Leland No. 1 of 100. 05 Aug 2011, Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
I was walking around the Harbor in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 5th. The day after I decided to participate in the Flickr challenge "100 Strangers". I thought I might use my digital camera, but I decided to use my Nikon F100 Film camera and the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. I just love film, and everybody looks like they are posting photos with digital cameras, so I decided on using my film of choice Kodak Tri-x 400. I decided to use Rodinal in a 1:50 solution and 13 minutes. I just like the look of film and this is a great challenge for me to use Rodinal film developer and practice my printing skills with my Beseler 45m, and the Analyzer Pro featured here:
www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/analyser_pro.html
This is a negative scan.
It was sooo hot outside. The heat index was around 105 F. I was walking down the pier looking for my first portrait subject, trying to figure out how stupid I would sound trying to convince someone to pose for me. So I was about to turn around and walk back to my car that was about a mile up the road, when I saw Leland and a girl cooling off in the Kenosha fountain. So I approached them, and said the water looks cooling. I immediately asked Leland if I could take his photo and post it online as my first portrait, and he agreed. I told him of the 100 Strangers Flickr group.
So, not sure how to ask him to pose.. I just said..
" Leland, how do you want the World to remember you 50 years from now"?
At that point he thought for a moment, and then leapt up the water fountain to the top of the monument, and posed the way a 16 year old views the World. Like he is on the precipice of life. He's, about to set out on an adventure of a Lifetime. I really do think it's a timeless pose, because we can all remember a time in our life, when our dreams were all ahead of us. When our hopes and dreams were yet to be fulfilled. I think this photo captured this for me. I hope it let all of you remember a time in your youth, when you had no fear of the World, and the World was laid out before you to conquer. The statue behind him is Columbus.
I remember that time in my life when I felt invincible and not weighed down by the World and it's responsibilities, not yet in love, a fresh slate. A book with blank pages just waiting to record my own adventure of my dreams.
Thank you Leland, for letting me see my past through your present day portrait.
Leland is 16 and likes to skateboard. His dreams are to be a Marine Biologist.
Good Luck on your journey. Your Dreams will define who you become if you stay focused to see them through.
This picture is #01 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100strangers.com
Here is the group pool: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/pool/
Leland No. 1 of 100. 05 Aug 2011, Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA
I was walking around the Harbor in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 5th. The day after I decided to participate in the Flickr challenge "100 Strangers". I thought I might use my digital camera, but I decided to use my Nikon F100 Film camera and the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. I just love film, and everybody looks like they are posting photos with digital cameras, so I decided on using my film of choice Kodak Tri-x 400. I decided to use Rodinal in a 1:50 solution and 13 minutes. I just like the look of film and this is a great challenge for me to use Rodinal film developer and practice my printing skills with my Beseler 45m, and the Analyzer Pro featured here:
www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/analyser_pro.html
This is a negative scan.
It was sooo hot outside. The heat index was around 105 F. I was walking down the pier looking for my first portrait subject, trying to figure out how stupid I would sound trying to convince someone to pose for me. So I was about to turn around and walk back to my car that was about a mile up the road, when I saw Leland and a girl cooling off in the Kenosha fountain. So I approached them, and said the water looks cooling. I immediately asked Leland if I could take his photo and post it online as my first portrait, and he agreed. I told him of the 100 Strangers Flickr group.
So, not sure how to ask him to pose.. I just said..
" Leland, how do you want the World to remember you 50 years from now"?
At that point he thought for a moment, and then leapt up the water fountain to the top of the monument, and posed the way a 16 year old views the World. Like he is on the precipice of life. He's, about to set out on an adventure of a Lifetime. I really do think it's a timeless pose, because we can all remember a time in our life, when our dreams were all ahead of us. When our hopes and dreams were yet to be fulfilled. I think this photo captured this for me. I hope it let all of you remember a time in your youth, when you had no fear of the World, and the World was laid out before you to conquer. The statue behind him is Columbus.
I remember that time in my life when I felt invincible and not weighed down by the World and it's responsibilities, not yet in love, a fresh slate. A book with blank pages just waiting to record my own adventure of my dreams.
Thank you Leland, for letting me see my past through your present day portrait.
Leland is 16 and likes to skateboard. His dreams are to be a Marine Biologist.
Good Luck on your journey. Your Dreams will define who you become if you stay focused to see them through.
This picture is #01 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100strangers.com
Here is the group pool: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/pool/