31 january, 2009

iqbal . 26 years old  /  portland . maine

this is the first day of my cross country trip. i am on my way to denver, colorado - the next location i've chosen to rest for a little while. i stopped in portland, maine, to visit my sister and her son and take a few photos of them.

after we ate some lunch and finished our shoot, i left them so that i could go meet a stranger. the "old port" of portland is wonderfully picturesque, so i was excited about what i would find.

i didn't make it far before i saw iqbal standing in a doorway of an indian restaurant. he was smoking a cigarette on a break and looked like he was practicing for the part of a james dean remake movie.

i went up to him and told him about the project and asked if i could photograph him. he was fine with the whole thing and stood there with a lot of patience. his look is intense, but i can see a smile just under the surface. i think he was amused.

if anyone ends up in the old port, take a lunch at "passage to india" on wharf street and say hi to iqbal for me.

30 january, 2009

pedro . 21 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

i was driving up my street in the dasher, getting ready to go grab some lunch, when i saw this guy walking down the street. i pulled into my parking spot and then jumped out of my car to go chase him down. i ran down the street and got his attention and then asked if i could photograph him. he agreed, then i asked if he would walk up the street a few steps to get into a great location for the portraits.

ladies and gentlemen, meet pedro affonso durarte hartung. what a great name! pedro is from brazil. he's been here a month, studying at harvard. he was very mild mannered and pleasant to be around and really patient with me as i stuck my camera in his face.

i think it is really appropriate that for my last day living at this apartment i took portraits just outside of it - a nice goodbye to somerville.

29 january, 2009

colleen . 42 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

out on my search for today's stranger, i ran into jeffrey from yesterday. we were heading in the same direction, so we chatted for a while. that was a great opportunity because i really want to get to know these "strangers" better.

i wasn't in the best location when i saw colleen, but i had to ask her to be part of the project because of those great colors. i think she was really close to saying no. everything about her was screaming no, but for some reason or another she agreed to it. she was reserved to begin with, but then i had to ask her to walk a few feet down this street to get out of the sun. i felt bad that we weren't in the right place because it was already a lot to ask of her.

she was wearing sunglasses with dark lenses, so i had no idea what her eyes looked like. when she took them off i was blown away to see those crystal clear blue eyes.

it was not difficult to photograph colleen. she is naturally photogenic and it is pretty hard to screw up colors like those. it was handed to me on a silver platter today.

when we were done, i asked colleen about her skepticism and skepticism in general. she didn't offer any inside information, but it was still nice to ask. in general, people end up trusting my word. i really appreciate that. then they look at the project (hopefully) and their trust should be confirmed. restoring hope in humanity - one stranger at a time!

28 january, 2009

jeffrey . 27 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

umm... it is raining. and hard! i woke up this morning to a snow storm, which i thought was kind of blah, but i like snow, so i was ok with it. but this... this is unacceptable. it is really coming down.

needless to say, my ambition for traipsing around town looking for strangers was low... at best. but, out i went. i didn't make it far when i saw jeffrey. i was coming around a corner and just caught a glimpse of his glasses and that rad jacket. he started trudging up a hill ahead of me. i really didn't feel like letting him go, so i called after him, but between the noise of the traffic crashing through puddles at the bottom of the hill and the snowblower's racket at the top of the hill, jeffrey did not hear me. so, i pretty much started running after him. i am a nut.

he was all for it, though. jeffrey should win some kind of an award. he was an all-star. he stood patiently in the rain while we were both getting soaked and he did it with such a pleasant look on his face. i had a lot of fun with the project today. had it not been pouring rain and had he not already had a coffee in his hand, i would have offered to buy him one. i bet he's got a lot of interesting things to say.

i found some new energy today - despite the rain - or maybe to spite the rain.

p.s. jeffrey shoots, too - take a look at http://www.jeffreylail.com/

27 january, 2009

leah . 29 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

the sun has been making repeat performances here in boston. unfortunately it is not having much of an effect on the temperature. something about the sun, though, really puts me in the right kind of mood.

i took a 2-mile stroll up to davis square where i had some prints waiting for me. after picking them up, i took to the streets to make some photographs of a stranger. i walked by this little alley barricaded by a chain-link fence door and thought the light would suit me just fine for today. then i took up post a few steps away near a crosswalk.

i almost asked a pretty cool looking guy if he'd be today's stranger, but hesitated a few seconds too long. then i waited. i feel weird when i wait in populated places. why do i have such a guilt complex? it wasn't long before leah came my way.

i really liked her hat, which is mostly why i went for the ask. she was in a hurry. it was obvious by her trying to rush away and then again when she said, "ok, as long as it only take 3 minutes." 3 minutes is how i tell everyone this takes and i guess it is pretty close to accurate. well, i promised her it would take no more, but maybe i should have just let leah go.

you see (again some confusion), i just don't know what i am going for. the project is about the interaction. but! it is also a photo project and i want to take beautiful pictures. i am really struggling with the balance.

leah was in a rush. she was nice to let me take her photo. but i did not get the cozy feeling that accompanies a great interaction with a stranger.

26 january, 2009

dayna . 22 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

it was the red hair. i found a corner near a wall i wanted to use as my background and was standing there for maybe a minute when dayna came my way. i don't have a lot of red heads in the project and they deserve a fair showing, too, right?

she was a bit taken aback by the whole project. i am not sure she got the point of it, but maybe most people don't. i suppose the point is evolving anyway and i guess i just need to be fine with that. dayna asked me if i wanted her to smile. a few people have asked me that. i want to tell them no, and that i actually don't like photographing smiling people, because people's camera smiles are very rarely genuine. but the questions squeezes me between a rock and a hard place: i don't want people to smile, i just want them to be how they want to be. but, by telling them how i don't want them to be, i am telling them how i want them to be - and this whole process is not about how i want them to be, but about how they are.

so, dayna was smiley today. i took 25 pictures and except for those in which she was blinking, she looked like this in every one of them.

25 january, 2009

betty . 62 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

had it been necessary i would have walked to inman square again today, but before i got very far on my walk, i saw betty. she was standing outside of the post office with her 12 year old dog, gracie.

betty and gracie looked very sweet together, all bundled up for the cold walk. i figured that passing them up would have made for a terrible feeling afterwards, but i also didn't think betty would agree to be part of my project. she had a few questions, making sure she wasn't getting into one of those 10 easy payments of $29 deals and then she agreed to it.

we made our way into the shade, taking it a bit slow to accommodate gracie. betty asked if she could keep gracie with her, to which i obviously said yes.

last night when leaving the harvard basketball game, betty fell on the ice and cut her nose up pretty bad. she was a little bit sad that she was going to be portrayed looking like that, so i told her i would clean it up in photoshop. it was my biggest post production reconstructive surgery job so far in this particular project, but i think betty's nose shaped up nicely.

24 january, 2009

sharo . 38 years old  /  cambridge . massachusetts

this is sharo. she is from the dominican republic, but has been here for about 4 years. she has the sweetest accent i have ever heard. she spoke quietly and seemed to be very kind.

she doesn't like the cold very much and it was a bit on the cold side today. and windy. but sharo did great to put up with my camera antics. i think she thought it was amusing... or i hope so anyway.

23 january, 2009

margot . 41 years old  /  cambridge . massachusetts

because it was so beautiful outside, i decided to take it nice and easy today. i walked the round about way to the same area i shot in yesterday and figured i would either meet someone on the way or find someone when i got there.

it was not long after i arrived to inman square that i saw margot. she was walking towards me with a box in her hands and a little chiuaua was dragging it's leash on the ground behind her.

it turned out that margot owned the store on the corner - a second hand/resale place called "frida bee" - and the chiuaua was hers and went by the name "chico".

chico came from a rescue agency who helped dogs find homes after their residences were destroyed in the katrina disaster. i was going to photograph chico, but he was a little camera shy. i attributed his shyness to the trauma, but margot assured me that he was just full of southern manners.

i photographed margot in her store. the light was so great in there. maybe i should have stuck around to shoot the rest of the store. she was kind and asked a bit about the project. i had a feeling that she had a lot more to share, but she was opening the shop, so i did not feel like intruding any more than i already had.

22 january, 2009

riva . 72 years old  /  cambridge . massachusetts

i embarked on a long hunt today. i thought maybe i would be out and back within the hour, but i was definitely wrong. i made my mind up that i would shoot a woman today and i would shoot her on a good background.

i walked my usual route and found neither women nor appealing backgrounds. as the day was winding down and the sun was sneaking lower and lower by the minute, i started feeling a little panicky.

i ended up walking over to the next square. i used to bike there frequently, but have not done much walking that way. it was not as far as i thought, but it was further than usual. when i got there, i was still having a hard time finding people.

i ended up waiting on a street corner by a bank. the parking lot behind me was quiet and i knew the wall would make for a nice, textured, even-toned backdrop. not long after i decided to camp out there, riva parked her car in front of the bank.

i approached her with my usual speech. she was cold in the frigid weather, but interested, and decided to be a good samaritan. she was very kind and very pleasant to speak with.

as i was photographing her, she asked me how i got involved with this project. i told her the story and she replied with one of her own. she once wrote a best selling book back in 1970 on the subject of the 4 day work week. i would guess it is an interesting read - one i might just have to take up. riva poor - check her out.

i feel much better after today's shot than i do about yesterday's.

21 january, 2009

mark . 22 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

well... this is mark. he was sitting outside in the cold, waiting for his roommate to come by with a cup of coffee.

he had a few questions about it, but eventually agreed to be today's stranger. mark was really nice, but the location we were in had lousy light.

i wish i had thought of that before hand. i'm getting tired of this mistake i keep making. i guess i need to find the location first and then wait for a stranger to walk by... i guess.

i'll do better tomorrow.

20 january, 2009

will . 24 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

i tried to watch the inauguration online today, but the sites were all clogged up with other people attempting to do the same. not having a television, my other option was to find a café, but i decided to skip it and get some work done.

the weather is pretty good in boston today. the sun is working its magic on the snow and the snow is, in turn, working a bit of magic on its own by transforming into slushy puddles. i was pretty happy to be outside, getting some fresh air, stretching my legs, letting some oxygen find its way to my brain.

will was standing outside, smoking a cigarette. he looked like a pretty happy guy and i liked his red hair, so i gave it a shot. he was into it. he was out with his friend, selling framed posters of our new president. he tried to sell me one, but i declined on account of my living out of a bag.

will was a real comedian. he made a bunch of funny faces and smoked his cigarette james dean style - put on a real show for the camera. i liked this shot the best, though, because that smile is genuine and makes me want to give one right back.

here's to you, will.

19 january, 2009

kathryn . 26 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

yesterday i was standing outside in a tee shirt in denver. today, after flying into the remains of a blizzard, i was out in mittens, hat, coat, and snow boots. somerville welcomed me back with open arms...

i saw kathryn cleaning the snow off her car and before i could properly think the situation through, i had asked her to be a part of my project. you see, snow is difficult to photograph in combination with skin tones without the aid of flash. anyway, i gave it a shot, but this won't be the photograph that makes me famous.

kathryn was very sweet. when i told her about the project she lit up, which, if i had to be honest, made me feel pretty good. i moved her around a bit and then we made some photographs. she said she would look at the other photographs, too. i hope she does because hers does not do her justice.

18 january, 2009

kate . 25 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went to lucile's creole café with three friends. being that it serves the best breakfast in the entire world (trust me), there was a super long line to get in (worth every second). instead of just standing idly in line, i decided to meet a stranger.

i stepped outside to survey the crowd, but found that most people were in pairs or pairs of pairs. kate, though, was sitting in the sun, by herself. she had big sunglasses on, so i really had no idea what she looked like, but i liked her hair and her reddish jacket.

i approached her with my spiel. she had a few questions - more curious than skeptical - and then she agreed to participate. we stepped underneath the front balcony of lucile's to get some nice light and to use the window as a background. i asked kate to take her glasses off and then i repositioned her a bit and we began.

kate gave me this look, or maybe it is a lack of look, the entire time. i thought she would break down eventually, but this was how it started and how it ended.

i usually don't do much coaching because i want people's natural expressions, so, true to form, i did no coaching. i am not sure if kate is distant, upset, or terribly focused. i felt like she was not really present with me. i did not feel the connection with her through the camera that i usually do.

and... basically... i don't know how i should feel about it.

17 january, 2009

crystal . 24 years old  /  denver . colorado

i had taken pictures of an aspiring actor earlier today, so i was feeling like i had used up my photographic creativity. nevertheless, the project shall continue and meet a stranger i must.

my friend and i pulled into a parking spot in downtown denver. we needed a quarter, so i asked the first couple walking by if they had one. they did, so we bought 15 minutes of time and then i started looking for today's new friend.

i saw crystal's blue jacket from across the street, so i rushed over there to accost her. she was with two friends and was most likely a little embarrassed by the whole thing, but she agreed to it.

the building near us had trees in the windows, so i decided to use that for the background as i don't have many "trees in the background" shots. crystal was very giggly, but i think she still connected with the camera. i think we've got the real crystal here.

16 january, 2009

tyler . 30 years old  /  denver . colorado

i was walking down broadway, enjoying the denver sun, trying to figure out what to do about finances and my new apartment (!) and concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other when i saw tyler. he was walking towards his car to grab a jacket and check his meter.

i fully intended to photograph a woman today, but tyler was a little too cool for me to pass up and we were in a pretty great location. direct sunlight was all around - which i normally shy away from - but i thought i'd go for something a bit different today.

tyler was really easy to chat with. it turns out that he is an art director here in denver. it would be great if he had some words of wisdom for me during this project. i'll keep my fingers crossed.

15 january, 2009

bill . 62 years old  /  denver . colorado

i was out looking for apartments today when bill walked by me. i let him pass, but then thought i shouldn't have. i called after him and he stopped and let me get out my strangers speech.

he was hurried at the beginning and agreed to it only because it would be fast, but then he started talking to me about his rental properties and his son and the less expensive parts of town and he settled down a bit. his expression relaxed and i could tell that he was fascinated by the project.

he was great. i got a lot of energy from bill and enjoyed walking around in the denver sunshine even more after i photographed him. i like it out here in denver.

14 january, 2009

jeremy . 32 years old  /  denver . colorado

well, here i am back in denver. and i still like it.

i took a short walk today. i think i only made it two blocks away from my friend's apartment when i saw jeremy and his co-worker sitting on the porch of a house they were renovating. they were taking a lunch break in the warm sun.

i asked the guys if they'd be interested in the project and they both said they were, but i chose jeremy because his colors worked better with the environment.

and that's all i have for today.

13 january, 2009

nikki . 34 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

something terrible happened today. i lost my only consistent source of income. shortly after i got up today, i discovered that everything in my life turned upside down and even the very few stable things are unfortunately built on sand.

with that said, this project is my love and i did not neglect it. at the beginning of my walking route, i saw nikki pushing her daughter, róisín, in a baby carriage. i walked by them, planning to move on, but something stopped me.

nikki, as a young irish woman, came here 10 years ago. she still has her accent, which is just marvelous. she had just dropped something in a mailbox when i approached her.

she graciously agreed to be a part of this project. she was so calm and had an obvious love for her daughter. her spirit brought my anxiety to a bearable level. i get something from this project every day - sometimes it is something monumental.

i took a couple shots of nikki with róisín, but they did not turn out so well, so i chose not to include them today.

12 january, 2009

laura . 43 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

the sun was shining to spite the cold today. i guess the cold still has quite an affect, but the sun gets some serious style points.

i was in no particular rush to find someone today. i made some phone calls outside and walked at a leisurely pace that would imply warmer temperatures.

as i started on my course, i saw a guy around my age. he looked interesting, so i asked him to be part of this project, but he declined on account of being late. i pressed on.

laura stepped onto the sidewalk just in front of me and something about her struck me. i told her about my project and she gladly accepted. we talked for quite a while longer than usual, which made me feel really good about my choice today.

laura is a film maker. she recently graduated from film school and is interested in social documentary. she had a lot of questions about the project and it was so refreshing being able to share some details about the daily grind with another visual artist.

meeting laura was a great addition to this day. the energy i got from today will keep me going for a few more, i think.

11 january, 2009

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rick . 53 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

last night we had another snow storm here in boston. i actually enjoy snow storms. i like just about everything about them. the sidewalks here in somerville were a complete mess again, but i enjoyed my walk today.

i stopped by the garage where my car is currently being looked over. i wanted to make sure that it was still there. i had to look around the back of the building to peer inside the windows and to my delight, the dash was still there - safe and sound.

as i made my way around to the front of the building i saw rick. he was was quite a few paces ahead of me, but something about his look made me want to call after him. so, i did. i got the impression that he was a bit surprised by the whole thing, but couldn't come up with a good reason to say no, so he went along with it.

it did not take long and neither of us said much, but rick was patient with me. he stood where i asked him and looked me in the "eye" the entire time. i appreciated his confidence and i like his gaze - it is intense, but somehow there is a calm in it.

i wanted to know what happened with his right eye, but figured i would just wonder about it instead. a good friend of mine in denmark had the unfortunate experience of having a fish hook caught in his eye. it looks something like this, but i suppose there are an infinite number of possibilities.

10 january, 2009

lee . 64 years old  /  boston . massachusetts

walking around downtown boston on extremely cold days gets tiresome quickly. my two visiting danish friends and i decided to duck inside l'aroma café for a bathroom break, a beverage, and a breather. before i went in, though, i decided to find today's stranger and make some photographs.

lee was standing on the sidewalk, waiting for her husband. he was dealing with the nuances of the new parking meters. he was a rather tall, strong looking, cowboy type of man, so i decided to be extra polite. his wife, lee, said yes to my photographing her, but i was a little apprehensive about beginning right away for fear of her husband's disapproval. it did not take long for him to approach us, so i explained to him what was going on. he approved. we continued.

the camera was a bit intimidating to lee, but she admitted that after a few frames it was not so bad. you can see that young amused sparkle in her eyes... or maybe it is just me that can see it. anyway, it makes me smile, too.

i couldn't believe it when she said she was 64. i think she looks much younger. maybe it is the long hair.

09 january, 2009

jean . 54 years old  /  boston . massachusetts

part of playing the role of tour guide is that you get to do things you wouldn't normally do. this photograph is a product of one of those things. this is one of my favorites, so i am pretty glad that i was out participating in the tourist events.

i took my two visiting danish friends to the christian science church. it is definitely something to see when you come to boston. the building is a mammoth structure on the largest portion of privately owned land within the city. in the warmer months there is a reflecting pool behind the church, which enhances the already exciting visual experience.

we ended up on a tour of the inside of the church, which, of course, was also a commercial for being a christian scientist. as far as commercials go, though, it was not too bad. i thought the outside was spectacular, but the inside puts it to shame. anyway, this is not about the church. it is about jean.

jean and her daughter joined the tour very late. they came in the back and were quiet as church mice. eventually, jean asked a question, which caused me to notice her. to my surprise she was one of the kindest looking people i have ever seen.

as the tour ended and we were making our way outside, i approached jean and told her about the project. to my wonderful surprise she happily agreed to be today's new friend. then, to top it off, we happened to be standing in some very very beautiful natural light.

long story short, the whole experience was really quite wonderful.

08 january, 2009

stanley . 55 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

the weather was a whole lot better today. as was my mood. i got up early to send my roommate off to boracay and then took to the streets for some morning stranger seeking.

i set out on my usual course, but was dedicated to finding someone really interesting. instead of walking around one particular block, i changed it up and walked down the opposite side of the street i had just walked up.

stanley crossed the street in front of me and then walked parallel to the sidewalk for a hundred feet or so. after a line of cars, he made his move to step onto the sidewalk just in front of me. that is when i pounced.

a big part of me thought stanley would say no. something about his look and his style - an air of contentment, needing not much more than a few items from the market each day - told me he would decline. i was wrong. i think mr. stanley richardson actually got a kick out of this project.

stanley made day 123 as easy as one, two, three. i really needed it to be simple today. i'd like to say thanks to whoever was responsible for that.

07 january, 2009

kim . 22 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

i am now one-third of the way through this project. today was such a fiasco that i can't even celebrate. the weather in boston is the absolute worst. some snow graced us with its presence late last night, then some freezing rain. soon after, slush made an appearance and then, for most of the day, cold rain has been dumping down.

i spent an hour at a café to get some work done and then set out to find today's stranger. i was completely soaked - to the bone - about two minutes after i stepped outside. i don't love the rain usually, but i really don't love the rain when i need to make portraits.

i spotted kim's red umbrella coming my way and decided this just had to be it. i felt pretty terrible asking anyone to stand out in this weather, but she was completely decked out with rubber boots a jacket and her umbrella - so i did not feel too guilty asking her.

kim was up for it. she had this lovely smile on her face the whole time. rain was dumping down on me and more importantly, my camera. my lens was not functioning as it should because it was covered in rain drops so i took to manually focusing, but the drops were throwing my sight off, so.... long story short... today's photo is really above par (for those that may not know, the golfing term "above par" represents a score that is not good). kim was very nice, though. and patient.

i am starting to become more and more frustrated with my performance. i want every shot to be better than the last. i want every experience to be better than the last. i have very clear definitions of what a good portrait is and it seems that i rarely meet my own mark.

i hope frustration is a good thing.

06 january, 2009

eliza . 29 years old  /  somerville . massachusetts

i took my bicycle out today. i am not sure that was such a great decision. i've been back in the house for about an hour and my lungs are still hurting from the cold. at any rate, i did it because i needed to get to the bank and i was not too interested in the super long walk.

as i breezed through a crosswalk, i saw eliza standing there waiting for me to pass so she could cross. a hundred feet up the street, i dismounted and was in the process of locking my bike when eliza came by me. she was listening to some music. i thought she might take the headphones out of her ears, but she decided to just leave them in. she must listen to music at a much lower volume than i do.

i told her about my project and she agreed to be a part of it right away. she was slightly embarrassed of her appearance because she is feeling under the weather and not looking her best. she said this was probably the worst day i could have asked her. well, if that is the case, then her worst puts my worst in a whole new category.

she was hoping she would be her lucky number 122, but she came up one day short. one away from your lucky number is pretty good, right?

i used to not like shooting pictures in davis square, but i definitely prefer it to shooting in airports.

05 january, 2009

michael . 20 years old  /  dallas - fort worth . texas

i have been dreading this day for quite a while. i knew i was going to have a difficult time shooting because of the day's schedule. i had to be at the airport too early in the morning and would not arrive at my destination until too late in the evening. this meant that i had to shoot in the airport, which is not generally smiled upon by airport security.

as soon as i arrived in dallas from tulsa, i started scanning the crowds. i made it to my terminal and gate and then looked over the people sitting in my area. i deliberately chose an easy demographic today. i did not have a lot of time for "no".

because michael was sitting at the gate my flight was leaving from, i asked him if he, too, was going to boston. he wasn't. that made me wonder if he did not want to sit with his own plane mates for a second longer than he had to. or maybe he had originally sat at his own gate, but had to leave because of crying babies or a security breach. i wondered on and decided not to ask.

michael agreed to be a part of the project, but this is the face he gave me the whole time. i felt like he was completely unimpressed. he did, though, give me what i asked for - "look into my lens" and nothing more. i should not expect more, though.

this is inside (obviously) with light coming in through some large tinted windows. i had to shoot at a slow shutter speed and turn my ISO up a bit, but given the alternative of not getting the shot, i consider this a decent compromise.

04 january, 2009

jahan . 32 years old  /  tulsa . oklahoma

i went to a café called "the coffee house on cherry street" to meet a friend of mine who lives down in oklahoma city. as i was standing outside, talking on the phone, jahan came out to smoke a cigarette.

after hanging up the phone, i asked jahan to be a part of this project. he agreed right away, so we stepped around the corner and i fired off a few shots.

i asked him about his name - jahan mostofi - considering it was so unusual. he said his father was iranian and the name comes from the persian era. very cool.

i didn't learn much more about jahan at the time, but i later learned that my friend's dad knows jahan's father. so... there you go.

03 january, 2009

teri . 18 years old  /  owasso . oklahoma

i was on my way to visit my friend's grandma. we knew we would be there for a little while, so we made a stop at starbucks (again) to get some fuel and hopefully meet a new friend.

as we pulled into the parking lot, i saw teri and her friend jessica walking towards their car. it was an unusually warm day, so they were dressed up like summer, which was a refreshing site. there is something about the summer that stirs my soul and to have a bit of that in january was a real treat.

we parked the car and i darted out. teri was backing out of her parking place, about to hit the road. she kindly let me get out my introductions and then re-parked her car to be today's stranger.

her friend in the passenger seat, jessica, said it was teri's birthday. she turned 18 today. so teri marks the first birthday stranger. both of the girls were very nice and teri was patient with me while i fumbled around with my task.

02 january, 2009

yoshiko . 31 years old  /  owasso . oklahoma

i went into a starbucks to grab some coffee before shooting the big wedding today. i saw yoshiko sitting with a young gentleman as i walked in. it was obvious they were not from the area and she was very striking, so i really wanted to ask her to be today's stranger, but felt too uncomfortable to interrupt.

so, my friend and i ordered our drinks and then left. we sat outside for a minute as i was contemplating going back in. then finally i just went for it.

i excused myself and asked if i could photograph her. both her and her boyfriend were very ok with the whole thing. yoshiko laughed out loud when i told her i was photographing a stranger every day for a year, but it was a kindhearted laugh.

we stepped outside and i took a few frames of her. she was very calm, very friendly. her boyfriend talked with my buddy the whole time, which made for a very relaxing shoot. i'd like to meet more strangers like yoshiko.

01 january, 2009

jonathan . 12 years old  /  owasso . oklahoma

my buddy and i had a great day exploring the oklahoma scene. we saw many a frozen custard stand and drove by loads of beat up route 66 hotels and eventually even made a photo shoot at an old abandoned gas station. the streets were deserted for the most part, which was causing me a fair amount of stress, given that i need to see people before i can photograph them.

as the day was coming to a close, we pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall - one of those monster complexes with gigantic stores that sell every necessity. this was going to be today's location and i was not looking forward to the search. based on how things have been going down here until now, i figured it would be quite a hunt. but, my friend spotted a kid skating behind the wal-mart and we immediately made our way back there.

jonathan is my youngest stranger. i've been shying away from the minors because i don't want any parental caused headaches, but so far, so good. jonathan was a champ. at the very least, he's got a pretty fantastic haircut.

this was a pretty nice way to ring in the new year!