This is Yan from China. I met her in a shrine where she was washing her hands with her young daughter. Washing your hands is an important part of the preparation for praying at a shrine or temple in Japan, and there is always a special well with ladles at the entrance.
Both Yan and her young daughter were dressed similarly with kimono and the white fur stole. Yan was tall and slim with a charismatic smile - so I decided to ask her for a photo.
She told me that she was from China and traveling in Japan with her sister and daughter. She said this temple - Fushimi Inari - was her favorite place so far, but she didn't plan on doing the full route (it's about an hour long mountain hike)
I complemented her on her dress and I asked her if the fir stole had any special meaning and she just laughed and said her neck was cold.
The focus is not quite right or it could be motion blur. It's shot at f2.8, 1/500 in poor light under trees. I think I need to take more time and shoot more steadily. Will also try a slightly higher aperture next time.
This picture is my third submission in the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at
100 Strangers Flickr Group page
This is also my third submission to the Human Family Group
www.flickr.com/groups/thehumanfamily/
Thanks Yan for taking part in the project.
