When You're a Stranger

I received a little disposable camera in the post yesterday, containing actual black and white film. It's the first time I've held a film camera in my hands for many, many years. It felt good - especially when it came to winding on the film and how that motion betrays the physicality of the medium. I have to admit that it was a little unnerving knowing that I had just one shot to play with. It made me appreciate the luxury we now enjoy with our digital cameras, and also appreciate how much more in the moment you have to be when you haven't got that luxury. Time will tell whether I was or not - and how the film shot compares with this one.

The camera was kindly sent to me by walkingMarj, who used it take a shot of this stranger, the second exposure on the film. The first exposure was taken by MyEveryday in California. It's already had a long journey. It's going to be fascinating to follow it on its travels over the coming weeks and months.

You'll probably know that this is all about the Blipfoto When You're a Stranger project. The aim is to photograph a stranger in a single shot and document the experience. I'm now no stranger to stranger portraiture; indeed, I find myself approaching strangers on the street quite regularly at the moment, such has become my fascination with the human face. I started off my life here as almost exclusively a landscape photographer but as time has gone on, especially in the last six months, I've developed an increasing interest in first, street photography, and more recently, street portraiture. I think it's the infinite variety in all three genres that really appeals to me, but perhaps the latter most of all. Every single human face is so very different.

With a portrait you are taking a landscape of the soul. And just like an environmental landscape where the light and sky and viewpoint are all utterly unique to that moment in place and time, a street portrait is unique in the same way, capturing a person in the available light and context of the location at which you find them. It's still a posed photograph but there is a spontaneity to it which somehow makes it far more intimate than a studio portrait can ever be. In my opinion anyway. That might be an interesting point around which to get some discussion going.

There was heavy overnight rain and with the forecast suggesting it was going to carry on raining all day, I was all set to head off to the office to get my head down to sort some urgent stuff out for next week. The boys actually wanted the rain to stick around in the morning so their cricket match would be called off before it started, rather than be on and off the field with the covers all afternoon, or simply waiting around for ages before the inevitable abandonment. Both were playing for the first team today. As it turned out the rain never arrived. The match was late starting but it was completed without any interruption, despite the skies becoming increasingly dark and threatening as the afternoon wore on. Rain could be seen up and down the valley but it always skirted past. Apparently, just five miles away in Otley, it poured down for most of the afternoon.

We batted first and posted a score of 145 off the reduced 40 overs, Forrest opening and helping (with the minor contribution) to put on forty for the first wicket before getting out to a loose shot just as he was becoming set and after having played as sweet a cover drive as I've seen all season. I was gutted for him. We then proceeded to roll Pool over for 60 odd runs for what seemed a very unlikely six points at the start of the day. Forrest was in the action with a great catch to dismiss the danger man for the opposition, plus another more routine catch and a very useful wicket at a key juncture. Such was the demolition job that Roam wasn't required to bowl. I know he'll be disappointed not to have been able to perform but I think just being in the winning side today, after a series of disappointing team performances, will make up for that.

So, finally, to my stranger. This is Trevor. He was supposed to be umpiring today at Olicanians, just up the road, but that match had been abandoned because the ground was simply too wet to play. He'd come down to Ben Rhydding to watch his former club play against us. After he retired from playing he found it difficult to watch from the boundary edge, so he took up umpiring so as to be more closely involved in the game. It's a unique position from which to follow a cricket match. He's been doing the job for 25 years now and still very much enjoying it. The umpires tend to come in for a lot of criticism, players and spectators alike often overlooking just how difficult a job it is. The concentration required is not really any different to that required for playing. Cricket matches couldn't happen without the umpires and I have enormous respect for the Trevors of the cricketing world who take the job on.

I told Trevor about this project and he was more than happy to oblige and pose for me. And talking to him was lovely. I'd say that around 8 out of 10 strangers I approach are happy to have a portrait taken. For those who think they would find this difficult I can only say that it was hard for me at first but in just a few months it's become second nature. I think the key to success is engagement. Strike up an conversation and develop a bit of a rapport with your subject. I like to think that in return for taking a photograph I am able to give back a little something, even if it's only to put a smile on their face and a little story to tell their friends or family at the end of the day.

The third exposure has been made and the camera will now be passed on to another blipper.