture, and for her permission to do so. I'll be dropping off prints of the two pictures I took to her next week, hopefully.

In terms of shooting today, the FE is at 26, and the F3 at 23. An opportunity I thought might have arisen today didn't, hence the low count on the F3. I also have a horrible feeling that a lot of my stuff on the FE is rather dull urban space type fillers, but still, hope srpings eternal. I did leave moo cards with someone whose portrait I'd love to take, so hopefully I may have something good for at least one day next week.