Leigh Pickering. Ōtautahi Christchurch. 8/11/2020 @ 2.41pm

This image was taken as part of an ongoing portrait collection - a proxy census of citizens. Not celebrities but regular folks. Complex, brilliant, flawed and wondrous. During the summer of 2020 I travelled around Aotearoa finding people that caught my eye - not all by accident - some recommended. Leigh was spotted coming out of a shop in Lyttleton one sunny Sunday afternoon. I had no idea who she was but my photo-curious self needed to find out. And find out I did. Leigh and I chatted before the portrait and she told me of a life that I couldn’t begin to imagine. I’m not going to share any details here, but the memory of meeting her and sitting in that South Island sunlight talking, is a moment I won’t forget. And that’s what makes the simple act of saying to a stranger - tell me about yourself and to discover what is hidden behind that beautiful exterior is a complex and dramatic life story - a privilege and a very compelling reason to bother.

Leica M10. 50mm summicron f2, Digital capture.

Daylight.

Post production colour grade by Tamara West.

Hand painted canvas background - Tamara West.