the old bookshop, a photo from Camarthenshire, Wales

Photographer's Note

two children playing outside a bookshop
in Laugharne, Wales

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I adore these old local bookshops. Piles of books inside, chaos. You enter in the hope to find that one gem, usually you enter with only a consolation prize, a book that might be something and, anyway, it wasn't very expensive, so...

...but sometimes you do find that gem.

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This particular bookshop sells mainly second hand and antiquarian books, but they also specialize in Dylan Thomas stuff. It is right across Brown's Hotel, where the Welsh bard used to go for a pint or two and sometimes more. Lovely location!

update: Brown's Hotel has been closed and put up for sale, no idea if this bookshop is still around.

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scan from an analogue print

loves_summer, yaya13baut, avene, SolarSky has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mesutilgim (0) 2008-12-28 12:55

Hi Benny,
Wonderfull capture ! Very good pov and amazing compo with many nic details. Great fascade ot this bookstore. Two kids gives life to this static scene.
Perfect light control and nice usefull notes. Very well scanned.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

papera (14372) 2008-12-28 13:20

hi Benny,
what a picture! I love the contrast and the light - simply perfect. and the two kids give the image movement, making it a daily life shot instead of a postcard. you also did a great scanning job, the details are very good.
I hope the bookshop is still there - I find it atrocious how all these little shops are forced to close to make space for bigger ones.
cris

loves_summer (1310) 2008-12-28 13:31

Hi Benny,
I like that you have incorporated both an architectural element and a human one.
I adore old bookshops like this one as well...you can lose yourself in the books and the history of the building itself. Great sharpness and detail. Good framing and composition.
Thanks for sharing!

Morac (27725) 2008-12-28 14:05

Bonsoir Benny,
Cette vieille "bookshop" est une merveille.
Merci à toi de nous l'offrir
Amicalement
Marc

Hunkar (7440) 2008-12-28 14:32

A great picture with the old walls and windows of the bookshop..
Good details..
Good composition..
Happy New Year!

jonathan_hart (21276) 2008-12-28 18:48

i just imagine the smell of such an old bookshop
fine frontal view, including these children add to such a kind of photo, fronts can be nice but adding a bonus with human presence is always fine
jc

bukitgolfb301 (54014) 2008-12-28 18:50

Hello Benny

This is a really great shot, I am impressed very much. If this is taken by B/W, the impact will much bigger, I think, Please try !

Best regards and many thanks

Takero

mafegan (8626) 2008-12-28 19:14

Hello Benny
Such a great daily life scene- so sharp, well composed, great lighting and nice neutral colourings. TFS, Marlene

Aviller (3866) 2008-12-29 2:52

Great shot with a nice, straightforward composition. The sharpness and crispness in this picture really bring out the cracks of the old building. I also like the slightly desaturated look which fits in well with the overall scene and mood.

kschanna (6) 2008-12-29 3:03

Hi Benny

Character, character, character.

You rightfully love this bookshop, the exuberating character....stacked books from the windows and the window shutters. simply superb.

Thanks for sharing
Kamran

Giorgio (11279) 2008-12-29 3:48

- Nice composition, I like this very old shop, the kids in foreground is a undeniable plus, well done!
Greetings.
giorgio

yaya13baut (3344) 2008-12-29 5:43

Hi benny,
lovely façade of this old bookshop : the rich door, the old painting, the damaged rendering, the windows full of books.
The 2 children give a living side to the composition.
This kind of bookshop is very pleasant, we lost ourselves in the middle of all this mess of books.
What a pity this one has closed.
Yannis

noborders (1010) 2008-12-30 12:51

Lovely decrepit walls, interesting windows... Makes you dream !
Good quality of scan. Other ones are welcome !
Best wishes for 2009,
Cath.

kensimage (8563) 2009-01-01 9:57

On the one hand, you have the bookshop, which is old and worn, yet stable and reliable--a fixture that people can rely on. (I hope it hasn't closed!) On the other hand, you have the young, the fresh, the new--what could be more young and fresh than children at play! So there's a nice message here--the two "hands" are coexisting well.

I like the way one child is set against the dark doorway, and the other against a blank wall, for maximum effect.

Happy New Year, Benny! Regards, Ken.

Juntas (7960) 2009-01-02 5:22

Hi Benny. Great shop. The children playing at the door gives life to that old building. Colors are very nice. Great quality for a scan picture. Have a nice year. Paulo

hispic (9658) 2009-01-02 19:02

Hello Benny,
Amazing shot! The tasteful facade of the bookshop has been caught in excellent composition with the children placed expertly.
I also like this tonality making good use of black.
Best regards, Hisashi

ben4321 (9875) 2009-01-05 9:07

I think this one jumped out at me because it's always interesting to see how a foreigner views one's own country (well, the UK, not Wales!).
Interesting enough shopfront, but it's the two kids who bring the photo to life.
Well seen and well shot - good work Benny.

Cheers,
Ben

avene (12675) 2009-01-06 19:41

this is really, REALLY good. I'm crazy about the books, and I love old bookshops (and fully subscribe to the theory that such places distort space and time - you go in for 5 minutes, spend those 5 minutes, get out of the shop to discover it's actually been 1,5 hours...) so this phot holds extra appeal for me :) the kids bring the scene to life, and also hope that the good old tradition of reading by actually turning actual pages is not dead yet. very good work, I like it a lot.

regards,
Kristine

Angshu (56760) 2009-01-07 0:31

Hello Benny
Like you I also adore old bookshops. I remember an old bookshop in Paris called Shakespeare & Co., which has become an institution. Excellent quality of the scan here & if not for the two children, this would not have been the shot as it is now. Every detail in this picture is worth savouring...good work indeed!
Regards
Angshu

zenitlady (221) 2009-01-07 16:25

Hello Benny! This photo has much to commend it--especially the marvellous symmetry of your composition! I have made it my desktop page photo, and every time I look at it, the eye goes deeper into the detail. Love the way the colour of azure blue repeats throughout the scene. A wonderful portrait, well done!

marietom (34611) 2009-01-09 9:31

hello Benny,

J'aime beaucoup cette vieille boutique, ces vieux murs, et ces enfants qui animent l'histoire.
Superbe !
Bonne soirée
Marie

chriswhitley (2027) 2009-01-15 2:48

Hi Benny. What a beautiful old building with its tatty plasterwork expertly rendered in your shot. It looks like a place you want to step into and just spend hours rummaging around. The kids are fun and create a perfect focus point for your composition. Chris

bigtim (3518) 2009-01-29 13:57

Tres belle composition et vraiment une chouette texture et couleurs, c'est une belle reussite!

tiM

greg (2835) 2009-02-19 8:57

I wasn't expecting this to be the UK... very pretty place.

abulafia (4900) 2009-09-02 16:18

This is good Benny

Not only is it a picture of an old bookshop, the picture itself looks old:) probably due to the subtle colors!

A very nice picture
Harry

westcoastgirl1 (666) 2009-11-11 5:14

Hi Benny

Storybook like.
Interesting old bookshop to photograph with all of its pealing paint and cracks.
Ironic with the young children playing in front of it.
Great presentation with your choice of frame - well suited.
Excellent daily life shot!

Take care,
Tosca

agjika (3177) 2010-01-18 15:00

Hi Benny

This is a superb capture. The children playing in front of this very interesting bookshop make this an awsome photo.

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

Glint (6171) 2012-01-03 9:26

hello Benny,
I like this very much. Not only do we have a charming looking bookshop but two children as added bonus. I like the composition with the children creating dof. Lots of interesting detail. Good sharpness.
Thanks for adding to the bookshop theme.
Bev

lakshmip1949 (19081) 2012-01-03 9:33

Hello Benny,

Happy new year to you.Beautiful old bookstore with many details and soft colors. Nice chosen pov and nice inclusion of these two kids making the image cheerful and beautiful. I like this sharp image.

Lakshmi