My entry for today's #monomad challenge.
We are back in lockdown so I'm going thru some images to keep me busy-I'm sure there are many of you out there in Black and White feeling the same!
Lately portraits have been my favourite medium as every person is an individual, and it is a challenge to capture that person's personality with photos.
This is my friend Colin. He is 34.He has been challenged with mental health issues since his teens and been in and out of mental health institutions since. He is a gentle giant,weighing in at 200kg.He is very shy and does not interact with so called "normal people "very much due to issues with his sensitivity about his body image and the reactions he often gets from less than empathetic people. His mental health issues also make him anxious around too many people and his bouts of deep depression and anxiety often lead him to hiding away in his room to listen to or play music,paint, and interact on social media rather than in the outside world.
Colin though doesn't let his diagnosis define him and expresses his creativity thru art and music.
Colin is an extremely good musician and his favourite instrument is guitar. Here he is out on the porch in his happy place playing on his 3/4 acoustic.
Colin's favourite guitar-the "Beast".His favourite music is heavy metal in all it's genres.
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Colin is also an artist who regularly exhibits and sells his paintings for large sums.These images are of recent works.He says his best work comes in his darkest times.
Some of Colin's large guitar collection.
Colin is camera shy but this shot shows his gentle nature-he also has a wicked sense of humour.
I hope you enjoyed meeting my friend Colin. Next time you pass someone in the street who doesn't fit the 'normal" mould remember that inside everyone are special gifts that we cannot always see. In other words-never judge a book by it's cover!馃榾