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This picture is #20 in my second 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
See my first set here: Bomvu's 100 Strangers"
I spotted Kayley while walking along chatting to Peter and once again was forced to break off mid sentence.
Kayley seemed a little bemused but happily agreed to a picture. I really liked the way she'd used bright vibrant colours in her outfit and it was lucky that the background seemed to match.
We didn't really chat for long, I handed her my card and told her a bit about the project and was off.
Thanks Kayley, I hope you look at this and I hope you like your picture.
Same party where I met my previous Stranger, just an hour after. Lello is a person who “tried to change the world – at least a part”. Into politics since very young, he was in Milan as a founder of the very first Italian social center experience, in the Seventies. He comes from Sardinia, and really carries the pride of that fantastic island in his eyes and in his voice. But the first thing you notice, is that he’s barefoot. “Now I’m barefoot from May to September. When younger, I was barefoot all year long”.
As a barefoot runner, I’ve always been envy of those able to stay barefoot 24/7, and Lello confirmed that it’s a real gas… if you start as a kid (Right! In my shiatsu studio I tried to help a couple of ‘late barefooters’ after their stress fractures, but that’s another story).
“Like many in the very left wing, in the Seventies, I faced the chance of using weapons (he meant joining the terrorists that in those years covered with blood Italy in many occasions), but preferred to keep on building something”.
Like many who did the same choice, he’s now a teacher, passing his passion (he’s an art restorer, a wood master) to younger people.
“I’m never the accomodating one. But I rarely have problems with people. When I was a university professor, a person who later I discovered to be one of my boss’ bosses saw me barefoot when I was giving a lecture. When I was finished, he asked me: you weren’t wearing any shoes, were you? I said: do you think the quality of my lessons will improve if I’d wear any? He offered me a coffee”.
This picture is #105 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
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:
Sam is one of the "Beautiful Magicians' Club", they were performing a show at Covent Garden.
He told me he is going to Egypt next week and was happy to know I'm Egyptian.
I wish him a happy trip!
This photo is for the 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
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
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
Posed street portrait for my 100 strangers project, taken in Paris, France
This picture is #10 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 Diego in a terrace café while i was ordering a cup of coffee. He is Colombian and recently came to France 8 mouths ago. He was speaking French very well, i was astonished. He works in a spanish restaurant where he meets others hispanic people who helped him to learn French very fast. He asked me if i was a professional photographer and we laught about it. Then we talked about the living conditions in Paris and other stuff while i was finishing my coffee.
Thank you Diego for your kindness ! Cheers
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 haven't posted in this group for a while. This is a photo I took in the end of this Summer at a tatoo convention. Ivanela was in one of the kiosks as a promoter and I thought we could do some portraits outdoors in her free time. She said she didn't have any experience in modeling whatsoever so I had to hepl her with the posing. I got some nice images in the end.
This picture is #37 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
“Our potential is infinite...”
Louise looked so peaceful as she meditated at the top of Glastonbury Tor. Her dog whisper was nearby. My habit of asking stranger's permission before photographing them prevented me from firing off a shot or two. I decided to wait. Perhaps I would be able to ask when she had finished.
I noticed that Louise was rubbing her hands together and started to approach her but this movement was just leading to her next bit of meditation, so I left her once more. I sat down at the side of St Michael's tower and waited patiently. A little later Louise looked up and I went over to her. She smiled and I asked if I might take her photo. She agreed and I explained my project.
Louise has a passion for poetry and after we chatted for a while, she offered to recite one of her poems. Although Louise was sitting, it was as though she danced as she presented her poem, her arms and body moving and face lighting up as she delivered the verse. Visit Soundcloud and listen to the poem “Can You See the Magic? Can You Feel the MagiCK?”. I was so glad that I said “Yes, please”. Sitting on the Tor, with Louise, I was transported to another world, in her delightful performance.
Louise also paints and draws. It makes me wonder how she would turn her poems into art on paper or canvas. She enjoys photography too and used to have a Canon G9 but doesn't have a camera at the moment. Louise would like to get another camera so that she can capture images of the places that inspire her.
As I thanked Louise for allowing me to include her in my project, I mentioned that I had seen her earlier with her dog whisper and thought that they would make a good photo. I told her of my reluctance to take candid photos, she said that it wouldn't have been a problem for her. After I got up Louise got back to meditating. Before leaving the Tor I took a few shots of Louise and Whisper.
Thank you Louise for agreeing to be in my project. It was great to meet you today. Best wishes for your art.
This picture is 75 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
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
Michael is a Veterinary Surgeon. He enjoys ballroom dancing and SCUBA diving. I mentioned that I had a taster session of diving in the Red Sea. I noted that the keen divers always finished their holidays looking paler.
Today he was with his daughter, Hannah, on Glastonbury Tor. Michael told me that he had just been saying to Hannah, that he was surprised there had not been a medieval fortress here. “You can see so far in all directions” or something like that.
Thank you Michael for being part of my project. It was great to meet you and Hannah.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
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
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
i met these adorable girls while i was strolling around Boone today. i've been wanting to get the project going again but have been too chicken to ask anyone and then i psych myself out.........so anyway...today i asked them to be my strangers and they were so happy. they said several times that "this (was) the best thing to happen all day".....
silly girls. and they SAID they are all going to get flickr accounts too. yay! :)
oh, and if you have no idea what i'm talking about (since i've been working on this for YEARS), then go check out www.100strangers.com.
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. :-)
If you like my work, please take a look at my Facebook page and my website.
I met Kate on the Subway ride home what stood out about her was her dreamy blue eyes and a really sweet personality. She is from Des Moines Iowa and has been living in here in New York for 2mounts. She is a writer and was sweet enough to let me photograph her for the 100 stranger project. She loves living here in the Big Apple and had nothing but nice things to say about the people and just life in general in NY. Thank you so much Kate for letting me take your picture!!!
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers from around the world, in the Flickr group 100 Strangers.
The young woman held some keys in her hand. I saw the indicator lights flash on a mobile home. I was disappointed to see her go into the van; thinking that I had missed my opportunity to meet and photograph her. Thankfully she stepped out again. She now held a drum and stick in her hand. I approached in my usual manner and asked if I might take her photograph. I told her that I liked her hair and that I would like to include her in my on-going project. She agreed and we exchanged names. Meet Corinne…
I suggested that we walk toward wherever Corinne was headed. When she asked where I would like to take the photo, I suggested that we sit under a tree in the nearby churchyard. We sat down and I asked Corinne if she was a local, immediately realising my mistake as I remembered that she had been in a rented mobile home. Corinne told me that she is from Australia and is visiting for a while – a period of time not yet determined. I’m guessing that Corinne will go with the flow.
Back in Australia, Corinne is a property developer. The two properties that she rents out provide an income that allow for this travel. She has a friend that will look after any issues while she is away. Corinne also practices Reiki healing. She told me that past hurts can be identified by the process, old pains are replaced with “seeds of beauty”.
Today Corinne had gone to her van to pick up her drum. She had just finished making it and wanted to purchase a bag for it. It was a really fine, hand held drum; it looked really well constructed. Corinne had not used it yet. She reminded me that drums are an ancient instrument, that their music has a connection with the heartbeat and that drumming may be used to promote healing.
Thank you Corinne for being part of my project. It was great to meet you today. Best wishes for your remaining time in the UK and as you return to Australia.
You can view more portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family
I went to buy dessert in a bakery. I noticed the saleslady was new. The previous one didn't look friendly so I didn't even try to talk to her. But this lady had a cheerful disposition so I asked her if I could take her picture, and she said “Oh my God,” with a smile. I showed her my other stranger photos and she agreed.
Say hello to Iver. She's just been working here for a week. But she made a good impression on me. I hope she will stay long and I'm sure the customers will be pleased with having a cheerful frontliner for a change. She said she is still familiarizing herself with the goods for sale and apologized if she wasn't able to recommend any items. She said she is working on the second shift and the other sales lady (the not-so-friendly-one) is on the first shift. I will most likely go shopping on the second shift ;)
This picture is #94 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
Ashwini, favourite all time record
Leaving On A Jet Plane
John Denver
Grafton Way Fitzrovia London.
I was in a car driving when I saw Ashwini. It was after 6.30 so it was quite easy to park but I still had quite a lot of tracking down to do to actually find her but some people just have to be asked. Finally I saw 3 figures go into the Indian YMCA and it was then that I caught her up. Ashwini was talking to a friend when I asked her about the project and the next thing I knew we were in the street talking about her favourite song and talking photographs.
Her favourite song at that moment was Leaving On A Jet Plane because within a few weeks she was.........going back home to Bangalore after a year in London doing a masters degree in sustainable architecture. Arriving just after the riots in England last year and the first time being away from home it was evident Ashwini had a real gracious strength and obvious passion for her future career.
It was all done in a hurry as her mum and sister were arriving from India that evening so we exchanged numbers and arranged to meet again, it's always great to meet up with a stranger and do a longer session, it takes on a whole new dimension.
It was a couple of weeks after this that Ashwini left London to go home, and on the night she left she text me and part of the text said...' I'am missing London....I have only good memories........And was happy to be part of 100 strangers.....couldn't have been a better way to say bye to this city.....going back no more a stranger' which is a great compliment to this city and ultimately to this project.
To all those people on the discussion thread saying what should I do how does it work etc just do it, it's a lot better than thinking about doing it.
www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
www.flickr.com/photos/stretch1000/8212577380/in/photostream/
© All rights reserved please do not use on any other websites or blogs without my explicit permission.
Leica iiig Elmar 50mm f2.8
Ilford FP4 plus b&w iso125
Epson Perfection V550
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Last year, my father gave me his 1957 Leica camera as a present and, after some research, I took it along with my D750 for my stranger sessions. I did not use it very much so far, but I'd like to collect more strangers pictures on film as an alternate take to my hobby.
This is Evelina, I took only a few shots of her with the Leica and it took me a while before deciding to upload and share it... results are so different from digital!
This picture is #28 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
A last minute change of plans on the domestic front meant that I was able to go into London and meet up with my good friend Pete, AKA The Urban Scot. It was great to catch up, it's been far too long.
To our surprise, it was London Fashion Week and Soho was humming. Everywhere you looked there were people stopping stylishly dressed beautiful people and then scores of other photographers would crowd in and shoot too. It took all the fun out of it. I like to photograph people who are surprised and flattered to be asked, not people who touch up their makeup before rounding the corner knowing they'll be getting lots of attention.
So after watching the scrum with more than a little bemusement we headed off away from the action.
We were walking along Warwick Street when I spotted Stefano looking incredibly dapper having a break. I was looking around for a suitable background when he walked off so I followed, figuring he was probably headed back to work.
I finally spotted a good location and caught up to make my pitch. He was happy to oblige so we set up the shot.
I was coaching him through the pose that I wanted and hadn't quite got it there when another complete stranger walked up and started helping him. Turns out she's a model and stylist and very experienced in these things. She got him set up right and I put her to work holding the reflector for her efforts. This was a first for me but I'm really happy with what she helped us to achieve.
Stefano works at Massimo Dutti which explains the dapper look and suit that he was wearing. He had to get back to work so we didn't chat but I really appreciate him taking the time out from his break to help out here.
Grazie mille Stefano!!
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.
There was a family reunion in an old house (pre-war era) converted into restaurant. So I was naturally interested in getting to know the place. The best person to look for was the store manager.
Say hello to May. She has been manager her for less than a year. She used to work in the same line in Singapore for over 3 years but decided to come back here. She enjoys her job. It was a classy restaurant with limited clientele since it is located in the premises of the government palace. Most of her clients are government officials. Expectations are high and she thrives through the pressure.
This was a quick shot with an external flash. I think I forgot to dial down my asa and didn't get the desired sharpness. Live and learn...
Thanks May. I really want to come back with some friends but the place is pricey and not so accessible.
This picture is #79 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 this gentleman in a flea market in Taylor, Texas, and knew I had to get a shot of his extra-long cowboy boots. He agreed to prop them up on a chair and pose for me. We had a language barrier, so I never really got his name. I'm going to call him the Zacatecas Cowboy, because an emblem on his hat named that Mexican city. His black shirt and hat mixed with white belt and boots to create a signature style. Thanks for posing, Zacatecas Cowboy!
He is my eighty-first stranger in the Flickr challenge to shoot photos of 100 strangers: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/.
You can see my full set of photos (so far) here: www.flickr.com/photos/joemoconnell/sets/72157627547511612...
Portraits of Strangers.
It was lovely to be back up in London wondering the streets for this project, can't beat some serious people watching and coffee drinking. Even away from the olympics the general vibe is so much more friendly and uplifting in London, it was sunny so that tends to help. Only got a few no's this time around.
There was a lot of lovely friendly poeple around Carnaby street and Dion being one of them. We had a lovely chat and i got one of my favourite pictures of the project so far.
This picture is #22 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
Faryal is a university student who is working as a promoter at one of the company stalls in Mall of Emirates during her vacations.
I am starting to think there are way many beautiful people in MOE! This would be the 6th stranger I have photographed there. As usual I had to convince myself to take this photo and double back to where Faryal was standing but thankfully it is becoming easier and easier to approach strangers now.
I took just 4 photos, in portrait and landscape views, as I had to rush off somewhere but absolutely loved this one where she was smiling with her teeth showing.
Thanks for your time Faryal!
Check out my Facebook page here
Another in the strangers that I met series. What I enjoy about this series is the chance meeting, the opportunity to interact and connect with someone if even for the briefest of moments as we swap some stories and share a common experience. I met this guy as he was having a well earned smoke outside the restaurant kitchen he works in. I asked could I talk his portrait and he nonchalantly agreed.
A beautiful young woman of 25 years of age. She could have fooled me, I thought she was 16 !
Milla was utterly lovely and so natural in front of my camera :-)
And what more; Milla has sewn her clothes all by herself !
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_fhci2k5Wo
"I have studied tailoring at Turku, after which I moved and studied sewing at Vantaa Varia.
I have lived in a small town, surrounded by forests and fields in Sauvo, there was nothing special there. Everybody knew everybody. I was probably the only person dressing differently.
Later on I went to a vocational school and that's when I started to wear whatever I felt like.
At first I had my man style going on, and then, when I learned how to make corsets, I was totally hooked by them.
At the time I was about 14-15 years old, and ever since then I have been wearing corsets every single day.
"The Lolita style came along back then, but there was no name for the white faced makeup style. Later came Goth.
Nowadays it is named Shironuri, but that style is older.
I have not thought of myself as Goth because I looked differently from them.
I like colours, even when I have a base colour mainly black, plain black is a little boring to me.
"Besides my cosplay and sewing I have always liked drawing and painting and I still do. I play lots of games, so yes, I am a nerd, basically.
I love Lovecraft's, Stephen Hawking's, Michio Kaku's and Dante Alighieri's stories a real lot.
"I have started collecting Whiskey bottles, too, so I have many kind of hobbies to spend my days.
"Well, I don't have any special message, just be yourself and don't get down because of what people say.
I have been bullied in school since kindergarten, but I have survived, that's why I am stronger inside, now more than ever.
"You don't need the whole world to be your Facebook friends, just one good friend is enough!"
Stranger #35 – Agata – I approached her in a very popular meeting place in the centre of Wroclaw, Poland. I guess she was waiting there for someone when I asked for a photo. Agata agreed immediately but told me she probably can’t pose. I don’t agree – she did well. I took a few shots and then explained the project. Another very nice encounter :)
This picture is #35 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 was wandering around the Noge area of Yokohama today, mid afternoon. The area is really better to visit at night, but my photo taking schedule for today only allowed a few hours in the day. This guy was practicing his golf swing on the street. The response to my rehearsed Japanese inquiry was a "whatever" shrug, so I snapped a few pics and said arigato. He spoke absolutely no English.
This picture is #12 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 www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
The is Graeme, stranger number 009 in my 100 strangers project.
If the time shows up on the data for this image yes it really is about 07:15 on a Sunday morning. I have been looking for a specific look and age group for both my 100 strangers project along with a city & guilds project. So up at 5am and off to a night club in the hope that I could find someone that looks the part and is not off their heads on any recreational substance.
I was outside the venue for about an hour and a few people had passed by but didn't really look like they lived day to day in their particular street style/genre.
The last few people had left the club and were milling about at the bottom of the street saying their goodbyes and I was feeling gutted that such a well known venue had not turned up anyone for my projects. Then I spotted Graeme in a group of people walking towards me. Style, attitude and the right age group that I was looking for. I'm not in the Goth or club scene, so the big questions were, would he be amenable to having his portrait taken and was he going to be sober.
Yes & Yes!
Actually Graeme was very approachable, his wife and friends took the Mickey out of him a little and suggested he might become famous.
Well, you never know!
My approach to Graeme was very up front. Hello I'm Jim, I'm doing a photo project and think you'd be great for what I am doing. We then chatted briefly about the 100 strangers and my C&G.
Graeme pulled a few poses for me and I took a couple of portraits; head & shoulders, half and full length shots.
I will be emailing him three of the images.
I have removed some litter from the street using photoshop (something I need to learn a little more about).
As far as composition for this image I guess I could have moved myself or my subject to place him more into the highlighted area behind him or tried to frame him without the parked car in the shot. However thats just an observation and I am not particularly concerned about that with this specific image. I kind of think the car and people add to this being a street portrait. I would like to hear your thoughts.
Graeme, if you read this I hope you liked the images I sent you and thank you again for taking part in my project.
Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group page
We met at the Dead Horse State Park Overlook, however we spent a good amount of time distracting each other from the view. We never stopped talking and laughing swapping travel tales. Darlene and Ron are from Cambria, a cute little Californian town that we had visited the last time we were in the States. It was a great little town and evidently they have great people too.
This is stranger #026 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 brought my son to the University of Texas campus (home to 50,000 or so students) for Explore Texas, a day of events inviting the community to see the campus up close. Veronica was part of a crew in large blue cowboy hats. She is from New York City and her company was putting on a scavenger hunt. Their opponents wore big green cowboy hats.
She is my 212th stranger in the Flickr challenge to shoot photos of 100 strangers: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/. I'm moving--as expected--very, very slowly and selectively through my third 100.
You can see my full set of Stranger photos (so far) here: www.flickr.com/photos/joemoconnell/sets/72157627547511612...
This picture is #97 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100Strangers.com
I met Sabrina near the CN Tower in Toronto. She and her boyfriend Mitchell (Stranger #91) were on a date. They had just visited the aquarium and I was delighted when they both accepted to take part in my strangers project.
Sabrina is 17 years old and was born in Toronto. She is a high school student in Ajax, located in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area. Her plans after graduation is to attend University and study Psychology.
In her spare time she loves to dance. She has been taking ballet classes for the past 10 years starting when she was 7 years old.
This picture is #90 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 may seem a bit anti-climatic to most of you. (in fact, i'm pretty sure no one even follows my flickr anymore. i know i don't even follow my own). but, when i started this project back in 2007, i knew it would be a challenge, and that i would eventually finish it. i've seen hundreds of people start and quit, and start and finish this project YEARS before i did. really. 100 strangers made me nervous, shy, apprehensive...all of it. i looked forward to completing it and meeting each person, but each and every time i shot a stranger, the nerves came back. i'd say i really enjoyed about 99% of the people, (i hope you can all guess the ONE that was not a good one!!) which says a lot about people. so, if anyone is out there anymore, THIS is my 100th stranger!! yes, i shot this way back in july--you know--i'm a slacker. just getting around to uploading now.
i learned about myself too. of course, the nerves, etc. were a huge factor here. but something else occurred. i learned that photographers are not only people with big fancy cameras and lenses and know about f-stops and apertures. well, maybe they are. and if so, maybe i'm not a photographer. because i don't care about any of that, and i was able to successfully capture images of 100 strangers, and furthermore, to get their short story across...most of the time anyway. and i usually did it with a point and shoot. i think that art, photography, whatever--is totally subjective, and that there are a million ways to get an image across. film, digital, iPhone, whatever. one doesn't make you better. it just makes you YOU. you know?
so doing this project somehow made it ok to be like that. i often told complete strangers that i was doing a "photography project" and had to show confidence in my craft---even when using a beat up lil camera. that was HARD! i had to convince them of my project, and therefore muster up confidence in myself. overall-i think i did ok w/ it. a wise friend once said: "its not the wand, it's the wizard", and perhaps that's true.
i also started LOOKING at people differently as a result of this project. where are they going? what is their story? why are they so happy/sad?..... i've always been intrigued by people, and this really opened my awareness. i learned how to approach them and not be intimidating. i felt it was important not to always choose the "expected"...very bizarre looking person....but sometimes, the everyday person was "my perfect stranger". i became aware of the idea of exploitation, and didn't shoot pics of the interesting homeless characters just because they "looked cool."
will i ever do this project again? hell no. but i have another one up my sleeve. if i ever get back on flickr regularly, that is.
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stranger #100: Angel. I do not know a lot about this amazing person. What I do know, I adore. Angel was part of the crew for the Monserrat, which was our boat in the Galapagos Islands. He welcomed us when we got off the bus in this "panga"/dingy boat and took us to the main boat. His smile greeted us every day we were there, and he happily shuttled us from island to island. He watched over us as we snorkeled...scanning the water for sharks (although that was never said). There were a few somewhat scary incidents in which the engine on our "panga" died (flooded?) and we were left to float...out there...alone...in the waves....600 miles in the middle of the ocean...yah. Angel remained calm and tried over and over again to pull start the engine--never showing any fear. I know that he is Ecuadorian, and that he speaks very little english, and that he is an incredible asset to this team. Thank you for letting me shoot you for my 100th stranger, Angel. You truly are. :)
here's my full set of 100: www.flickr.com/photos/artsyt/sets/72157603410944930/with/...
go check out other strangers at www.100strangers.com
Stranger Things 446, a tribute to the cinematic, scary Netflix series and it's haunting, 80's soundtrack.
When a young boy disappears, his mother, a police chief, and his friends, must confront terrifying forces in order to get him back.
Girl imagery by Gisela Giardino at www.flickr.com/photos/gi/531735070/in/faves-31189469@N05/
Warehouse wall shot by ME
To see Netflix trailer, season 2: youtu.be/R1ZXOOLMJ8s
My latest art project EntertainMe, where I create another year’s worth of digital collages, based on indie rock and visual media
My LEGO Stranger Things cars so far.
I was asked to build Steve’s Beamer for LEGO 11370 Creel House, but the LEGO Icons team went with a different design.
Since I don’t really care for the real car, I built it in a few days maybe, and after my version was rejected, I didn’t spend any more time on it.
Usually I will build a whole fleet of these 6 wide cars (I have at least 10 Blazers in craziest colors), trying out different solves, colors, whatever. Here I built only one extra in blue, and that only because I wanted to see how the trunk will look like using the new 1x3 2/3rd slope, and the dark red paint I have doesn’t match the bricks at all, and looks terrible.
My grey paint matches perfectly though, and I spraypainted some white 11mm rims from the collectible F1 cars, turned them spokes out and although I’m not a great fan of that wheel, I think they would look okay on the BMW.
The WSQK van that I built for myself looks quite a bit like the one that made it into the box. Actually they only differ in small details, I prefer my mirrors, and I could use the ancient chromed exhaust.
I also keep tinkering with the Blazer when new elements appear that make it possible to fix some issues. The new wheel painted black (it’s out in light grey right now, and will come in dark grey in the LEGO City Garbage Truck), makes it possible to add hubcaps, although I don’t know if I should rather have used saucers instead. They are too big, but look better than the 1x1 plates.