My second stranger from Nottingham Mela.
This is Jo, she was on an "information stall" for Nottinghamshire Police.
I noticed Jo's fabulous smile and thought she would make a good stranger, so I walked over to her stall and started chatting to her and her colleague.
I asked them both if they were Police Officers . Jo told me she was a Positive Action Coordinator and told me about some of the issues they were making people aware at the event e.g. "Hate Crime". I asked if she had many visitors to the stall and she said she had had quite a few include a teenager who was asking how to become a Crime Scene Investigator.
I asked Jo if she worked in the city or at the Police HQ. She worked at the HQ which is situated in a beautiful country park a couple of miles north of Arnold (where I live).
As the conversation continued Jo's colleague (I think he was called Alan and was the Unison Rep - Trade Union) noticed my camera and asked if I was a "Pro" . I explained I was an amateur and the reason I'd come to the stall was because of my 100 Strangers Project. Jo was a really willing participant .
It was quite dark where the stall was situated (in the shade of some big trees and there was lots of dappled sunlight surrounding us) I photographed Jo against the backdrop of her stall while managing to get the Nottinghamshire Police badge into the top of the frame (to help tell the story). I thought The image would work well in black and white and as you can see from the results, I think it does.
After talking to Jo, I wasn't 100% sure what a "Positive Action Coordinator" was so I did a google search. My research told me the work is part of the Equality Unit and is to advance positive action initiatives in recruitment, retention and progression. The role also involves engaging in a range of community engagement activities (Nottingham Mela in this case).
We exchanged cards and I told Jo to email me her details so I could send her a link to her story and some copies of the pictures too.
Thanks for being stranger 143 Jo. It was really nice to meet you. i hope you made some good connections with the public and good luck with your Positive Action initiatives.
To find out more about the 100 Strangers project and see pictures taken by other photographers, look at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
https://www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
My own strangers can be seen here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/phil_howcroft/albums/72157657822400168
