Chris

 

It was a Saturday morning up where the public land intersects with the golf course. He was sitting smoking a cigarette with a small sandy mongrel by his feet. I was dawdling not wanting to cross the fairway leading to the 18th hole, a little nervous about getting hit in the head with a stray golfball. He said you can cross there - I said I've heard stories of trouble between walkers and golfers. He just shrugged and said there is always a little sandpaper in these situations. 

His use of the word sandpaper made me smile and we struck up a conversation as only two strangers can about people, the landscape and of course the pandemic. He asked what I was doing to which I replied on my way to take yet another picture of the same dead tree I had been photographing for the past year. He asked if I knew of the Japanese painter that did all the views of mount Fuji - Hokusai yes. He pointed to the Amex stadium that sits in one of the undulations of the hills of the South Downs Way. People hate it but I think it's great and I often think about doing that Hokusai thing with it. I agreed it would be a fine thing to do and added that I often find myself revisiting certain places as they seem worth more than one picture and that they reveal more to me each time. 

I asked if I could take his portrait - Normally I say no but as we've been chatting why not. I quickly took a picture and wrote down his email saying I'll send you a scan when I've processed the film.

A week later I emailed the picture and he replied - only the third photo of me I've liked since I was 11 years old and I would like a print.