Choosing one Neil Moralee photo to profile is an exhausting act of indecision. His candid photos are masterpieces in portrait—the majority black and white, cropped close, and set against dark background and emphasizing shadows. His subjects tend to be older, which is refreshing departure from so much photographic art focused on the young and beautiful.
I wouldn’t call self-titled “Third Age of Man” Neil’s best street portrait, but it’s captivating nevertheless. I look at the geezer and wonder: He looks so out of breath, but he’s riding not walking! I picked this pic not for what it is, but what Neil says about it, and he quotes an organization’s spiel verbatim:
The University of the Third Age (U3A) movement is an unique and exciting organisation which provides, through its U3As, life-enhancing and life-changing opportunities. Retired and semi-retired people come together and learn together, not for qualifications but for its own reward: the sheer joy of discovery!
Members share their skills and life experiences: the learners teach and the teachers learn, and there is no distinction between them. The U3A movement is supported by its national organisation, the Third Age Trust.
Neil, who works as food-industry consultant, describes himself as a “keen photographer”. You will agree after perusing his portraits.
I came to choose the photo starting with another. Searching Flickr for “curse” brought me to Neil’s self-titled “Across a Crowded Room“. Then I made the mistake of exploring his stream, which swept me away.
Neil lives in Hemyock Devon, United Kingdom, and used a Nikon D7100 and 18-200mm lens to shoot the “Third Age” photo, as he does others. Vitals: f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/400 sec, 18mm.
Photo Credit: Neil Moralee