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Stavroula & her friend were stopped quite abruptly by me as they were amongst a group of people walking in the opposite direction which meant I had to jump in the middle of them to get her attention. Thinking that I had immediately gotten off to a bad start I apologised for the startling her, but she wasn’t fazed at all.
In fact, after going through my blurb she couldn’t wait to have her portrait taken and then promptly warned me that she was a massive Ham in front of cameras.
So off we went chasing the shade in a small lane way & took lots & lots of varied shots. If you’re wondering if she “hammed it up” well I guess the portrait that I have chosen says it all.
Stavroula is of Greek descent, as you may have already guessed and is currently working for an animation company.
I loved her quirky & unique dress style which was also reflected in her upbeat & outgoing personality. We parted ways both feeling happy with the encounter.
Thanks for being part of my Strangers Project & I hope you like your portrait.
This picture is #96 in my 100 Strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
While walking back home, on the eve of last Halloween, I saw a group of people dressed up: I was surprised to find myself asking for their permission for taking a picture!
This happended a few months after I started watching the amazing pictures being submitted to 100 Strangers Flickr Group.
I thought that if I managed to collect a substantial number of portraits of strangers, I could take part to the project, so here I am!
I still find it _extremely_ hard to stop people, and I haven't been able yet to ask the name of the strangers I've met so far.
This lady, dresse up like Maleficent, was really kind and keen on being photographed; I was almost shaking and could not think about camera settings or other technical matters :)
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This picture is #1 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
My wife and I had just sat down for lunch at a new café when I noticed Kelly walk by.
She was wearing a tight fitting knitted beanie which completely covered her hair. So without hesitation I headed off to chase her down leaving my wife to order the food. She was pretty happy to indulge in the project so we made do with the available light and shot without the use of a reflector. (It was still at the café, doh!)
It was a quick shoot despite her breaking into a smile every now and then and interruptions from passers-by. I like the clean minimal feel of this portrait. Her steely blue eyes and strong jaw line are nicely accentuated by the framing of the beanie.
It was a pleasure to meet you Kelly and thanks for being part of the project.
This picture is #239 in my 3rd round of The 100 Strangers Project.
You can see my 1st round of 100 Strangers photos here
Round 2 is here
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
I was having a difficult time finding an interesting stranger until I bumped into my friends who were nice enough to tag along with me and help me find a stranger. They spotted Christina across the street and so I ran across (after looking left and right of course) and inquired her of a photo. Christina was quite chillaxed about it and was super patient with me as I directed her around, looking for a good spot for lighting.
So, thank you Christina, you have become stranger #35 in my on-going stranger project.
Check out more of other's stranger photos at www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
This picture is #60 in my 3rd round of the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
So Mimi was one of those people that I spotted and approached without thinking. She told me she hates photo's of herself but was happy to chat so we did. We had a bit of banter and she finally agreed after I explained why I wanted HER for my photo. Once she'd agreed I then broke it to her that I wanted her to move into the alley way in front of the lighting rig and we had a good laugh as she realised that she'd been out manoeuvred. Years ago i worked in sales and I was terrible at it, but if I'm selling a product that I believe in I can do it. She was such a lovely person. So full of life, so pretty, vibrant and bright yet so unaware of herself. I had to restrain myself from giving her a big hug.
Keylight was in the same position as the previous shot but I brought the light behind her in right close (thanks Matt for providing perfect assistance) to try to get some back lighting.
Now I have to confess at this point that the only problem I've found with my sling that holds the camera to the side of me is that sometimes the manual focus switch on the lens gets bumped and in this case, it was not auto focusing. I was having problems with my contact lenses that evening and so I didn't notice. It's a crap error and I bugs me because I have one image that I much prefer to this but the focus is too far out to salvage it. But I still love this one and the strobes had me shooting at f7.1 which meant I was able to get away with it.
Thanks Mimi, it was a privilege to meet you. Now you know how you told me you didn't like your photo's and particularly your mouth? Well the next person that I approached asked to see the images that already had on my camera and she said you are beautiful! I agree with her.
If you like my work, please take a look at my Facebook page and my website at Colin Strain Photography.
During a family celebration at a restaurant, I decided to explore the place for a possible stranger shoot. I saw the barmaid and talked to her.
Say hello to Emerline. She is a trainee and still studies at a culinary school. She is one of the few female staff in a male-dominated restaurant but she is happy with the job and wouldn't mind being employed there. Even though she is a barista she helps serving the tables. Her priority after school is to find work, she emphatically repeated.
This was a tough shot. It was dark at the bar area; I had my external flash and took several shots but owing to the glass background I had to do a bounce flash. My ASA was too high and I had difficulty getting a sharp focus. I didn't want to detain her much longer because they were already closing for the day.
Thanks for the shoot Emerline and I hope you get a good job in your preferred restaurant.
This picture is #78 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Stranger #66 – Pauline
I saw Pauline waiting in front of a bakery. France had just entered its third lockdown and she was dancing which was really nice to see considering the general mood on that day.
Pauline teaches history and geography in secondary school. After she graduated, she pursued a post graduate degree in teaching, education and training. During the first lockdown she studied in order to sit the competitive examination in order to become a teacher. She enjoys teaching because of the social connection. “The toughest thing is we can’t always help pupils.” I asked Pauline what gets her out of bed in the morning. “We’re in lockdown, so it’s a little hard. I love reading, I read all kinds of subjects, it varies from time to time. I like reading about African Americans’ struggles for their rights, about feminism. These days I like to read fantasy. Teenager stuff, Eragon. I don’t want to think.”
Thank you very much Pauline!
This picture is #66 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
This is my 61st submission to the Human Family Group. To view more street portraits and stories visit The Human Family Flickr Group page
J’ai remarqué Pauline qui attendait devant une boulangerie. Nous venions d’entamer le troisième confinement et elle dansait en attendant, sa bonne humeur était particulièrement bienvenue au vu de l’humeur générale du jour.
Pauline est enseignante contractuelle d’histoire géographie dans le secondaire. Après avoir fait une licence d’histoire géographie, elle a fait un master MEEF. Pendant le premier confinement, Pauline a préparé les concours. Ce qu’elle préfère dans le fait d’enseigner c’est le contact social. “Le plus dur c’est qu’on peut pas toujours aider les élèves.” J’ai demandé à Pauline ce qui la fait lever le matin. “En ce moment c’est confinement, c’est un peu dur. J’aime lire plein de choses, ça change par périodes. Sur les combats des Afro-Américains, sur le féminisme. En ce moment je lis des romans de Fantasy, des trucs d’ados, Eragon. J’ai pas envie de réfléchir.”
Merci beaucoup Pauline!
Cette photo est la #66 dans mon projet 100 strangers. Apprenez-en plus au sujet du projet et visionnez les photos prises par d’autres photographes sur la page Flickr du groupe 100 Strangers
C’est ma 61ème participation au groupe The Human Family. Pour voir plus de portraits de rue et d’histoires, visitez la page Flickr du groupe The Human Family
I was walking down the one of the canals this afternoon, and saw this woman along one of the side streets. She was decked out in red, peeling apples and handing them to people as they passed. At first we thought it must be some type of promotion or stunt, but after asking to take her picture and talking with her briefly, we found out that she had more apples than she knew what to do with, so she decided to share them :-) So sorry I didn't ask her name!
This picture is #3 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100Strangers.com
This is also #13 (someone wearing polka dots) in my 101 Scavenger Hunt group.
Yet another long hiatus on my second round of strangers. And man, it shows. I was nervous on this one.
I wasn't out to take any stranger shots today; I was out to meet a friend for a beer but he called announced he would be a little late. It was Friday afternoon on a chic area of town, people out and about, relaxing in their patios, enjoying the summer. The perfect afternoon to get back into the strangers project.
As I walked past Euclid Ave I noticed Ellen and hanging out with a her friends outside Central Cafe. I stopped and stood awkwardly at a distance while planning my approach, and then I asked to take her picture. Despite my clumsiness she was totally cool with posing, as if she was used being asked for photos.
"Have you seen those eyes?" asked her friend. "You can see those eyes from a mile away", I thought.
Ellen recruited her friend Noah, a videographer, to help with the reflector. Noah knew what he was doing. They asked to see the picture when it's posted but this clumsy photographer didn't have any cards or notepad at hand, so I could only show then my flickr gallery on the phone and hope they remember my screen name. Hope they get to see this!
Ahhh... I had almost forgotten how exciting this was. More strangers coming this summer, promise!
I was practicing my panning skill with skaters at an ice rink in one of the parks in New York City when I noticed a young lady with beautiful flowing red hair on the ice. She gracefully moved through the other skaters. She was skating with another young lady who was equally comfortable on skates.
When they took a break at the side of the rink, I introduced myself and told them of my project. I asked them if they would like to participate, and they readily agreed.
Turns out the young lady with the beautiful red hair is a high school student in New York City and her skating partner is her sister. We did not talk for too long because it was pretty cold, and I could tell they wanted to keep moving. I don't blame them.
Thanks to Lily and Bella for participating in my project. These are my 48th & 49th strangers for this project. If you would like to see more photos of others participating in this project go to www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/.
This picture is #66 in my 3rd round of the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
So I've been playing with artificial light with varying degrees of success. I've had more luck using flash in low light or darkness but what I really want to do is over power the sun. So when my friend Peter (UrbanScot asked me what he should pack for his trip down this last weekend, I told him to bring "the light". So we found ourselves on a nippy yet pleasant Saturday morning with a 400 watt strobe hooked into a gridded 120cm octabox with a battery pack hanging alongside.
We set up to the side of a car park and then took turns heading out into the Lanes to look for suitable strangers which is where I found Elitsia. She's a Healing Therapist from Poland. She was perfectly happy to follow me over to our spot and pose and was very interested in the project and particularly why we do what we do.
Thanks Elitsa, I hope you like this picture. It was really fun meeting you.
If you like my work, please take a look at my Facebook page and my website.
Back in Italy, Elettra is a lawyer. She has been to the UK many times but it was her first visit to Glastonbury. I asked if it would be OK to take a picture of her for my strangers project and offered to photograph Elettra with her son, Carlo afterwards.
As they were sitting together I decided to take the photo of mother and son first. Elettra said that she would explain to Carlo, what I was doing. She then spoke to him in Italian for a while. I took a few shots in St Michael's tower and then asked Elettra if it would be OK to go outside to take the photos of her.
I wanted to get some backlit shots of Elettra and asked if Carlo would be able to hold my reflector. Carlo was happy to do this and was a real help. It was a little windy, so sometimes I had a hand on the reflector, sometimes Elettra and sometimes just Carlo. Between us we managed.
Elettra asked me if I would like to work as a photographer. She said that it is important to enjoy the job that you do. I said that I was content as an amateur photographer and considered that I might feel stress, if I was doing it for money. I asked if she enjoyed her job and Elettra smiled as she agreed. Elettra works in criminal and family law. I said "you like helping people?" Again she agreed.
I wondered what Elettra enjoyed outside of work. She told me that she enjoys travel and gardening. She grows herbs for healing.
When we had finished with the portraits, Elettra said that she would look forward to my email. To see the photographs that I had taken.
Thank you Elettra, for being part of my project. It was great to meet you and Carlo today. Best wishes for all that you do back in Italy.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
this from a promo-shoot for the shortfilm "strangers"
you can see the full movie here:
and some more information on the movie:
strobist:
YN560 bare @ low power
on voice-activated-lightstand in front of jester
tamron24-70f2.8 @ f3.2
iso50 1/8sec
triggert with YN RC602
This picture is #29 in my 4th round of the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Walking around Carnaby Street I spotted Chelsea walking along with a friend. I've seen this type of lipstick a few times recently and find the effect quite interesting, so I was glad when she agreed to a quick portrait.
She's from Manchester though all she had to say about it was 'Manchester is a bit shit really' which was amusing. I've only been there briefly so couldn't really comment but with all the culture and history of the place, I'm sure it's not that bad. :-)
If you like my work, please take a look at my Facebook page and my website and if you're more inclinde to Instagram, I've been playing around there too.
Stranger number 6 for me is Sarah. I saw Sarah walking over lunch on what is a fairly well used walking path for many, through the downtown mall area, across a walking bridge above the streets, and through the lobby area of a large hotel/conference center. I was coming back from my lunchtime walk when I passed Sarah. I saw that she glanced at my camera, so I thought I'd engage her at “the turn” and ask if she would participate in the stranger project. She was very pleasant and helpful. I decided to photograph her with the hotel’s hanging lights behind her. I found the mix of colors in the original a little distracting and so converted to B&W which to me allowed her, as the subject, to not get lost in the background. This picture is #6 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Just something fun To make sure I don’t go crazy studying. Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands and Dracula visit Hawkins.
A “stranger in the camp” in Bedford south carriage sidings in the form of Great Eastern suburban unit 315852, no doubt being used tests and/or crew training for the newly electrified St Pancras – Bedford suburban service, 2nd March 1982. The electric service was due to commence at the May 1982 timetable change (ten weeks away) however did not happen due to an industrial dispute regarding Driver Only Operation. It would not commence for another year and finally commenced on the 28th March 1983.
Unit History
The class 315 electric multiple units were built at York works from 1980 to 1981. They were the fifth and final variety of British Rail's then-standard 1972 design for suburban electric multiple units which eventually encompassed seven hundred and fifty five vehicles formed into five classes (class 313/314/315/507/508). The sixty one class 315 units were built for the inner suburban services on the Great Eastern lines radiating from Liverpool Street and are still operating these services thirty six years later.
Praktica LTL, Prutz C19
A Stranger - 30 Seconds Project
All about the idea of this project can be read here:
Carl Zeiss Interview - English
f5.6 − 1/125 - ISO100 - No Flash - Nikon D800 - Nikon 105mm F2 D DC
To enjoy in XXL LARGE (What I always recommend) - H E R E
f5.6 − 1/100 - ISO100 - No Flash - Nikon D800 - Carl Zeiss 50mm
Posed street portrait for my 100 strangers project, taken in Paris, France
This picture is #5 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Margo and her boyfriend Floris were sitting and chilling along the banks of the Seine. I saw someone near the couple pretending to have found a cheap jewel when in fact he just drop it on purpose on the ground and then try to sell them the trinket. Unfortunately in Paris as in other major tourist cities, you always meet some people who try to sell to you anything and everything at any price ...
So Margo and her boyfriend came from Belgium and spent some days in Paris. She lived in France before (i guess in the region of Alsace judging by her accent) and was very pleased to participate in this improvised photo shoot.
This mysterious stranger was a very tiny insect visiting my small bachelor button flower. I've been reading about quantum physics and time particles again recently
In the article, a physicist remarks: "“The quantum world has become more tangible, and the nature of reality even more mysterious”
I used to watch a TV show called: "Connections" It would leap from one item to another, throughout history using these sometimes weak links called connections. Almost like gossip, which starts with a fact at one end of a chain, and ends up all the way at the other end of a chain completely different, yet with the show, it somehow wrapped it all up into a sort of quasi circle, with a plausible scenario for their completed elliptical turn, and if you suspended your disbelief, and without skepticism, it was an entertaining concoction of historical events.
My connection is this, I begin with the tiny insect, to which I state he is very very small, and I've got this camera which is able to record his or her beauty in fabulous macro style. But I observe his tiny presence and extrapolate smaller, to particles unseen and infinitesimal. The article appears, thanks to first a visit by Panta Rhei, a contact who just got back from a vacation to the North Sea, so you see I'm leaping here, I'm placing these links together in semblances of connections. She has a contact named Perceval's Land (or he has changed his flickr name now). So in his photostream, I see this picture of the chains and gears of a bicycle, and of course I can't resist, being a bike lover myself, and I see he has sent some article about a possible way to actually observe this particles and or waves without disturbing them, perhaps by fixing what you have disturbed; and a fellow named Katz, to Panta, so of course I have to google that and I find the article, it is the quantum theory again, about not being able to observe without also disturbing. Sort of like photography, I am able to observe and photograph this tiny insect, but have I disturbed the scene? Have I sent it into an alternate universe? If I had not disturbed this, it might have happened differently. In the schrödinger's cat thought experiment, the cat is in a box, in a state where he is either alive or dead, but at the same time (that departure elides me a bit), and when you open the box (observation) you find the cat is either alive or dead, but cannot be both at the same time, by observing you have disturbed.
I could make this program a bit longer, with chains upon links of connections, but I'm off for work, and you see I don't want to be that late, even though I'm already a bit. Many more of these connections are possible! Let's take trips through flickr with many connections. My final connection is this: I just happened to be reading a book by Mark Twain, called the Mysterious Stranger, you can only guess who that is. Well I also read another book by C.S.Lewis called "The Great Divorce" about the divorce between Heaven and Hell. Well in that book, heaven is in the sky and grand and glorious, hell is in the tiny cracks of the ground and is infinitesimal. Therefore, you can begin to see further connections, that hell is the tiny particles of quantum physics, and our great big world is heaven, and well, perhaps by disturbing the tiny particles, we are disturbing hell, we don't want to wake up Satan!
Skógafoss IS - A total stranger admiring a rainbow at the base of Skógafoss, a huge waterfall in south central Iceland. October 2012.
taken on a Canon F-1 slr w/ 50mm FD f1.8 lens. Kodak Portra NP400 color film.
Meet Jeremy. I met him when I saw him sitting on a bench looking really deep in thought. He is an artist that specializes in oil paints. However, on the side, he plays the drums and loves progressive metal (Like me!). I asked him "If you had one piece of advice to give the world, what would it be?" He said, "You shouldn't be afraid to express yourself and take chances." He seems like one of those people who seem intimidating, but are actually really nice people. I decided that I wanted him to pose in a way that would also display his chipped nail polish, his neckless, his hat, and his cool reflective sunglasses. He's already really cool, but I decided I wanted to try to take it a step further by having him turn his head away from the camera to give that cool, ice cold look. I decided to keep the colour because his shades looked really odd without colour. I shot the picture at f/1.4 to get a nice smooth background. Do you have any constructive criticism?
Learn more about 100 strangers at:
Stranger #32 – Asia – I met her in the center of Wroclaw, Poland. I asked for a photo and after a brief explanation she agreed to pose. We chatted for a moment before I even raised the camera. I told her more about the project and showed a few previous photos. After a short conversation it turned out Asia studies some fancy international business (I don’t remember what exactly – that’s definitely not my world) and also currently works as a barista. She told me she really likes her job – a pretty rare feature, actually. When I started shooting I’d already known she was a super friendly person but now I can also say that she’s extremely patient. It was a very nice encounter and I hope you like the results :)
This picture is #32 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Vicky had come up the Tor with her friend and sometimes colleague Jai. I had been going down the Tor when I had spotted them coming up. I greeted them and asked if I might take a photo. Vicky agreed and I said that I would like to take it at the top and would it be alright, for me to walk up with them.
At the top I suggested that Vicky might like a minute or so to catch her breath. “You mean to stop sweating?” or something like that, she said. I wondered if she might like to spend a bit of time at the top with Jai before finding me again for photos. Vicky wanted to go off and stand on the direction stone. While on my own, I did a quick scout around the Tor for the best location.
It was close to mid-day and there was no cloud cover. There was a breeze that might also cause some difficulties or opportunities. I found a spot by the tower that was sheltered from the wind. Vicky would be able to sit with her back to the sun. Her head would shade her face and my reflector would bring some indirect light back.
Suitable spot found, I took a quick candid shot of Vicky and Jai standing on the direction stone. As I returned to reserve the location, Vicky came to me, ready to be photographed. Vicky liked the idea of a strangers project. A good way of growing in confidence with other people, she observed.
Vicky works for the Glastonbury festival. She also does freelance work for other festivals. She organises bookings, site locations, lost property etc. Although working in administration, it is not like traditional office work. Nobody wears a shirt, she told me. It is a very friendly relaxed atmosphere and Vicky enjoys it.
Vicky also enjoys music. Not playing but listening. I guess that this is handy when working at the music festivals. Vicky likes to dance too but didn’t want me to put a “dancer” tag on her photo – she just does it for pleasure ... not a performer.
I think that I took up more of Vicky’s time than she expected. I had forgotten that she was on a half day and had to get back to work. She planned to buy some healthy food in Glastonbury as she had been living off festival food recently.
Jai and Vicky left the summit before me but I caught them up on the way down, wondering if they might like a joint photograph. Yes, they would like one. I took a few quick shots, then we walked the rest of the way down together.
I happened to mention that my daughter’s fiancé is a hip hop artist. Vicky knew of him and said that he is very well respected in Bristol, London and in the festival community. She also said that my daughter is very beautiful. Of course I agreed. I cannot take any credit for her physical beauty, as she is my step daughter. She is a lovely woman and I am so proud of her kindness and generosity.
Thank you Vicky for being part of my project. It was great to meet you and Jai today. Best wishes for all that you do.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
My first Stranger Adrienne.
It has taken me a long time to gather the guts to ask a complete stranger for their photo. I do find this strange as in my line of work I talk to strangers all day long but asking them if i can take some photos is a new playing field. I have started taking my camera with me wherever I go in hopes of finding my first :) and today I did. I had just finished having breakfast with my Boss's and a work mate and decided to go check the surf so glad I did. I chickened out on asking the first surfer that got out but then Adrienne walked up the path and I now have my #1 stranger.
Adrienne is a local at Mossy Point and was enjoying the nice waves on such a beautiful winters day at North Broulee on the NSW South Coast.
Thank you Adrienne for saying yes to becoming my #1
Now only 99 to go :)
This picture is #1 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
It’s been quite a few months since I posted my last stranger mainly due to a combination of busy weekends doing “other stuff” and a noticeable fall off in my enthusiasm for the project. I can’t explain why I have been feeling this way about 100 strangers and to tell you the truth I’ve been too busy enjoying shooting landscapes lately and my gorgeous granddaughter, to worry about it. In fact, the break has done me the world of good and now I feel ready to take on round 3 once more. So having been reinvigorated by my stranger hiatus, I decided to meet up with my regular shooting partner, Evan (Evansrobinson) and with my wife in tow plus a relative new comer to the 100 Strangers project, Jgor Cava.
We had spent a few hours walking up & down Crown Street, Surry Hills and the day was getting away from us without too much success, so we decided to do one last run for good measure and that’s when I spotted a young woman dressed in Gym gear briskly walking towards us with her dog and shopping bags. She was wearing headphones and black NY baseball cap which caught my eye, but it was her powerful and confident energy that really grabbed my attention. As we crossed paths I mentioned this to my wife and she agreed, but for some reason it took me about 20 seconds to realise that she would make a great stranger. So I spun round 180 degrees and chased her down with the others lagging behind.
Renee was very friendly and relaxed about having her portrait taken. After moving to a slightly better background I fired off a few shots and was pleased with the results. It was a tough choice selecting which image to post of Renee as I had a few good ones to choose from. She obviously has some experience in front of the camera so getting good shots was an easy task. I asked her to keep her headphones on as I wanted you to see her as I did.
Renee’s abundant energy and super-fit appearance are the benefits of being a full time Personal Fitness Trainer and model. She has been helping people get fit for around 10 years and works mainly with women helping them in all aspects of health and fitness. You can check her website here
She is one very fit and strong woman and regularly enters women’s fitness competitions.
Prior to becoming a PT, Renee is/was an accomplished singer and dancer starring in a an all girl pop band called "Girlband" and also performed in many theatre productions such as a Chorus Line, Hairspray , Wicked and has worked with the The Rogue Traders and other bands appearing on TV.
A serious talent indeed!
Thanks for being part of the 100 Strangers Project it was a pleasure to meet you.
This picture is #204 in my 3rd round of The 100 Strangers Project.
You can see my 1st round of 100 Strangers photos here
My 2nd round is here
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
I met Katie at the Tomato Festival at Gather & Feast Farm in Vancouver, Washington.
She works with Mark at Crave Catering, too.
Bomb disposal, exploding crocodiles and turning cows over..
I met Charlie as he was crossing the road in my direction. I started my pitch before he had stepped onto the pavement. He stopped and I had to encourage him to finish crossing the road before I completed my request to make his portrait.
He agreed and as we started talking he said that he needed to sit down. He was headed for the pub that we were standing in front of. I asked Charlie if I he would like a drink and he said that he would like a cup of tea. I got myself a Guinness and a cup of tea for Charlie.
Charlie told me that he wasn't originally a local but he came here before the end of world war two. He told me that he had come back to Street after serving in Burma. He had been here before then, doing some of his training in Glastonbury. During this time two New Zealanders had been brought in to share their skill in tree felling. Charlie said that this had not been much use for those who had been shipped off to serve in dessert campaigns.
The guys from New Zealand were tough. They had entertained the locals by riding cows downhill then demonstrating how to turn the cows over ready for branding.
In Burma, Charlie had been an engineer. He took control of boats in dangerous river crossings. He got to know the currents on the rivers. He was a corporal at he time and he remembers his commanding officer telling him to pay more attention to the crocodiles than the enemy.
When the enemy retreated he told me that 1000 of the Japanese had been killed by crocodiles. After this some of the soldiers had scared off the crocodiles with hand grenades – even putting them in the mouths of the reptiles and watching them explode.
Before going to Burma, Charlie had worked on the Isle of Wight with a bomb disposal team. He showed me photographs of some of the bombs that they had made safe.
Charlie had also worked for Clarks. He worked ensuring that power was available for the shoe factory where there were 3000 workers. He still lives in Street. His daughter and son in law live in nearby Glastonbury. His step daughter works in the nearby Clarks Village, he had just come from seeing her.
Charlie enjoyed telling me his stories as much as I enjoyed listening. When I asked his age, he told me that he will be 95 in November. He doesn't do internet but I gave him my card so that someone in his family can find my photo stream for him.
Thank you Charlie for agreeing to be in my project. It was great to meet you today and listen to your stories.
This picture is 95 in my second round of 100 strangers. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
The Canadian Warship HMCS Ville de Quebec stopped in my hometown in late September as part of an excursion to selected ports along the St. Lawrence Seaway and Lake Ontario. The excursion provided an opportunity for Canadians in cities along the way to tour the Navy frigate and discover career opportunities available with the Canadian Forces. I took the opportunity to tour the ship and speak with a few sailors. I was also able to continue my strangers project, this being the third in a series of five Canadian Forces personnel I chatted with.
Dominic is a Sergeant with the Canadian Military Police and is stationed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is 31 years old and has been with the Canadian Forces 11 years. He was born in Caraquet, New Brunswick, situated on the shore of Baie des Chaleurs in the Acadian Peninsula. In his spare time he loves spending time with his family and going to the beach. He also enjoys playing hockey and driving his ATV.
Dominic explained that the role of the Military Police on Navy ships is to contact and setup meetings with municipal, provincial or federal police forces that have jurisdiction in the cities and towns where the Navy ships dock. If Navy personnel run into trouble with the law in any of the locations they visit, it is the role of the Military Police to ensure Navy personnel are safe and are treated fairly. Minor incidents are usually delt with by the Canadian Forces while any serious incidents are handled by local authorities.
This picture is #19 in my 100 Strangers Project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
The creepiest child warning I've ever seen.
Do all dirty old perverts look like the bloke bottom left?
Spotted at Bridgnorth castle park.
i am so drawn to them; it shocks me
i don't know this man - i snapped his picture when i was walking through the streets of florence at night
i wonder who he is
This picture is #91 in my 3rd round of the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
Here's the last of my stranger portraits from my recent trip to Brighton. Sorry it's taken me so long to get it posted. Not enough hours in the day!
I'd walked around for quite a while after photographing Zofia but I just wasn't feeling it. I decided it was time to pack it in and head for the station and was getting close when I spotted Cassie walking in the opposite direction. I still had my camera out and really wanted to finish on a high so when I spotted her eyes I gave a nod to the stranger gods that seem to always be on my side.
Cassie's from the Northern Territories in Australia and has just moved to the UK for good.
She was absolutely happy to pose for me and was as nice as you like but she asked me not to take offence by the fact that she'd not want a copy of the picture as she had no make up on. I resisted the urge to go off on one of my favourite subjects, about peoples perception of beauty and self image. I did think that this would give me license to be a little more heavy handed on the photoshop than I would usually be for a street portrait where I usually restrain myself. But after I applied some skin smoothing and a few other bits, I undid them all because really, she doesn't need it.
So that concludes a wonderful trip down to the coast. I spent 4 hours walking round Brighton and loved every minute of it, what a great place.
Thanks Cassie, if you do get to see this, I hope you get as much out of living in the UK as I have. As one expat to another. :-)
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