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Alternate upload of Sam from my 100 Strangers project. Link to main upload in comments
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This picture is #10 in the 100 Strangers Project - Round 3
Meet Sam
Its really difficult to miss Sam - and I say that despite her rather petite frame (and even though she had her hair all bundled upwhen I first saw her walking with her friend Zach). I hesitated on my initial approach when I saw them deeply engrossed in a conversation - but when I met her again on the way back I made my request. Her tied-up hair backlit by the evening sun, her strong eyes and that nose-ring just made her a great subject to photograph as did her slightly shy smile. After a very brief hesitation she agreed and Zach helped us with the reflector. Then Sam opened up her hair and revealed her fabulous curls and you would agree that I made a great choice making my request.
We did a few clicks with the sun in the back and I learned a little about this stunning lady. She hails from New York and works with child welfare.Her favorite quality of herself - her warm nature and ability to connect with people. She spoke very pleasantly in soft calm tones - almost zen like.Turns out she loves yoga - I teased her about her "monk" like vibe. Her favorite memory was her stint in a small village in Panama for her fellowship.
I do not think Sam liked these pictures much - but I was personally quite pleased. The fun part for me was when she complained - paraphrased "don't know what to do with this face?". All I could think was "just enjoy it my friend - you look awesome". Turns out she has also done some modeling last year which really didn't completely surprise me - she just had a standout personality.
Thanks a lot Sam for being a sport and doing these pictures (and to Zach for his patience and helping out). Wish you both all the very best for your futures.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
For my other pictures on this project: 100 Strangers - Round 2.
For pictures from my prior attempt at 100 Strangers: 100 Strangers - Round 1.
Close up of Antonio who I met in Camden on his mobility scooter a few weeks ago ... There is a photo further down my Photostream of Antonio on his scooter ...
On the banks of the White River or "Asif Miloln" in the Eastern Grand Atlas, Toda danced with the "Ahwash" group from "Imilchil". She traveled a distance of 195 km to perform at the Roses Festival in Kalaat Mgouna. Toda spoke in the Tamazight dialect, and one of the group members translated her words into Moroccan Arabic "Darija". As per the conditions imposed on women involved in the "Ahwach" group, Toda remained unmarried. However, this did not apply to men. In the dance performances, men and women are equal, and the movements vary in form and rhythm depending on the occasion and region. Toda performed the "Awash" dance, which is a collective dance. She accessorized with jewelry and wore a white cloak with shiny coins, which is a symbol of belonging to the "Ait Waza" tribe. The male band members, on the other hand, wore turbans and white Djelabat and carried silver daggers and traditional leather wallets called "Aqrab". They raised the "bandir", and the men sang while the women repeated and danced.
Kalaat M'gouna, Morocco
Shayfeen ft Toto, MADD - TCHA RA
I always had the power of seeing something different in people. I had the idea of creating this project in 2014 when I realize I’m shooting a lot of portraits for my friends, clients, people on the street… So I transformed this passion into an artistic project where my goal wasn’t take just average pictures of strangers, but make portraits of them that reveals something.
It’s an on-going project which I want to take 100 portraits stories.
Veronica intrigued me the moment I saw her. The thick horn rimmed glasses, the ski cap, baggy jacket, the hair in her face....it all struck me as the proverbial 'diamond in the rough' nerdy girl. She kind of reminded me of Adrian from the movie Rocky (the first one).
She was not shy about the camera though, and she immediately struck a pose. She kind of put her hands below her chin in some kind of 'vogue' model way. The pose wasn't terribly bad, but she was wearing bright orange,padded, fingerless gloves (???). I thought it a distraction so we dispensed with that after a shot or two. She also offered to take off her glasses...an offer I would usually welcome, but her glasses were one of the characteristics that initially drew me to her. As far as her hair was concerned, it was in her face the entire time we were together so I saw no reason to ask her to brush it aside for the picture.
Although it is a bit overexposed, I am pleased with the results. This is the girl that initially grabbed my attention. We were at Cleveland's West Side Market (a wondefully old-world ethnic open market), and typically no one is trying to make a fashion statement, but she certainly seemed to stand out from the crowd. I must admit I am perplexed by her look. Was she going for some kind of 'nerd chic' fashion (a la Lisa Loeb), or is this is this just simply how a west side girl dresses to go purchase her Christmas perogies?
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
My second stranger in the project, Gonzalo.
I was walking and looking for a new subject, looking for someone who was not in a rush, or someone friendly i can approach calmly, and then this heavily tattoed guy atracted my attention. He was in company of a young girl (who is my stranger #3) sitting and talking about their studes. I found them easy to approach, as it happened with my first stranger
I asked them for permission to take some pictures of them. First separatedly, and then both of them together, i kindly asked. They were very kind with me and agreed. Of course, the question "what for?" was asked by him. Then I explained about Flickr, he didn't know what was that, and she rapidly explained to him.
This time i took more pictures, didn't want to loose the chance to portrait this striking character, not only because of his tattoo, but because of his incredible eyes, but again i had to throw out the best picture of him because it was out of focus... The thing that i learned with Gonzalo was about the light. It's true that in a cloudy day the light is much better. It is very soft because of the size of the light source, but still there's a problem. That light is always coming from above, and so his eyes were much darker than the rest of the face. I tried to solve this problem in post, and i'm happy with the result, but i will try to prevent this situation in the future. I'm Thinking about taking a reflector with me, but i'm going to wait until i feel more comfortable in the shooting situation.
Thank you all for your warm welcome with my first stranger yesterday!
This picture is #2 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
I met this smart-dressed, good-looking, exotic guy standing in front of a door in Ronda de Sant Antoni, during one of those afternoons when the light is starting to fade, you're about to pack your gear and go home.
His name is Argenis, and when I asked him if he was willing to pose for me (he looked like a model to me), he -oh, coincidence!- replied he was going to an informal photo shoot at a friend's house.
Fitted and ready as he was, he inclined and made me happy! Unluckily I totally screwed the full body shot, in a weird out-of-focus phenomenon that makes it unworthy to be posted here, so my happiness went down a 50 percent.
Anyway, Argemis was very kind, though he seemed slightly struck by a temporal diffidence rigidness. Alas, hopefully his friend got more of his spontaneity...
He confessed he enjoys photography himself, and also takes courses in Graphic Arts, so we may see/meet each other again in the future! Thanks for your time, Argenis!
This picture was #46 in my 100 strangers project. Check out the rest of the stranger street portraits in my project at the 100 Strangers Set or find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
So this was my first attempt at using night time flash. I went over to Greenwich near the Cutty Sark where I thought there would be footfall and the potential to try out using flash with an umbrella as part of this project.
I saw Camilla and Tom chatting near me and thought either one of them would be a great stranger to photograph with the other helping as an "assistant"
They were both game and I got to work. I had tested the location earlier but by the time I asked them it had already got darker but was still doable.
In terms of set up I have been thinking of a flash solution that would give me soft off-camera flash but still be portable at the same time. I had toyed with the idea of a soft box but this was to cumbersome. I settled on putting a Yongnuo trigger and flash onto a monopod and a white shoot through umbrella. This fits almost perfectly in my bag without being too heavy for prolonged walking around.
Having not done this or tested it out beforehand this was always going to have me out of my comfort zone. I explained as much to the guys so that they would be aware that it might take a few attempts to get it right. I have to admit that I was a little flustered as I tried to get the settings right. While I am aware of the 5 variables of flash exposure this kind of went out the window and the first shot was horribly overexposed on her face. But slowly but surely I got to a point where I thought the exposure was okay (at least there were no clipping highlights). After a few shots, I decided I wanted to get a softer light and so I got Tom to move closer and feather the flash. It seemed to help a little bit but not quite as much as I hoped. What I really needed was a reflector to make the shadow side lighter. Once I thought I had the shot I thanked them for their time and was on my way.
When I got home I noted that the shot was over exposed but not irretrievable. I was on 1/64 power on my Nissin flash so I did find it surprising how much power these bad boys can give out at wide apertures. A few tweaks in Lightroom sorted that out and then it was onto photoshop for the finishing touch. I have been using the dodge and burn technique for skin retouching in my most recent shots and you can really see how much better this is than skin softening.
As I said I was a little flustered and so I think this shot could have been better. While the expression is nice, I feel it could be improved. I also didn't really chat to them as much as I would have liked and so haven't got anything to say on that front unfortunately. Having said that I am still pretty pleased with the shot given the circumstances.
Thank you so much Camilla and Tom for helping me to get out of my comfort zone. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the
100 Strangers Flickr Group Page
Connect with me on my facebook page: Shooting the Streets
or visit my website
As always any critique welcome
I met Monet as she pulled up to a street corner on her beach cruiser. She looked very stylish in pink tinted glasses and her baby blue cruiser. I asked her if she's be willing to be one of my strangers, and she agreed saying it was funny as she'd just pulled up to take a picture herself. I asked her what she was going to photograph and she pointed to a a steep street with palm trees across the road from where we were. I told her I remembered photographing the same street a while back. Admiring her bike, she said it had been a graduation present.
It was a delight to meet Monet. I'm a little sad I didn't have color film in my camera, as her blue cruiser and pink glasses where wonderful, but at the same time I like the results in b&w. Thanks for stopping and talking Monet! I hope you like the shots!
You can find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
This picture is #73 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
Still under the bridge where I photographed my last two strangers, but this time on the other side of the road. At the side of a small shop their was a lovely dark background that I wanted to try. When I saw Sophie walk buy I knew she'd work with it. Still working the old skool, this was show with no reflector but under the railway bridge at Camden, the light seemed to be bouncing all over the show and really seemed to be working well.
She's from Scotland and was on holiday and was happy to pose. She didn't chat much and seemed to want to get on so I didn't keep her but am very glad she stopped to give me this pose! Thanks Sophy. If you see this, please get in touch. I have your passport photo waiting for you too ;-)
If you like my work, please take a look at my Facebook page and my website.
Stranger #10 - Sara
I saw Sara while walking through Union Square, calmly sitting down and checking her phone every now & then. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to seize a photo.
After snapping a few photos, she told me that she was waiting for a text message from someone who was supposed to meet her a while ago. But she didn't mind because she was just excited to be in NYC (she just moved from Stockholm). When our conversation ended, she still hadn't received the text message.
To enjoy in XXL LARGE (What I recommend) - H E R E
f5.0 − 1/125 - ISO200 - No Flash
I'm quite busy these days .... catch up later! Wishing you a great weekend!! :-)
La Rambla, Barcelona
I recently spent a weekend in Barcelona and finally got the opportunity again to shoot for my series Portraits of Strangers.
Fern said "yes" straight away when I asked if I might take a photograph of her. It was a showery day and it had started to rain; so I was pleased and surprised that she agreed so readily. We took shelter at the side of a building.
I told Fern that I had been photographing strangers for about four or five years and that she wasn’t the first Fern to be a part of my project. She agreed that it is not an uncommon name in these parts and she knew at least a couple others.
When I asked Fern if there was anything that she would like to share about herself, she told me that she was an artist. She works with paints and textiles. Fern had been homeless but now has a small family, including a daughter, Willow.
I told Fern that I had been drawn to her because of her hat and the colour of her hair. Fern told me that she had the hat since she was 6 years old. It had a name tag in it, which she showed me.
Fern posed for me while I took three shots. She happily gave me her email address so that I could send her copies of the photos and shook my hand as we made our goodbyes.
Thank you Fern for being part of my project. It was kind of you to stand in the rain while I photographed you. I am sure that we will bump into each other again, now that we have met once.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
I wonder what people make of the green pipe in the background. Would you desaturate it?
When I spotted Gracie, she was with her parents. They were taking turns to have their photo with her, so I asked they’d like me to take a photo of them all together on their phone. I took a couple for them and offered to take a couple with my camera too.
They mentioned that it was Gracie’s 21st birthday and I asked if I could take a few photos of her on her own, explaining that I was working on a series of street portraits. I had the camera set up with black and white jpegs but also had the RAW file if I wanted colour. I decided to stick with the black and white.
I left them with my little booklet of portraits which includes my contact details and promised to send them over if they dropped me an email.
This picture is #38 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers 100 Strangers Flickr Group page www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
I'm a huge fan of music, not a huge fan of bars, so when Mike McClure scheduled a small, intimate, solo, acoustic show in Wichita Falls I bought a ticket. And I'm really glad that I did.
While waiting in the gathering area of 9th Street Studios for the show to begin I spotted Mike hanging out and chatting with folks so I started up a conversation. After we talked for a bit I asked if he'd pose for a photo before the show started and he graciously agreed.
For those unfamiliar with his music Mike McClure was a founding member of the Great Divide, has had his songs recorded by Garth Brooks, and has produced a number of Red Dirt and Americana acts from Stony LaRue to the Turnpike Troubadours. And he's a really cool, down to earth kind of guy.
Thanks for an incredible evening of music and for being part of my 100 Strangers Project, Mike!
If you'd like to see more portraits from photographers around the world, just follow the link.
Nicole asked me if I would take her photograph, offering me her phone. I said yes. I showed her my card and told her that I take photos of people that I don’t know. It is a project that I enjoy. She smiled, laughed and put her phone away.
She was so pleased to have met a photographer as she had hoped to get her picture taken with St Michael’s tower in the background.
I had an 85mm lens on my camera and figured that there was no way I would get the whole tower in without going way down the hill, so I offered to use her phone. My thought was that Nicole would go part way down the hill, then I could get a good image of her in the foreground, with the tower in the background. Nicole ignored my suggestion of this composition though, as she wanted a picture of herself in the entrance of the tower, as a silhouette.
I took two photos with her phone, one from each direction and checked that she was happy with them. I explained a bit about my strangers project and asked Nicole if she would be willing to be a part of it. She was pleased to be asked. We sat down near the tower and chatted for a bit.
Back home Nicole has children of 2 years and 3 ½ years. Her husband and his mother are looking after them while she is away. Nicole enjoys dancing, photography and used to write. I asked about her photography. Nicole said that she is interested in the detail. For example if she sees a writer then she might be inspired to photograph his hand and pen at work; or perhaps his desk. She likes to capture images that tell a story.
Nicole should have been back in Germany at the weekend but her flight to Amsterdam was delayed. This meant that she would have missed her connection to Frankfurt. Normally they would fly her to Amsterdam and put her up there until the next flight to Frankfurt but there was no accommodation available. There was nothing available in Bristol either.
Nicole spent five or six hours in the airport. The lovely feeling of relaxation and peace that she had from her time in Glastonbury was replaced by the thought of being back in the real world. She had earlier been thinking that it would be good to spend more time in Glastonbury and her wish came true, ending up with three or four extra days. Her revised flight being today.
Since then she was able to spend some time with a renowned international author; who encouraged Nicole. This would not have happened if her original flight had been on time.
Nicole had planned to make her final visit to Glastonbury Tor yesterday evening but there was a rowdy group there with an angry spirit. She decided to leave her last visit to the Tor until this morning.
In my efforts to lose a little weight, I have been walking up the Tor twice on each visit, where time allows. It was on my second time to the top that I met Nicole today. Had I not gone the second time then we would not have met.
After we finished the portraits, we walked down the Tor together. Nicole smiled at the set of circumstances that had allowed us to meet today. She also told me that she had lived in China, Taiwan and Slovakia. China is so up and coming, although it took her a while to find older China. She said “if you think that Time Square is impressive, you should see Shanghai!”
Thank you Nicole for being part of my project. It was great to meet you. Best wishes for your journey home and your life back there.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
Nicole emailed me to thank me. She asked me to add:
Now she is going home. But she will soon be back to bring other people to this spiritual place. And she is looking forward to share her pictures of Avalon to the community :)
When I told Francesca about my 100 strangers project she agreed to be in it straight away. Like my strangers 116, Francesca is from Sardinia. She has been in the UK for 6 years and lives and works in the capital. Francesca likes photography too but had her camera stolen and can't afford a new one. Fortunately her SD card was in her laptop so she didn't lose her photos. She also enjoys painting and yoga.
Francesca was on the Tor with three friends. I offered to take a group photo and she called the others and I took photos of all of them together. Francesca gave me her email address so that I could send her the pictures.
Thank you Francesca for agreeing to be part of my project it was good to meet you.
I originally posted this on the 24th of August but could see that the shadows of the original needed lightening. So I reposted on 25th.
This picture is 25 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
Hello to you all :)
this is my fourteenth stranger, her name is Adinda.
she was the MC of the photography competitiion held at Prambanan, Jogjakarta. She was very attractive preson. she used black glasses when guiding the show.
when rest time came, i decided to ask her to be my stranger and explained about 100strangers. she agreed to be taken her photograph, but before that she asked me :
"do i have to wear my glasses?", and i answered
"it is much better if you don't use your glasses" hehe
i took several shoot and i think this is the best one of her
This picture is #14 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 picture is #14 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at http://www.100strangers.com/
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
I saw Avgustin to go out of a hairdresser's. I thought his hat and look are amazing. I asked him if he would like to participate in the project. He agreed.
Avgustin is an actor so it was easy to make couple of nice pictures.
Fortunately we had this old fence which fit perfect in the scene.
This is my #14 in my 100 Stranger Project.
You can find other photographers' work on this project at:
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
Stranger #14 - Bartek - I stopped him on a street in the centre of Wroclaw, Poland. I asked for a photo and he quickly agreed - just like that, without additional questions, which really surprised me. He asked me if I had photographed his friend before because he saw her photo on Facebook. Well, I had done it and we're talking about my Stranger #13 here. It's awesome, especially in the city with more than 600,000 people :) Anyway, I took a couple of shots and then we chatted a bit. He was extremely friendly and deeply interested in the project. I answered a lot of questions concerning 100 strangers and my personal motivations surrounding it. That was cool ;)
This picture is #14 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
I chose Andy to be a stranger model for two reasons. The first reason was simply that he was a male. It had been a good day of stranger photography for me, but up until that point every person I had encountered was of the fairer sex. I consciously strive to achieve diversity amongst my stranger models, and maintaining somewhat of a balance between men and women is part of that effort. I felt that I needed at least one sire to counter the stream of young maidens I had already captured that day. But more important than his gender was the second reason that I chose to photograph him. I can never resist a set of eyes as soulful as Andy's.
Check out the rest of the stranger street portraits in my project at Paco's 100 Strangers Project and find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
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/.
Tess had travelled from Derby to attend Nottingham’s Samhain Pagan Market and had brought her puppy, Asmodeus, with her. Seeing how Tess was carrying her dog all wrapped up against the cold made me think the combination of Tess and Asmodeus would make for a great portrait image.
We’d met beside one of the market stalls and its black walls offered the ideal backdrop for the picture. The soft light coming from above and slightly behind my subjects ensured Asmodeus wouldn’t blend into the background. No matter what I tried I couldn’t get Asmodeus to look at me but I thought this image worked well due to the loving look Tess is giving Asmodeus.
Tess is a teacher of First Aid and she does this at many different places, saying it’s a great skill to have.
In her spare time Tess likes to bake glutton free foods. Tess also enjoys knitting. Another of Tess’s hobbies is reading historical fiction.
The one-word Tess used to describe herself was chaotic.
Tess’s guilty pleasure is watching 1990’s British sitcoms.
If I could grant Tess a wish it would be for magic to be real.
Thank-you Tess, and Asmodeus, for saying yes to me photographing you both for my stranger project. I hope you like your portrait.
This picture is number 500 in my 100 Strangers project, yes, I’ve decided to do a fifth round. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
This is my 462nd submission to the Human Family Group. To view more street portraits and stories visit www.flickr.com/groups/thehumanfamily/
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
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 - 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
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!
This picture is #50 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
On a very wet Saturday I wondered around Bury Market in Suffolk. It was pretty horrible out but then I saw a guy sat on a nearby bench and was attracted by his unique looking tattoos. He said his name was Ma Tu Ra. What followed was a very positive talk with a guy who seems to give off positive energy. He told me that he was a spiritual life coach . Just in our talk about depression and the high rate of suicide in young men you could tell that time with Ma Tu Ra would help many to see their worthiness. He talked briefly about breathing exercises and much else. I didn't understand half of what he said but I could clearly recognise his positiveness and the his energy.
He was a pleasure to talk to and was happy to have his photo taken .
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.
The name of this lovely stranger is Alexandra. I met her together with Micha, my stranger #19. Alexandra was supporting Micha, who played guitar on the steps of a fountain in the city of Frankfurt. Alexandra is 18 y/o and lives near by Frankfurt. Both (Micha and Alexandra) had decided spontaneously, to make some music in the city. Alexandra has learned to play piano for 9 years, but now she also plays guitar. Alexandra has completed her high school diploma. But before her studies will begin, she would like to travel through Australia (keyword: Work & Travel). Later, she could imagine to study art or design. But Alexandra would not determine exactly yet. On a lonely island Alexandra would carry a hammock, her sister and her guitar.
Our short interview was held during Micha was playing, so I stopped talking, because I did not want disturb his music performance.
Thank you, Alexandra for this pleasant talk. I wish you lot of fun in Australia, many nice impressions and a save travel. All the best for your future.
This picture is #20 of my 100 Strangers project –round 2-. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
My first 100 strangers you can find here:
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Postscript:
This is my last post in this group. I just read the new rules, which I understand and respect natural. Even though I'm not yet arrived with my photographic skills (for example, I will buy and work with a reflector) and I do not feel as a veteran, I will first of all not upload more photos in this group. Of course, I will continue to stay in the group, follow other photographers and will comment their photos.
For myself I will address and photograph strangers further on. These photos will be featured in my stream and I'd appreciate your feedback.
All newcomers I wish many successful encounters. It's an exciting journey. In every encounter I have made new beautiful experiences that I would not miss.
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Der Name dieser bezaubernden Fremden ist Alexandra. Ich traf sie zusammen mit Micha, meinem Fremder # 19. Alexandra war die Unterstützung von Micha, der Gitarre auf der Treppe von einem Brunnen in Frankfurt spielte. Alexandra ist 18 Jahre / alt und lebt in der Nähe von Frankfurt. Beide (Micha und Alexandra) hatten sich spontan entschlossen, etwas Musik in der Stadt zu machen.
Alexandra hat 9 Jahren Klavier spielen gelernt, aber jetzt spielt sie auch Gitarre.
Alexandra hat ihr Abitur abgeschlossen. Vor dem Studium möchte sie aber noch Reisen und die Australien kennen lernen (Stichwort: work & travel). Später könnte sie sich vorstellen, Kunst oder Design zu studieren. Aber genau festlegen möchte sich Alexandra noch nicht. Später könnte sie sich vorstellen, Kunst oder Design zu studieren. Aber Alexandra möchte sich jetzt noch nicht genau festlegen. Auf einer einsamen Insel würde Alexandra eine Hängematte, ihre Schwester und ihre Gitarre mitnehmen.
Unser kurzes Interview wurde gehalten, während Micha spielte, so dass ich still war, denn ich wollte nicht Michas Musik stören.
Danke Alexandra für dieses angenehme Gespräch. Ich wünsche dir viel Spaß in Australien, viele schöne Eindrücke und eine sichere Reise
Dies ist Bild #20 meines „100 Strangers-Projektes“ –Runde 2-. Mehr zu dem Projekt und Fotos anderer Fotografen auf der Gruppenseite 100 Strangers Flickr Group page.
Meine ersten 100 Fremden findest du hier: