553/600 - Sarah
I was walking my bicycle through Toronto’s Kensington Market area, hoping to meet an interesting person for my project. Kensington is a great place for meeting interesting people, but the morning hours are a poor time as this vibrant neighborhood does not come to life early.
As luck would have it, I spotted the bright blue hair from behind as I walked down the street so I turned back to meet the young woman sporting the eye-catching hair. She was sitting on a ledge in front of a tattoo parlor, visiting with her friend. I excused myself for the interruption and introduced myself and my 100 Strangers project. I indicated that her bright hair had initially caught my eye and that I would love to have her join my project. She asked a couple of questions as to who would see the photo and I explained and showed her my contact card with some sample photos. She was clearly interested and checked with her friend and she was a stranger no more.
Meet Sarah who was accompanying her friend Chrisy, who was waiting for the shop to open so she could get her first tattoo. It would be a flower on her thigh. Noting Sara’s colorful tattoos I said “It looks like you’ve got a great companion for this venture; Sarah clearly knows a lot about tattoos.” The two turned out to be friends from high school in Edmonton Alberta. Sarah had moved to Toronto to attend college where she studied art and graphic design. Chrisy was visiting Toronto and the two seemed very happy to be reunited. I could sense the long-standing friendship between them.
Sarah has recently graduated and told me she is looking for a job to make good use of her education and graphic design skills. She wants to be an Art Director for an advertising company but has a strong commitment to anti-oppression and social justice issues – the impact of sexual assault on women in particular. She noted that her desire to “make a difference” narrows the range of advertising agencies which appeal to her but she explained there are a few in Toronto which are known for promoting social justice in various ways. Sarah feels that advertising has the power to do good as well as sell products. You can visit her website and see some of her work here: www.sarahminor.ca. I was impressed by her values and we found common ground quickly since many of my clients during my career as a therapist had been sexual abuse survivors.
For the photos, I noted that a laneway just a step away from where Sarah was sitting had some blue graffiti which I thought would tie in nicely with her hair color. Sarah wished she’d had her makeup with her but she hadn’t been expecting the impromptu photo shoot. I suggested that Chrisy could pass judgment on her make-up and Chrisy agreed with my assessment: Sarah was “good to go.”
The initial test photo showed a somewhat cool tone so I brought out my gold reflector, feeling like quite the pro. Sarah was impressed with how the reflector had warmed up the tone of the photos and so was I. We had one brief interruption as a truck navigated the laneway and then finished up. I was conscious of Chrisy’s date with the tattoo parlor.
As an afterthought, I photographed Sara’s shoulder tattoo which turned out to be an illustration from the Antoine de Saint-Exupery book The Little Prince complete with the quote “Apprivoise-moi” which translates as “Tame me.” As I understand it, the meaning of “taming” in this context is to spend time with someone sufficient to create a link or a bond of mutual respect and caring. The book and quote are clearly quite meaningful for Sarah and she encouraged me to read The Little Prince which many think of as a children’s book but which is actually one with a deep philosophical level. I will read it. Sarah explained that when I read the book I will find out that it has a lot to say about the meaning and importance of friendship.
I told her that I had coincidentally read Saint-Exupery’s autobiographical book about his career as a pilot just this summer and liked it a lot. I think Sarah's choice of favorite book and tattoo tells us a lot about what kind of person she is and what she values. About her tattoos, Sarah said she has been fond of traditional-style body art for a long time and will get more tattoos but will wait for wintertime which she feels is a more suitable time for that pursuit.
My final afterthought was to photograph Sarah and Chrisy together. After a brief consideration Chrisy said she would like that. The three of us stepped back into the laneway where I made the “friendship” photo which seems to have been the theme of this encounter.
The special quality about this encounter was not only the friendliness of Sarah and Chrisy, but the ease with which these two modern young women and I, a retired, middle-aged man, bridged the generations so comfortably. They commented on how much I seem to like my project and that they did too. I think it’s safe to say that this unexpected encounter was truly enjoyed by the three of us. Not only that, but I had he honor of taking the last photo of Chrisy pre-tattoo!
Thank you Sarah for participating in 100 Strangers. You are Stranger #553 in Round 6 of my project. I hope you find a job where you can make a difference.
Final update: I received a really nice email from Sarah thanking me for including her in my project. She loved the photos and asked permission to use one for her professional profile which I took as a compliment. She mentioned that Chrisy's tattoo turned out super. She quoted Chrisy as having said about this write up "Wow! He made us sound so cool!" That cracked me up. I took pleasure in Sarah's comment that I seemed to understand her perspective and that she's been interviewed before and the write-up clearly missed who she is. Sarah's feedback was the final touch on a most memorable and enjoyable Stranger encounter.
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:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157639207561566/
To browse Round 5 of my 100 Strangers project click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157643120947043/
553/600 - Sarah
I was walking my bicycle through Toronto’s Kensington Market area, hoping to meet an interesting person for my project. Kensington is a great place for meeting interesting people, but the morning hours are a poor time as this vibrant neighborhood does not come to life early.
As luck would have it, I spotted the bright blue hair from behind as I walked down the street so I turned back to meet the young woman sporting the eye-catching hair. She was sitting on a ledge in front of a tattoo parlor, visiting with her friend. I excused myself for the interruption and introduced myself and my 100 Strangers project. I indicated that her bright hair had initially caught my eye and that I would love to have her join my project. She asked a couple of questions as to who would see the photo and I explained and showed her my contact card with some sample photos. She was clearly interested and checked with her friend and she was a stranger no more.
Meet Sarah who was accompanying her friend Chrisy, who was waiting for the shop to open so she could get her first tattoo. It would be a flower on her thigh. Noting Sara’s colorful tattoos I said “It looks like you’ve got a great companion for this venture; Sarah clearly knows a lot about tattoos.” The two turned out to be friends from high school in Edmonton Alberta. Sarah had moved to Toronto to attend college where she studied art and graphic design. Chrisy was visiting Toronto and the two seemed very happy to be reunited. I could sense the long-standing friendship between them.
Sarah has recently graduated and told me she is looking for a job to make good use of her education and graphic design skills. She wants to be an Art Director for an advertising company but has a strong commitment to anti-oppression and social justice issues – the impact of sexual assault on women in particular. She noted that her desire to “make a difference” narrows the range of advertising agencies which appeal to her but she explained there are a few in Toronto which are known for promoting social justice in various ways. Sarah feels that advertising has the power to do good as well as sell products. You can visit her website and see some of her work here: www.sarahminor.ca. I was impressed by her values and we found common ground quickly since many of my clients during my career as a therapist had been sexual abuse survivors.
For the photos, I noted that a laneway just a step away from where Sarah was sitting had some blue graffiti which I thought would tie in nicely with her hair color. Sarah wished she’d had her makeup with her but she hadn’t been expecting the impromptu photo shoot. I suggested that Chrisy could pass judgment on her make-up and Chrisy agreed with my assessment: Sarah was “good to go.”
The initial test photo showed a somewhat cool tone so I brought out my gold reflector, feeling like quite the pro. Sarah was impressed with how the reflector had warmed up the tone of the photos and so was I. We had one brief interruption as a truck navigated the laneway and then finished up. I was conscious of Chrisy’s date with the tattoo parlor.
As an afterthought, I photographed Sara’s shoulder tattoo which turned out to be an illustration from the Antoine de Saint-Exupery book The Little Prince complete with the quote “Apprivoise-moi” which translates as “Tame me.” As I understand it, the meaning of “taming” in this context is to spend time with someone sufficient to create a link or a bond of mutual respect and caring. The book and quote are clearly quite meaningful for Sarah and she encouraged me to read The Little Prince which many think of as a children’s book but which is actually one with a deep philosophical level. I will read it. Sarah explained that when I read the book I will find out that it has a lot to say about the meaning and importance of friendship.
I told her that I had coincidentally read Saint-Exupery’s autobiographical book about his career as a pilot just this summer and liked it a lot. I think Sarah's choice of favorite book and tattoo tells us a lot about what kind of person she is and what she values. About her tattoos, Sarah said she has been fond of traditional-style body art for a long time and will get more tattoos but will wait for wintertime which she feels is a more suitable time for that pursuit.
My final afterthought was to photograph Sarah and Chrisy together. After a brief consideration Chrisy said she would like that. The three of us stepped back into the laneway where I made the “friendship” photo which seems to have been the theme of this encounter.
The special quality about this encounter was not only the friendliness of Sarah and Chrisy, but the ease with which these two modern young women and I, a retired, middle-aged man, bridged the generations so comfortably. They commented on how much I seem to like my project and that they did too. I think it’s safe to say that this unexpected encounter was truly enjoyed by the three of us. Not only that, but I had he honor of taking the last photo of Chrisy pre-tattoo!
Thank you Sarah for participating in 100 Strangers. You are Stranger #553 in Round 6 of my project. I hope you find a job where you can make a difference.
Final update: I received a really nice email from Sarah thanking me for including her in my project. She loved the photos and asked permission to use one for her professional profile which I took as a compliment. She mentioned that Chrisy's tattoo turned out super. She quoted Chrisy as having said about this write up "Wow! He made us sound so cool!" That cracked me up. I took pleasure in Sarah's comment that I seemed to understand her perspective and that she's been interviewed before and the write-up clearly missed who she is. Sarah's feedback was the final touch on a most memorable and enjoyable Stranger encounter.
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:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157639207561566/
To browse Round 5 of my 100 Strangers project click here:
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffcbowen/sets/72157643120947043/