Portrait of a Keeper of Books.

I don't quite get it. Your tale has promise but I don't see how it relates to the subject, who seems to be involved in medications and with what appears to be an off-kilter copy stand column. But like I said, it has promise...which means I expect further images in what hopefully will be a series.

@jtk thanks for your comments. Was just an opportunist picture, door was open, looked good in the murky view finder, checked the exposure, set the camera, tried to focus and took the shot. Have no idea what the utensils were or used for.
The place and owner of the book store would make a great subject, but I don't have the confidence to do them justice.
I do like a picture that is difficult to interpret .

This one has a kind of scary mood - I imagine seeing his face through the gap on the right ... I bother myself about the medication too. There is a lot going on.

@macfred Thanks, think those curls on his head look a little horn like at first glance and if was to position the book store owner any where it would be in the gap as I like the portrait being the main focus.

Get over it. Take his picture. He's not going to be around forever.

@awty OK....thanks to your explanation I may now understand what I'm seeing ... and how that relates to your "headline" commentary.

I imagine the subject is now far from the assertive cigarette smoker (hack..kaff!) in the painting. ...might explain reluctance to photograph a subject that might now be in terminal decay (age, lethargy, medication etc)

In the painting he projects "tough guy"... maybe he'd get some kind of laugh out of a photo portrait in his current condition.

Maybe he'd respond interestingly to the photo we're seeing....

.....

@Colin Corneau @jtk
Ill drag him from his iron lung and get a picture next time Im down that way

@awty Is that really what we're seeing? Now I'm imagining a wheezing machine .