THE WAITING GAME

By MICHAEL PERKINS

THE SAYING “HURRY UP AND WAIT” may be most closely associated with the maddening stop/go cycle of events in the military, but it certainly also applies to anyone who serves the public for their living. This is especially true in small business. Not for nothing is the work of independent retail referred to as “waiting on” the customer, with most of the waiting spent in dead stretches until the next prospect actually walks in the door. 

For photographers, small shoppes offer unique canvasses. Unlike the designs of chain stores, in which themes and decor are standardized on a nationwide basis, the layout of locally owned stores is as personal as a signature. The choice of where and how to mount displays, stock, even mementos is as personal as it gets, making every establishment a unique statement. But the arrangement of space is only half the equation; the other half resides in the physical presence of the proprietor.

Snap a local shopkeeper and you’re exploring the face and body of the decision maker. The person who has the greatest investment in the outcome, the man or woman whose fortune is on the line. Someone who is rooted into the neighborhood, who knows who will buy and who will walk. Most importantly, his or her movement within the space tracks the technique of the shopkeeper’s most essential skill: waiting.

Images based on emotion, even the quiet, slow kind, are rich harvesting grounds for photographers. Showing the engagement of the heart and mind builds strong stories in pictures, since they are more persuasively about hopes and dreams.