Henry Townshend is a ghost magnet (room_302) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2016-01-13 15:46:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, conner kent (superboy), henry townshend |
Who: Conner Kent and Henry Townshend
What: Random encounter, Henry gives Conner a photography primer
Where: A camera and electrical goods shop
When: Recently
Status: Closed when posted
Rating: PG
Conner was trying to figure out what he liked and didn’t like. He enjoyed sketching so far, and studying. And he liked swimming, but not scuba diving. He liked parachuting, but not hang gliding, and he liked pizza, but not tacos.
So far, his life was weird, and getting weirder. From Amnesia to a lack of dreams, he had already been odd. Now, add in strangely appearing abilities to speak languages he hadn’t studied, and life seemed unwilling to calm down.
But today, he just wanted to look. He had wandered into an electrical supplies store, and to one side was all digital and semi-digital, and even some non!digital cameras, with equipment near by. Apparently the owner of the store used to be a hotshot photog, and had retired here. Which he loved to tell stories of to anyone who would listen.
Conner had duly listened and nodded, and then was shown to the cameras and was wandering among them, wondering if he could use one, or would like to. As with archery, he had no idea.
Henry was looking at new lightweight power supplies for his digital camera. The power supply he currently had was bulky and took up too much space in the new bag Revy had gotten him for Christmas. It was also starting to lose its charge fairly quickly, much more quickly than when it had been new...three years ago? Henry couldn’t remember and that was a good indication it was time to buy a new one. May as well look for something lightweight and sleek. Maybe a new lense while he was at it. Not that he needed a new lense. But it never hurt to look. Maybe an upgrade...
Henry was used to the store owner going on and on with his stories. When he first started coming here, the man used to make him uncomfortable, constantly in his ear about the places he’d been and the things he’d seen. Henry had felt pressure to respond and talk back but his attempts at conversation with the excitable man always felt forced. And the man’s energy was just draining. The more pressure Henry felt, the more he withdrew. He’d used to attempt to hide among the shelves while he shopped.
Now, though, Henry knew the man just liked to talk, took pleasure and pride in sharing his stories. As long as Henry acknowledged him every now and then, that seemed to be just fine. By now Henry had heard most of his stories anyway and the man simply smiled at him and greeted him when he entered and pretty much left him alone.
Someone new must have entered the store. Henry recognized the story the owner was telling now as one he often reserved for new customers. Henry chuckled to himself and continued comparing power supplies until someone suddenly was in the aisle with him. He glanced up to see who he assumed to be the new customer and nodded his head in polite greeting, “g’morning.”
Conner smiled as he waved a hand. “Morning.” He peered back at the cameras, then at the man, then over the aisle at the owner, before shaking his head. “I have no idea what I want, and I’m afraid if I ask that guy anything else, he’ll tell me another story.” His words were soft as he peered at the cameras and accoutrements.
Conner wore good, but not great clothing, and some bright purple shoes, and he was grinning, even as he considered what to do. “All I know is I want to try out photography.”
Henry glanced back towards the back of the store where the owner was busying himself and chuckled softly. “He probably would,” he said. “He likes his stories. He means well, he’s just talkative.”
Henry looked back at the man in the aisle with him, then at the cameras that lined the shelves across from him. He’d been doing photography for so long that it just came naturally to him. Like breathing. He always knew what he needed, if not exactly the item he wanted. He’d been fortunate to have been gifted his first camera - a simple and cheap point-and-shoot - and from there his lifelong passion had been born. Looking at the many cameras, lenses and what not that stocked the shelves, Henry could see how it’d be overwhelming for someone just coming into it now.
He adjusted his camera bag on his back. It would have easily been passed off as a backpack to the unobservant, and Henry didn’t always have it with him, but he had it today while he was shopping, just to be sure whatever he bought fit into the bag. Other than that he wore a simple loose fitting grey long-sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans over simple black sneakers. That was the mainstay of Henry’s wardrobe, simple and functional, save for a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt, which he wore more often than the person who gave it to him would have thought.
“Maybe I can help you? Have you ever used a camera before?” Chances were the guy probably had. Most people had taken a photograph at least once in their life. But it was more common these days for people to use their phones as cameras instead of an actual camera.
“Sure! And, well, I handled one, once, taking pictures for other people and it felt… it felt like something I could do. Or well, maybe could do.” He smiled, blushing some, embarrassed.
“I just have no idea where to start, or how to figure out what is best for me. I want to do this right.” He shook his head, feeling both foolish and hopeful. He wanted to to at least make a good try at photography. He hoped it would go well.
“Any advice you could give would be amazing.”
“Well,” Henry started thoughtfully and turning his attention towards the cameras, “you should start out with a camera. Nothing expensive or necessarily high end, since you’re just getting started. My first camera was a cheap $25 Canon that I had to wind the film after every shot.” And he had loved the thing. He still had it, tucked away in his trunk for safekeeping. “You don’t really find those much anymore. Hm,” he picked up a small simple looking black digital camera. “What I recommend is starting with something like this. Simple, easy and reliable. And if you decide this is something you’re really into, you can upgrade.”
He handed the camera to the young man next to him. He wasn’t usually quite so talkative, but photography was his passion and it showed with the enthusiasm in his voice. “I also recommend getting a book on photography. It’ll give you an idea of what kind photography you might want to do as well as teach you techniques to get the shots you want.”
Conner listened, and nodded, peering at the cameras the wall had to offer. When the man handed him one, he took it, and peered at it. The way the man talked about cameras made him grin, wide. It sounded like how he was thinking, really, but with more knowledge.
“It sounds like you know a lot about the subject. Have you been doing this long?” He was feeling bouncy at having found someone else who liked the stuff, which, really, it made sense he would find them here, after all.
“I can do that. I saw a small book section and if not here, I’m sure one of the big bookstores will have one or two.” Conner felt bouncy now as he gently manipulated the camera, opened it to check it’s internals, then closed it again with a firm but gentle click. He nabbed a digital storage card, hanging nearby, and a bag for the whole thing.
“I really appreciate the information.”
“I’ve been a freelance photographer for a few years,” Henry told the young man as he went about gathering his equipment. Apparently all he needed was a gentle nudge in some kind of direction. Henry smiled a little. It was good to see someone get excited about trying something new. He hoped the guy found he really liked photography. “But I’ve been doing photography since I was a kid.”
Henry raised a brow when the man actually opened the camera to take a look at it’s innerworkings. You didn’t see people do that very often. Henry himself rarely took his camera’s apart unless one of them was acting strangely. It was a sign of someone who may have been curious by nature, or someone who wanted to know everything about a subject. It was nice to see.
“The books here are ok,” he said in a softer tone so that the store owner wouldn’t overhear, “but they’re a little more expensive than what you can find on Amazon or at a bookstore...or library." He recommended a few titles he thought were worth the money.
“Do you enjoy it? I mean, as more than just what you do? Is it… fun?” Conner wanted to do things that not only were things he was good at, but that were also fun! Or so he hoped he could. He had no idea how that would work out. “I am hoping I can use this. I like sketching, and I hope that I can use this alongside that, to make… a picture that tells a story.” He fell quiet again.
Conner carefully held the camera as he listened, and nodded, leaning in a touch to hear. “Thank you.” He had written down those titles, wanting to make sure he got a couple of them.
“Do you work in the area?”
Henry blinked. Of course, he enjoyed photography. It was his life. But how did you tell someone you just met that you were socially phobic and only felt comfortable around strange people when a camera was in your hands? That the camera was more than a simple instrument, it was what gave Henry his confidence. Photography was his passion, his drive, his very reason to exist. The answer, of course, was that you didn’t. So Henry only nodded and answered very simply: “Yeah, I enjoy it. It’s fun for me.”
“Uh, yeah, I work in the area,” Henry nodded. He didn’t mention that his current job was at a porn studio. Just as you didn’t inject your own sense of identity into a conversation with someone you just met, you didn’t inject that, either. “I do some freelance work. I’d like to open my own studio someday. Kind of working towards it.”
He paused for a moment thinking. “A friend of mine is an artist too,” he said. “She uses photography to help her with her drawings and paintings too. Sometimes she comes with me when I go down to the pier in the morning.”
Conner liked this guy. He was nice, and seemed pretty smart, and he had helped Conner. Which was big for Conner. Few people helped him without asking for anything. And most of them seemed to want him to do something he didn’t want to do. Having someone just offer help? Was nice, very nice. “Maybe we can all meet and talk sometime, if it seems like i am any good at this.”
He smiled warmly.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for, and get the success you want. And if I can ever help, let me know.” He extended his hand. “I’m Conner Kent.”
“Henry Townshend,” Henry shook hands with the guy. “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Although given the way his Dreams were going, Henry wasn’t so sure anymore. Especially since he had started looking at bathroom walls with suspicion and waking up in the morning with the dread of finding his door chained shut from the inside again.
He returned Conner’s smile as best he could.
“Uh, yeah, we could probably get together sometime.” he said. “Rapunzel is a very talented artist. She might be able to give you some insight about her process. I can’t draw worth a shit.” He slipped one of his arms out of the strap to his camera bag and pulled it around to get at one of the side pockets where he kept his cards. He took one out and handed it to Conner. “If you have any questions about the camera or places to go to practice, give me a call.”
Shaking hands, Conner smiled, and cocked his head to the side, listening. “I’d be glad to meet her, and meet both of you sometime.” Then he grinned at the card. “Ooo, cards, yes, that makes sense.” Conner dug into his pockets, looking for a card, frowned when he pulled one out, then sighed and crossed out the company name, but wrote a number on the back, before handing it over. It was a card for Latham & Watkins, a law firm. A very large law firm.
“This number can always reach me, wherever I am. And if not, then the general number on the front, those people can find me.” He nodded. They were the law firm that represented him since his accident. His uncle had been a senior partner and had left his shares to Conner before the accident, which meant that Conner, after the accident, was able to not rush into anything. But he didn’t trust them, not at all.
“I will definitely ask if I have any questions, thanks!”
“You’re welcome,” Henry said as he took the card Conner handed to him. He looked at the front for a moment and took note of the company name. He wasn’t particularly familiar with lawyer’s offices and wouldn’t now this one from any others, but the fact that Connor had crossed out the company’s name before handing Henry the card but told him the number on the front was a good one for him was interesting.
“Thank you,” he said and put the card away in another pocket of his camera bag where it was more likely to stay safe.
“Good luck with the new camera,” he said as he hefted his bag on his back again. “I think it should work well for you.”
“Thanks! I’m sure it will.” With a wave, Conner headed for the front to endure another story and pay for his purchases, smiling. He had met a possible new friend, gotten a camera, and was hopefully on the way to learning more about photography.