Photographer James Wiltshire meets different people each day, like the couple who marked a milestone anniversary last September.
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He had mentioned his own wedding, then only two months away, and later received a card from the husband, wishing him and his new wife all the best.
Context makes this kind gesture even more thoughtful.
“They’d had their 45th wedding anniversary and they were celebrating at the cancer centre,” Mr Wiltshire said. “She passed away in the next couple of days.”
For this couple, for his late uncle and for the greater community good, he will hit the dance floor as part of Stars of the Border Dance for Cancer.
The Border Mail’s snapper was nominated by the newspaper’s editor Xavier Mardling, who took part in last year’s event.
“Not sure if I’m grateful,” Mr Wiltshire said with a laugh. “But it’s definitely been a fun experience so far and Xave definitely recommended it.”
His wife Jess supports his venture, although “she said she hopes I dance better than I did at the wedding”.
“We didn’t really put any practice in, we just kind of made it up on the night,” he said.
The Cancer Council NSW project sees Border identities combine eight weeks of dance lessons with fundraising as they prepare for a gala night on May 4.
Mr Wiltshire and his dance teacher Elly Bligh, who is also a hairdresser, are learning a jazz routine “at speeds I can handle”.
“It’s kind of got to a situation where I’m lifting my game time to two sessions a week,” he said.
“I was starting to feel one a week wasn’t really getting me to the place where I needed to be.
“I don’t know, I might have to turn it up to three.”
Feet on their own, OK, hands on their own, OK, “but matching them up together has probably been the more difficult challenge”.
“Having to actually do things in time and do things together as a partner,” he said.
The couple aim to work together at Temple Hair Design next Saturday, April 7, between 2pm and 4pm to raise money for Stars of the Border by offering men’s hair cuts.
“I’ll go down and sweep the floors and Elly’s donating two hours of her time to do it,” Mr Wiltshire said.
His campaign also includes photo shoots and the chance to ride with World Cup mountain biker Dean Lucas.
“Mountain biking in Albury-Wodonga, the area’s growing rapidly, every time you’re out on the trail you see more and more kids,” Mr Wiltshire said.
“It would be great for a young mountain biker to go for a ride with one of the best in the world.”
