Walking round the winter garden at Mottisfont Abbey, I noticed a pink hat moving amongst the plants and bushes. I guessed that it belonged to a female garden volunteer. As I got closer I saw this was so and that she was raking up leaves and collecting them in a wheelbarrow.
I walked along the nearby path and got into conversation with her and found that her name was Annie. I introduced myself and my strangers' project asking if she would let me take her photo. She was initially rather surprised but agreed.
I took a few portrait shots and then asked if I could have a shot of her standing beside the wheelbarrow, It was hard to get the angle I wanted without standing on the garden (strictly frowned upon!) so Annie decided to stand the other side of the barrow.
The end of January will mark the completion of Annie's first year as a garden volunteer. She works every other Tuesday and when she started felt it might be difficult to be outside in all weathers throughout the year. But she says her fear has proved to be unfounded. Annie has a garden at home, also an allotment where she grows vegetables.
She seems a very busy lady, also being a member of her local U3A, where she used to be treasurer and now participates in Birder and Quester groups. Other pastimes include craftwork and card making.
In the summer, Annie volunteers at her local library for a scheme which encourages school-age children to maintain their interest in books throughout the long summer holidays. They can borrow up to six books which they discuss with the volunteer when they return them to the library. Annie has grandsons who are members of this scheme local to where they live.
At first Annie declined my offer of sending a photo to her but I showed them to her on the camera screen and she gave me her email address.
I'm a little disappointed with the blown-out sky area in the portrait which I didn't notice until I loaded the photo on to the laptop screen. It would have been possible to crop a portrait from the shot of Annie with the wheelbarrow but I like the way Annie comes over in the photo I have used. I'm just going to make a note to myself to be a bit more observant viewing photos immediately after I have taken them.
To me, there is quite a bit of multi-tasking needed in taking a portrait of a stranger: getting their permission, making them feel at ease, eliciting and remembering their story plus of course, the usual photographic considerations.
See Annie at work:
http://365project.org/quietpurplehaze/add-ins/2017-01-19
Perhaps the blown out sky adds a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to the photo! (I always thought a photo was supposed to be worth a thousand words but now you are making me wonder if somebody got that wrong!!)
You know what they say 'if you want anything done, ask a busy person'!
I think the hat is Annie's but the writing on the jacket is relevant to the National Trust so I think that it was supplied.
Yes, I considered b&w but thought I couldn't possibly have Annie without the pink hat!
Margo thanks for your vote of confidence!