the poet :: april 15, 2009

i have this fear of being caught. i fear someone seeing me taking a photo and wondering what i am doing. i fear someone seeing me taking their photo and not being very happy about it. living in new york city, i see so many people that i want to capture and keep in photos, permanent memories of those who wonder through my life. usually, if i capture them, it’s sneaky, and often, it’s from behind their backs (and not the ideal photo).

a while back, i linked to the 100 strangers project through a blog post. it sounded interesting, scary, challenging. i knew it had to be something i attempted, especially with all these cool people around me everywhere i go… all these interesting people that make life in new york so much more interesting than it is in places i have lived in the past.

i’ve thought and thought about this challenge. i’ve encouraged myself, attempting to give myself the confidence i need to ask a stranger if i can take their photo. i’ve even told friends about this project and the fears i have in starting the challenge and heard words of encouragement from them. then one day, i saw a guy in a park. i could have taken his picture from across the way, secretly captured it without him noticing. i got ready to. then i stopped, i walked up to him. and i simply asked him if he’d let me take his photo. and he simply said yes.

i was so excited about getting his photo, my heart pounding as i captured him with his typewriter. i asked him about his free poems, found out that he types the poem you tell to him. i forgot to ask his name, which is a part of the challenge. so i call him the poet.

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slack line walker the first :: april 25, 2009

i saw him setting up in the park, a busy weekend in spring. it was probably the first really nice day of the year, and the park was packed. i asked for a photo, but i did not get his name. he was supposed to walk the slack line, but ended up taking it down and going off in search of another place to practice (the distance was too far for the trees or something).

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slack line walker the second :: may 10, 2009

i spotted him in the trees on a sunny park afternoon when we were playing with our nephew. he explained my misconception of this being a tight rope. it’s actually a slack line and many climbers will set it up between trees to balance and walk. not only did he agree to let me snap some photos of him as he walked, but this climber/slack line walker even let us do a little walking ourselves. i was really good, but also had two people holding my hands as i balanced and walked! ;)

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rocky and his person :: may 17, 2009

meet rocky and his person. i found them sitting on the sidewalk in my neighborhood, just hanging out. we passed by once, and on our way back by, i stopped, admired, asked for a photo of him and his bird. rocky is 11 years old. i don’t know his person’s age. i don’t know his person’s name either. asking for names is a little scary for me… i know it’s a part of the project, but i’m easing into it. getting my feet wet, going with the flow… but as you noticed with the stranger photo i posted yesterday, i did finally ask for a name!

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the host :: july 11, 2009

i met him the night of my birthday get-together at the mediterranean place in my neighborhood. i asked for a photo, he was more than happy to participate (probably because i had given him a piece of my yummy cake <–you should click over and check out this cake!). i did ask for his name, but i cannot remember it (we’ll blame it on the wine). i’ll get it next time i eat at the mediterranean restaurant.

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nicholas and his person :: july 17, 2009

excuse me, did you know you have a cat on your head? this one might be a stretch for a stranger photo… the first shot was taken without permission. i mean, who doesn’t immediately pull out their cameras for a photo of a man with a cat perched in his head? the second, i technically paid for… well i guess paid for the first photo and then i asked for the second photo. but he is a stranger, and i did ask for the photo.  so meet nicholas, who was taught at a very young age to sit on his person’s head.

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i have captured seven strangers. the project goes to 100. if i make it there, i probably won’t stop. by then, i won’t be so scared to ask for a photograph. by then i hope i can just ask random people instead of going for the people who stand out, who almost seem to set themselves up for a photo.

my goals, as i continue the project, are:

1. photograph women… how is it that they are all of men? my theory is that i understand how many women don’t like photos of themselves, but guys, on the other hand, don’t usually care as much. it’s easier and less scary for me not to have to worry about. but of course, i must put this aside and find some confident women to add to my collection.
2. ask for the name. ask about their lives or what they are doing. find out more than what meets the eye, more than i can capture in a simple photo.
3. get at least one stranger photo a week.

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