Amanda
One thing I’ve learned from doing my Human Family project is that sometimes things just don’t work out… and then they do.
Nearing the end of my downtown walk, camera around my neck, I finally spotted an excellent potential subject. He was a student with a bright green Mohawk hairdo. I was going to have to move fast if I was going to catch up to him. Just as I started my pursuit a woman stopped me to ask for directions. As I started to explain where she needed to go, Mr. Mohawk was outpacing me and by the time I was free he had crossed a busy street and a traffic light had turned red. Opportunity lost, I told myself it was probably more important to help one stranger than chase down another.
As I was about to unlock my bike and head home, thankful that I’d had a pleasant walk and that Toronto’s weather seemed to be turning for the better, I saw a few students exiting the quadrangle, bubbling with good spirits. This young woman particularly caught my eye. Not only was she attractive, but she had blue streaking in her black hair that made her stand out.
I interrupted the hubbub to invite her to be part of my project and she liked the idea. She saw my contact card and said she really liked the photos. Meet Amanda.
A couple of Amanda’s friends said they would meet up with her later and moved on but a girlfriend said she’d hang back and keep Amanda company while we did the photos. We used a covered entryway to one of the university buildings. It also served as a shelter for a bicycle rack. I positioned her just inside the shade line which provided generous but softened reflected light. The polished stone of the building provided a warm tint to the background.
Amanda is 22 and told me her family came to Canada “more than ten years ago” from their native Vietnam. She is a Finance student at the university. I commented “So, perhaps you’re going to be rich one day” to which she replied with a laugh “More likely make my clients rich.” Her goal for the future is to have her own business.
Her message to her younger self was “Experience more. Don’t have any limits.” Her message to the world? “Oh gosh. That’s a deep question. Hmmmm. Don’t ever be embarrassed about your past.” I asked if she had been embarrassed about her own past to which she replied “No, but I often see that in others.”
I took advantage of her friend Lori’s presence to ask what words she would use to describe Amanda. “Bubbly, friendly, and stylish.” All three words seemed to fit well with my experience during this encounter.
I commented on how upbeat Amanda and her friends were when I approached them and found out they were just leaving a Finance exam and were relieved to have it over with.
Thank you Amanada for being part of my Human Family photography project. You are my 715th submission to the project (and a very stylish one at that).
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Amanda
One thing I’ve learned from doing my Human Family project is that sometimes things just don’t work out… and then they do.
Nearing the end of my downtown walk, camera around my neck, I finally spotted an excellent potential subject. He was a student with a bright green Mohawk hairdo. I was going to have to move fast if I was going to catch up to him. Just as I started my pursuit a woman stopped me to ask for directions. As I started to explain where she needed to go, Mr. Mohawk was outpacing me and by the time I was free he had crossed a busy street and a traffic light had turned red. Opportunity lost, I told myself it was probably more important to help one stranger than chase down another.
As I was about to unlock my bike and head home, thankful that I’d had a pleasant walk and that Toronto’s weather seemed to be turning for the better, I saw a few students exiting the quadrangle, bubbling with good spirits. This young woman particularly caught my eye. Not only was she attractive, but she had blue streaking in her black hair that made her stand out.
I interrupted the hubbub to invite her to be part of my project and she liked the idea. She saw my contact card and said she really liked the photos. Meet Amanda.
A couple of Amanda’s friends said they would meet up with her later and moved on but a girlfriend said she’d hang back and keep Amanda company while we did the photos. We used a covered entryway to one of the university buildings. It also served as a shelter for a bicycle rack. I positioned her just inside the shade line which provided generous but softened reflected light. The polished stone of the building provided a warm tint to the background.
Amanda is 22 and told me her family came to Canada “more than ten years ago” from their native Vietnam. She is a Finance student at the university. I commented “So, perhaps you’re going to be rich one day” to which she replied with a laugh “More likely make my clients rich.” Her goal for the future is to have her own business.
Her message to her younger self was “Experience more. Don’t have any limits.” Her message to the world? “Oh gosh. That’s a deep question. Hmmmm. Don’t ever be embarrassed about your past.” I asked if she had been embarrassed about her own past to which she replied “No, but I often see that in others.”
I took advantage of her friend Lori’s presence to ask what words she would use to describe Amanda. “Bubbly, friendly, and stylish.” All three words seemed to fit well with my experience during this encounter.
I commented on how upbeat Amanda and her friends were when I approached them and found out they were just leaving a Finance exam and were relieved to have it over with.
Thank you Amanada for being part of my Human Family photography project. You are my 715th submission to the project (and a very stylish one at that).
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.