Barry .....

.... The bird man of Bradford.

This afternoon I decided to have a trip to Bradford, to 'man up' and have a go at some street photography. I figured with the mix of cultures and classes found on the streets of Bradford city center, if I couldn't get a decent street shot there then I wouldn't anywhere.

After an hour of wandering the city center streets taking snaps on my phone and getting nowhere fast, I went and had a look around a few of the galleries surrounding centenary square. The galleries were a stark contrast to the rest of the city. Gleaming and new and with just a few middle class white folk quietly strolling around ( myself included ). This wasn't the reason I had gotten the train to Bradford, so I decided to head back to the market.

On one of the side streets near the market I noticed a load of pigeons gathering on one particular roof. Thinking it would make a good shot if they were all to take off at once, I leant against a wall and waited with my phone in hand. The pigeons started to stir and from around the corner an old Rastafarian man appeared.

" They've come to see me ! " he pronounced.

The man opened one of his carrier bags full of bird seed, and in what looked like a scene from a Hitcock film, the birds descended. I had a bit of a chat with the man, who told me his name is Barry. Aparently he goes there everyday to feed the pigeons. I asked if he was OK with me taking a few photos, he nodded his head, bent down and picked up a pigeon, saying " this is a nice one ". he then shouted over my shoulder at the group of teenagers who had come to see what was happening " Can I have one of your cigaretts ".

I took a quite few shots of Barry feeding the pigeons, but I think this is the one he would like best. This wasn't the photo I was expecting to take today, but then I don't know what I was expecting !


So todays Blip is .....


Barry, the bird man of Bradford.