As I had a print to collect in Bishops Waltham yesterday, I decided to park near South Pond and get some shots of the goose first. I walked around the pond but no goose to be seen. Then, at a point where she often comes out to 'greet' me, I found a lone fisherman so asked him if he'd seen her.
He hesitated a moment and then told me that she had been humanely captured for her own safety and for the safety of nearby residents. And he disclosed that he and his boat had been in the party who had caught her on the pond that very morning. She had her wings clipped and has gone to live on a poultry farm where there are four other pet geese.
I introduced myself to the fisherman and asked his name. 'Chris' he replied. So, of course, having missed the goose, I asked for a portrait. His first reaction was to say no but when I asked just perhaps a side view, he was OK with that.
Chris works as a gardener growing vegetables in a large private walled garden. He also keeps bees and makes hives for other beekeepers. He told me he was fishing for carp in South Pond and that he throws the fish back in. He had some bread as bait and a robin was hopping around for crumbs. (But that's tomorrow's photo.)
He gave me a tip of where to find herons and kingfishers along a canal in the north of Hampshire. I'm trying not to get too excited at the possibility of a shot of a kingfisher - a heron would not go amiss either. But I'll miss 'my' goose.
Just before I left, Chris showed me some photos on his mobile of the goose being captured. When I got to the print shop my photo was still 'hanging out to dry' so I have to go back tomorrow. But what a lucky chance for photos and a story.
Your commentaries often bring back memories for me. I remember Bishops Waltham so well. There is a thread about the importance or not of narratives with photos - so often, as here, they add so much to the photo. What an interesting story!
Hazel you always find such interesting people for your stranger Portrait . Lovely capture and narrative and some new photographic venues for you as well and a robin must be your lucky stranger.
Cherrill, glad to evoke memories. I like Bishops Waltham, even though my friend the goose has gone into retirement elsewhere now! Yes, I posted in that thread. For me, on 365, the words have become as important as each photo
Thank you for your comments, Wendy! I suppose I always think everybody has a story to tell - and they usually do. I was so glad to be there by chance that day and to find out about the goose.
What a good portrait and what a good project... you are braver than I am. I'll have to look back of some of the other stranger portraits you have done, I could learn something. Now if you could record your conversations so that I could hear how you interact with them, I would learn even more!
David, thanks for visiting my 'strangers'. I think I just interact with them the same way as I do with anybody. When I was around 40, I had a short second career (curtailed on health grounds - I have bipolar) working with adults with literacy difficulties in an FE college and at uni with dyslexic students. The work, and associated training, taught me a lot about people and has stood me in good stead in life generally. The 100 strangers project originated on Flickr.
I certainly will continue - my aim is to get to 100. It doesn't feel brave at all.
Cherrill, glad to evoke memories. I like Bishops Waltham, even though my friend the goose has gone into retirement elsewhere now! Yes, I posted in that thread. For me, on 365, the words have become as important as each photo
Thank you for your comments, Wendy! I suppose I always think everybody has a story to tell - and they usually do. I was so glad to be there by chance that day and to find out about the goose.
David, thanks for visiting my 'strangers'. I think I just interact with them the same way as I do with anybody. When I was around 40, I had a short second career (curtailed on health grounds - I have bipolar) working with adults with literacy difficulties in an FE college and at uni with dyslexic students. The work, and associated training, taught me a lot about people and has stood me in good stead in life generally. The 100 strangers project originated on Flickr.