Watching Bolton Wanderers has produced many an opportunity to capture shots for my strangers series.
On Saturday, Bolton Wanderers played host to local rivals Preston North End. Preston brought a big travelling support up the M61 and many of them were wearing bowler hats and jackets ! I was intrigued to know what the significance of all the hats were.
I asked my mate Bill, who I was walking around the stadium with me to keep an eye out for someone to photograph.
"Phil ask these two ladies for a shot"
"Good spot Bill :) "
"Excuse me Ladies , what's with all the bowler hats?"
"We wear them once a year. The supporters pick an away match and we all wear bowler hats, to remember fans, loved ones and former Preston players who have passed away in the previous 12 months. It's called Gentry Day, just google Gentry Day"
"Gentry Day?"
"Yes Gentry Day"
"Do you mind if I take a picture of you both"
"Yes that's fine"
Bev and Maggie strike up a pose.
I shoot about 5 pictures
"Do you mind If I post it on-line, I'm doing a photography project"
"Yes that's OK"
"Thank you, what;s you names"
"Bev and Maggie"
"Thank you ladies"
We shake hands
"What was your names again" (I'm never any good and remembering names !!!)
"Bev and Maggie"
"Well Thank You again"
Bev and Maggie shake my hand again and tell me it was nice meeting me :)
As for the match. Bolton lost again. A repeat of our last home game , taking a 1 nil lead only to throw it away in the last few minutes.
We sit bottom of the league, 11 points from safety and only 9 games of the season left ! I think I can safely report we are down. The only good news from Bolton this week is (a) we now have new owners who have paid the outstanding tax bill , so we should avoid being wound up by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs in a weeks time and (b) the club organised some very respectful events to remember the 33 supporters who died at the Bolton Wanderers versus Stoke City FA Cup match 70 years ago (my Dad, Uncle and Grandad were all at the Stoke match and all returned home safely).
As for the image, shot at f2.8 , on a grey and damp day at the Macron Stadium, edited in Rawtherapee with an Ilford Delta 100 film emulation,
Thank you Bev and Maggie (not too sure which one of you is Bev and which one is Maggie !!)
I am a fifth of the way through my project, which was started in September 2015. So if I follow the same rate it will probably be December 2017 when I finish ! Maybe I should set a target completion of September 2017 . Then again maybe not. To quote a very famous football manager "Football is a marathon , not a sprint". The same could be a applied to my 100 strangers
This picture is number 20 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the
100 Strangers Flickr Group page
My own strangers can be seen here:
www.flickr.com/photos/57144254@N08/albums/72157657822400168
Very willing participants. I recently determined not to do any more 'multiple' portraits. Those I have done have been by accident when folk have wanted their companions to join in and I haven't been very happy with them. And I'm also, like you, taking a relaxed attitude to finishing my project. Ray jokes sometimes that I have a reputation in this area.
@colinbarber013 cheers colin
@bizziebeeme thanks lou, your photography is good, don't underestimate your skills, i am sure you could do street portraits well :)
@nickspicsnz cheers Nick :)
@sangwann thanks for the fave dione, very kind words too from you
@juleshoogstraanderson thank you very much jules
@sdutoit thanks sylvia :)
@whippeteer thanks frances, it is surprising how many people say yes to a photo :) I am very rarely refused :)
I have been to some PNE matches in the past but I don't recognise these ladies. :)