I met Todd in the Billiard Room of Glasgow’s Willow Tea Rooms. He was Artist-In-Residence there for the month of June, painting each day among an exhibition of his work. He hails from Pasadena in California, but has Scottish ancestors. He came to Edinburgh for a 4-month Artist In Residence stint – 25 years later, he’s still in Scotland! He loves the Art Deco/Art Nouveau period style and architecture, something which was obvious from his work. Having trained in Oils, he now works mostly in Acrylics, painting images with plenty of bold colour and a strong sense of design. Todd, it was a delight to talk to you, thanks for your time!
Jenny is Owen’s (Stranger #38) wife. They were walking along The Mall together, on their way to the Science Museum to see a photographic exhibition. Owen asked me to guess Jenny’s occupation. From her dress, it suggested she was in a chic profession so I said something to do with fashion? Not quite – she works in the theatre making hats for costumes. Both Jenny and Owen were lovely to talk to, thanks for spending the time.
After my success with Stranger #37, I walked a little further back towards Admiralty Arch. On the way I encountered Owen and his wife Jenny (Stranger #39). They both stood out as being characters in the way they were dressed and were happily chatting to each other. I explained that I would like to take their portraits and they readily agreed. Owen is a photographic technician at a local college, which means he sets up studio equipment for the students or advises them how to use their cameras, amongst other duties. I made quite a few pictures of him as he was talking, but this was the first – and the best – when he quite spontaneously pointed at his mug with those great red gloves! Thanks for participating, Owen.
Even though I had met my photo course challenge (to make at least 3 portraits of strangers in 10 minutes) with Strangers #33, #34, #35 and #36, I felt I was on a roll and decided to have a go at a few more. I spotted Leonard from across the road, as his bright orange coat stood out from the pale buildings behind him. I also noticed a large Canon camera around his neck, so thought he might be receptive to my approach as he was a photographer himself. He agreed and we chatted about his camera for a while. He’s from Chile and visiting London for the second time. Even though the weather wasn’t very good, he was making the most of it and had just come from taking pictures at Buckingham Palace. He wanted to head for Trafalgar Square next. Thanks for taking the time to chat, Leonard, it was lovely to meet you.
Jamie was stranger number four from the family group I approached walking along The Mall. He was with his brother Rory (Stranger #33), Mum and Dad (Strangers #34 and #35). I had completed my photo course challenge (we had been asked to photograph at least 3 strangers in 10 minutes). I’m not sure if he lives in London (as his brother does) or if he was just visiting. Either way, he was happy to pose for a picture. Thanks to the whole family for being such good sports and helping me out with the project.
Len was stranger number three from today’s outing, walking along The Mall with his family (Strangers #33, #34 and #36. They were all very generous in agreeing to pose for a few pictures while they were enjoying their day in London. He was certainly wrapped up well against the weather! Hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in London, Len.
Marie was my second stranger of the day, enjoying a stroll along The Mall with her two sons and husband. I managed to have a quick chat and photograph the whole family in just a few minutes. She was visiting her son Rory (Stranger #33) who now lives in London from Ireland. They were making the most of their trip, despite the weather. Thanks for agreeing to have your portrait taken, Marie.
I was in London today for a creative photography workshop with some friends. After our first exercise, our group leader decided to get us out of our comfort zones and asked us to photograph 3 strangers in 10 minutes. That’s quicker than I’ve been used to in the past (sometimes I go months between strangers!), but I bit the bullet and had a go. Rory was in a group of 4 people, who I approached first. He is from Ireland but now lives in London. He was with his family (Strangers #34, #35 and #36) enjoying a walk along The Mall. He’s a big music fan, which is obvious from his ever-present headphones. Thanks for being my first stranger of the day, Rory.
I met Tracy today on the end of the pier at Shoeburyness. She was with her husband and son who were trying out a new telescope her son had been given for Christmas, spying on the boats chugging past! Her red scarf and hat, along with matching lipsick, immediately caught my attention. We chatted for a while about the telescope and her life. The family have recently returned to the UK from Queensland, Australia after spending 4 years there. They came back so that her son could have treatment for a serious medical condition. He is now on the road to recovery and looking forward to using the telescope to watch the stars as well as the boats. They are hoping to join a local astronomy club. Thank you Tracy for taking the time to chat, it was great to meet you.
Today I met Tony while I was at the Billericay Christmas Fair in the town. He is the Squire of the Mayflower Morris Men who were performing at the event. I managed to catch him before their first set and had a bit of time to chat. He has been involved with Morris dancing for 27 years. He showed me all the mementos of his Morris career pinned to his hat. One was made from the hair from a horse fetlock – given to him by his daughter, as he used to work with horses. Thanks for taking a few moments to talk, Tony.
