Un/Taken ep. 2 Oliver Parish

Here's already the second episode for Un/Taken. Hope you've enjoyed the previous one as much as I did. Sure, you'll love this one as well.

Nov 08, 2022

This topic is about the photo you did not take. If you haven’t seen the first episode, just head over quickly to read the story of Rikard Landberg.

So I’ve asked another photographer to tell his story about the photo he did not take. And the photo he did take unexpectedly. This time it’s Oliver Parish.

Here we go.

Untaken

Which photo was untaken and why did you not take it?

I was on the London underground one morning & saw a huge man getting on the train. He was obviously a doctor/nurse on his way home after a shift & he was almost falling asleep on the platform. He came into the train & sat opposite me, his scrubs were bright orange & blue with really intricate tribal style designs on them. He was wearing a large beanie hat that covered most of his head & he still had his face mask on. As soon as he sat down he fell asleep. Looking at him sat between these businessmen & women in their suits and smart clothes on their way into the office it struck me what an incredible image this would make. I had my Ricoh GR with me so I carefully lined up the shot (trying not to draw attention to myself) & just as I was about to press the shutter, he woke up and stared straight at me. I froze! At that moment we pulled into the station, he got up & the moment was gone. I will always remember the photo that could’ve been. My biggest lesson, don’t hesitate! Take the shot because it might not be there in the next second.

Taken

Which photo that you did not expect to take surprised you the most?

A few weeks ago I’d gone into London for a solo photowalk. It was a gloomy day & I was feeling pretty uninspired. Just as I was talking myself into expecting a miserable day of ‘nothing’ images & contemplating the wasted train fare (UK trains are ridiculously expensive!), I saw a family sitting on a bench overlooking the Thames. It was raining, not hard but persistently & this poor boy was sat between (what I assume was) his mother & grandmother, without an umbrella and quietly sitting there getting slowly soaked.
All three of them were just sat there, taking it all in & enjoying being together.
It seemed like too good an image to miss, so I took a snapshot and moved on. But as I walked and thought, it seemed like a little gift. Nothing special, not an amazing image, just a sign that it would be a good day. Which it was!

I’m a strictly hobby photographer, for now. I shoot primarily in black & white, mainly in the street. I chose black & white partly because I love the aesthetic but also, I think I don’t see color images very well. It’s an odd thing to say but I can ‘see’ a good monochrome image before I shoot it. When I try to build a composition around color, it never really works for me & I’m never as satisfied with the final image. So I stay with black & white.
You can find me on IG: @stillsbynino or VERO: stillsbynino

Next up:

Do you like Un/Taken? If so, which photographer would you like to see in a next episode?