No Longer Saving Soles

For the past ten days I have been searching my digital archives for the original copies of these photos.  I have been unsuccessful in locating the hard drive that contains them, so I had to download smaller copies from my Flickr site.

When you look closely at these photos you will note they have some uncorrected barrell distortion which doesn't bother me much.  I chose to shoot the interior with an 11-16mm zoom because the shop was narrow and deep.   This zoom has been useful in architectural photos and landscape photography.  I like the way it stretches the edges of the sky making them look dramatic.  The lens is a good response for tight places where choosing a different location is difficult.

I am fond of the top photo for a number of reasons.  It holds a special memory reaching back to my youth.  As a young adult, I had my shoes re-soled here making them look magically new again and avoiding the discomfort of breaking in new shoes.  The smell of leather dyes, polish, and freshly cut leather perfumed the interior upon entry.  The shop was family owned for decades and finally closed its doors due to a culture that values disposal over renewal.

Another reason this photo resonates with me is its warm tones which give it a feeling of intimacy as one feels when returning to a familiar place.  The stained and cracked walls added authenticity. The shoe stitching machines were somewhat vintage when the shop opened, but they continue to suggest a manufacturing industry that once drove this community for decades and still remains part of the community's character.

In the days leading to the closing, I asked the owner about the sign that hung above the buffers for all those years.  He said that it was a gift from a local convent from the nuns for generous service.  It seemed  a perfect sentiment from the givers and served as a poetic mission statement for the owners.