490/500 - Montina (Explore)
It was one of those photo walks when I hesitated in approaching the first couple of potential subjects and this usually sets up a bit of a “block” which inhibits me from reaching out. It’s a strange phenomenon but I know I’m not alone in this. I have to be in a positive and outgoing mood for the project and although I don’t know what got in the way, it just wasn’t happening this morning as I strolled Toronto’s Kensington Market area.
I scouted out a couple of graffiti laneways as possible locations and continued walking my bicycle along the small streets as the market area was just getting woken up with shops opening. That’s when I noticed her, walking the other way across the narrow street with her partner. True to this morning’s uncertain mood, I let her get away, even though she had a great smile and I knew her face and head scarf would be great for a project photo. As I prepared to pack away my camera a few minutes later and ride to another location nearer my noon-hour class, she and her partner came walking back toward me and this time I nudged myself to step forward and make my request. She and her partner listened with interest in their eyes and smiles on their faces and she readily said “Sure. I’d be glad to.” There. How difficult was that? Meet Montina, a beautiful name for a beautiful Stranger.
Montina and Mark followed me across the street into the laneway and I explained the position I wanted and told her she could smile or not, mentioning that sometimes when naturally smiley subjects try to adopt a more neutral expression for me they end up looking grumpy. Montina was exceptionally comfortable as she looked into my lens and tipped her head this way, then that, asking me if this was what I wanted. I clicked a few frames, reviewed them, and showed her. I knew my morning had taken a very positive turn. I couldn’t resist a few extra frames and asked her if she had modeled before and she said “A bit.” Ok, how lucky was that?
Just then a truck appeared from nowhere in the bowels of this narrow laneway and needed to get by. I was scrambling to get my camera around my neck and retrieve my bike which was leaning against the wall. I didn’t have an extra hand for my helmet which I tripped over in my scramble to clear the way for the truck. Montina kindly picked it up for me and we exited the alley.
We chatted a bit on the sidewalk and I learned that Montina and her partner Mark were going for a stroll and a coffee before she started work at a restaurant in the Market. It’s a part-time job which helps support her while she goes through school at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). She’s an artist and grew up in Goderich Ontario west of Toronto on the shore of Lake Huron – a beautiful town which has been voted Ontario’s prettiest town. She’s 25 and not only is she beautiful and creative, but she has great taste - she told me she owns a mirrorless Olympus camera just like mine.
My clumsy exit from the laneway with a truck on my heels was followed by my fumbling with my bicycle and phone as I tried to take down a few notes on our encounter. I made a joke about it being my klutzy day (which it was – I’d tumbled off my bicycle in the street on my way here) but Montina and Mark were really kind and were helping me not drop my bike or phone. Fortunately, my clumsiness didn’t carry into the picture-taking and I am really pleased with all the photos – thanks partly to my improving photography skills but also to having such an attractive and experienced model in a great setting with good, soft, indirect light.
Before parting I asked Montina if she had any “words of wisdom” to share with my fellow project photographers and she and Mark said “That’s a great question.” Her reply was “Dreams are destiny.” “If you can imagine it, it can happen.” “Perfect” I said. “Spoken like an artist.”
Thank you Montina and Mark for participating in 100 Strangers. Maribel, you are now Stranger #490 in Round 5 of my project. I hope you had an easy day at the restaurant.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
To browse Round 1 of my 100 Strangers project click here: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157633145986224/
To browse Round 2 of my 100 Strangers project click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157634422850489/
To browse Round 3 of my 100 Strangers project click here: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157635541434065/
To browse Round 4 of my 100 Strangers project click here:
490/500 - Montina (Explore)
It was one of those photo walks when I hesitated in approaching the first couple of potential subjects and this usually sets up a bit of a “block” which inhibits me from reaching out. It’s a strange phenomenon but I know I’m not alone in this. I have to be in a positive and outgoing mood for the project and although I don’t know what got in the way, it just wasn’t happening this morning as I strolled Toronto’s Kensington Market area.
I scouted out a couple of graffiti laneways as possible locations and continued walking my bicycle along the small streets as the market area was just getting woken up with shops opening. That’s when I noticed her, walking the other way across the narrow street with her partner. True to this morning’s uncertain mood, I let her get away, even though she had a great smile and I knew her face and head scarf would be great for a project photo. As I prepared to pack away my camera a few minutes later and ride to another location nearer my noon-hour class, she and her partner came walking back toward me and this time I nudged myself to step forward and make my request. She and her partner listened with interest in their eyes and smiles on their faces and she readily said “Sure. I’d be glad to.” There. How difficult was that? Meet Montina, a beautiful name for a beautiful Stranger.
Montina and Mark followed me across the street into the laneway and I explained the position I wanted and told her she could smile or not, mentioning that sometimes when naturally smiley subjects try to adopt a more neutral expression for me they end up looking grumpy. Montina was exceptionally comfortable as she looked into my lens and tipped her head this way, then that, asking me if this was what I wanted. I clicked a few frames, reviewed them, and showed her. I knew my morning had taken a very positive turn. I couldn’t resist a few extra frames and asked her if she had modeled before and she said “A bit.” Ok, how lucky was that?
Just then a truck appeared from nowhere in the bowels of this narrow laneway and needed to get by. I was scrambling to get my camera around my neck and retrieve my bike which was leaning against the wall. I didn’t have an extra hand for my helmet which I tripped over in my scramble to clear the way for the truck. Montina kindly picked it up for me and we exited the alley.
We chatted a bit on the sidewalk and I learned that Montina and her partner Mark were going for a stroll and a coffee before she started work at a restaurant in the Market. It’s a part-time job which helps support her while she goes through school at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). She’s an artist and grew up in Goderich Ontario west of Toronto on the shore of Lake Huron – a beautiful town which has been voted Ontario’s prettiest town. She’s 25 and not only is she beautiful and creative, but she has great taste - she told me she owns a mirrorless Olympus camera just like mine.
My clumsy exit from the laneway with a truck on my heels was followed by my fumbling with my bicycle and phone as I tried to take down a few notes on our encounter. I made a joke about it being my klutzy day (which it was – I’d tumbled off my bicycle in the street on my way here) but Montina and Mark were really kind and were helping me not drop my bike or phone. Fortunately, my clumsiness didn’t carry into the picture-taking and I am really pleased with all the photos – thanks partly to my improving photography skills but also to having such an attractive and experienced model in a great setting with good, soft, indirect light.
Before parting I asked Montina if she had any “words of wisdom” to share with my fellow project photographers and she and Mark said “That’s a great question.” Her reply was “Dreams are destiny.” “If you can imagine it, it can happen.” “Perfect” I said. “Spoken like an artist.”
Thank you Montina and Mark for participating in 100 Strangers. Maribel, you are now Stranger #490 in Round 5 of my project. I hope you had an easy day at the restaurant.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
To browse Round 1 of my 100 Strangers project click here: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157633145986224/
To browse Round 2 of my 100 Strangers project click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157634422850489/
To browse Round 3 of my 100 Strangers project click here: www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157635541434065/
To browse Round 4 of my 100 Strangers project click here: