Features / Cowbee
New ice cream flavour honours photographer
During one of his lockdown walks with a camera on his chest, someone asked Paul Douglas to take a picture of them. Since then, he has taken over 800 portraits of strangers in the street and posted these on his Instagram page.
Now, Cowbee has launched a new coconut, lemongrass and ginger flavoured ice cream as a tribute to Paul’s passion. Before the pandemic, he would often visit the cafe and ice cream parlour, which is on the corner of Park Street and Unity Street.
Paul says: “I used to frequent the ice cream place asking for a coconut flavor, so they created one and named it after me, which I have found really nice.”
is needed now More than ever
Paul Douglas has taken over 800 portraits of strangers in the street since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Paul Douglas
Cowbee opened in 2019, and owner Nikki Sztuka calls Paul a “special customer”.
She says: “One day he showed us all his photographs he had taken during lockdown. We were really impressed.
“He used to ask me all the time to develop a coconut flavour for him, so I worked on it for roughly two days to get it right.’’
Cafe and ice cream parlour Cowbee has launched a new ice cream flavour to honour Paul’s passion for photograpy. Photo by Paul Douglas
Paul’s fascination for photography started when he was a teenager, when he photographed his family and friends. During the pandemic, it developed into a more serious passion and helped him occupy his mind throughout the lockdown.
”At first, I felt a bit nervous asking people if it was okay to take photographs of them, but after a while, I got used to it,” adds Paul.
“I love meeting new people and capturing special moments with my camera; it is really gratifying to see the images come out just right, so that the photographed people are happy with them.”
Paul shares his photos to his Instagram page, where has over one thousand followers. Photo by Paul Douglas
Paul’s Instagram page is starting to be like an active online community, because a lot of people have recognised their friends on the page.
“The pictures Paul captured of me are raw, real, and genuine,” says Cherry, one of the hundreds of people photographed by Paul. “He has a unique technique of exposing beauty hidden at first glance.”
“’Before I met Paul, I was extremely camera shy, and turned down any photo opportunities,” adds Iona, who’s also been photographed by Paul. “However, since our first photoshoot together I have found my confidence and I will be forever grateful for that.
“Paul’s photographs illustrate more than aesthetics – they tell the story of a soul.”
Paul is now planning to host an exhibition for the photos he has captured over the course of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo by Paul Douglas
Now, the street photographer is planning to host an exhibition for the photos he has captured over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
”The exhibition that is slowly taking shape in my mind will be a collaboration with some of the people I’ve met,” explains Paul.
“I would love to organise a wonderful night with them to showcase not just the portraits, but a deeper insight into the people behind the photographs.”
Main photo by Katarzyna Sowinska
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