31 march, 2009

chris . 25 years old  /  denver . colorado

it felt good to be outside today. it was a little chilly, but i was happy to be in the sun instead of staring at my computer screen. i decided to just wander for a while.

i ended up walking down lincoln street. i rarely walk down lincoln and i am not sure why i walked down it today. i think today it was because i was banking on finding less wind there than on broadway. or maybe the forces of nature guided my footsteps towards chris. i don't know.

i was looking for a man to photograph today. i've shot women for seven consecutive days, so i needed a break. i walked right by chris. he came out of some store and began unlocking his bike. his clothes and his backpack and his bike all caught my eye, but it took a second for it all to register.

i turned around and told him about what i was doing. it didn't take any convincing for him to join in. i did ask if he was in a hurry - i think i will start doing that more often - and he said he wasn't. i immediately felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

we ducked around a corner into some shade and began shooting. i fumbled around for a few frames, trying to find the right angles, but eventually got there. chris was a real sport about the whole thing.

when i finished shooting, we chatted for a few minutes. chris used to be an artist - sculpture, photography, and other mediums - but now he is a biology student. biology was never my strong suit. i always liked animals, but when it came to the actual science of it all, i lost interest. chris said he wanted to be an ornithologist. i had to ask what that was - it's a scientist who studies birds. ah! i love birds. i bet that would be fun.

chris wanted to know if this is how i made my money. it certainly is not, but i wouldn't mind if it worked out that way at some point. i'm not sure i'd tired of it. i'm really having a good time with it - especially this project.

good luck with school, chris. and thanks for your time today!

30 march, 2009

karen . 56 years old  /  denver . colorado

the weather is being fickle. yesterday was sunny and warm. then last night and this morning another snow storm landed on us. and today it is grey and chilly, so i bundled up to set out on my quest.

i went down the same route that i took yesterday. i ended up near the museum, but it was all but deserted. i took a look around and thought i might have to go to a new location. but before too long i saw karen walking across the street in my direction.

i told her about my project and asked if i could photograph her. she was up for it. i asked for her name - karen - and her age - she told me 53. then i asked her to sign a model release and as she was writing she looked at me and said, "ok, i am 56." we both laughed. i thought she had tried to shave three years off, but in all actuality she just misspoke because her birth year is 1953. i should have told her she could easily pass for 53, but i didn't think of it then.

karen was very sweet. she was soft spoken and came across as being very kind. i complimented her on her hair and she graciously accepted it, telling me that she had cancer not too long ago and has not cut it since. i would have liked to have talked more about that, but i never know how much time people have and i advertise the project as only taking a few minutes of their time, so i try to honor that.

i set out today to find a man because i've shot only women over the past several days, but i couldn't resist asking karen when i saw her. i think it's noteworthy that her and amy from yesterday are both 56. and both misspoke their age. both were friendly, too, but some circumstance or another allowed karen to relax quite a bit more and give me the opportunity to take some good pictures.

thanks for your time, karen.

29 march, 2009

amy . 56 years old  /  denver . colorado

well, the circumstances were pretty good for this shot - most of them, anyway. the sun was out. it was warm. i was in the mood to shoot. i went down by the denver art museum and found myself in the midst of plenty of people. and there were a number of great places to use as a background. it was all pretty good.

i walked around for a bit and eventually saw amy's red hair and groovy glasses against her bright blue shirt and scarf. she was walking alone, too, so i went for it.

she was very nice. she thought the project was interesting. she agreed to be today's stranger and she even signed a model release. she was a bit hesitant to give some of her personal information out, but she did it anyway.

ok. so we have everything all lined up, right? well... yes, except for the fact that she almost bailed on it right then. she was in a hurry, she said. i explained that it only took a minute from here on out and she'd be off in a jiffy. she very impatiently allowed me to take what turned out to be nine frames - looking this way and that, blinking, very distracted... after my ninth shot she said, "ok, i have to go." i panicked and told her i needed two more shots and she said ok, but for the very last, the body shot, she was already walking away to meet up with someone who had just passed by us. i was grateful that she said yes, but sick to my stomach with worry that i didn't get the shot today.

anyway - the shots look ok, but that is extremely fortunate. i get so frustrated with this sometimes. people don't understand that i get one shot at this every day. if amy's shots didn't work out, i can't go get another stranger because this is all part of the experience. and then, as i write that, i understand that these days just make for good stories... they are character building... they keep me on my toes... and blah blah blah. i want all of that and good photography!

but still... so frustrating. a friend, boss, and photography mentor in denmark told me that if i stop getting frustrated i should quit being a photographer. the frustration will make me better. so that is what i am going on.

so, in closing, thank you, amy, for the time you did give me and for your willingness to be a part of the project.

28 march, 2009

noel . 23 years old  /  denver . colorado

i had an appointment today at noon with kate from two days ago. i asked her if she'd be willing to sign a model release for me. i didn't have them printed when i photographed her, so she agreed to meet me at city o' city. i left my apartment a bit early so that i could look for today's stranger.

i made my way around a few blocks and wasn't having much luck finding a good location or a stranger. i passed by several locations i have previously used, but i don't want to be repetitive unless i have to be.

with about 10 minutes left, i made my way up by the capitol building for one last block. as i was walking east, i saw this woman coming north. she was a good distance away with big white sunglasses on and a few bags on her shoulders. at first glance i thought she was asian, so that is what convinced me to ask her, i think. i'd like some more diversity to the project, but the truth of the matter is my world is predominantly white. i also assumed she was a bit older, not old by any means, but a few years older than me, perhaps.

well, i made my way over to her and gave her the routine. i realized pretty quickly that she wasn't asian, but that was ok - a stranger is a stranger. yes? anyway, i don't think she liked hearing "photographer" at first, but she agreed to the project on account of it only taking a few minutes. she was on her way to work downtown and was a little pressed for time.

i asked for her name and age. noel, but she pronounced it like knoll. i like that name with either pronunciation. and... 23... i can't get away from my generation! i asked her to sign a release, too, and that wasn't a big deal. i don't like the releases much - they add a commercial/staged feel to the project that i don't appreciate very much. a necessary evil, i suppose, but so far it seems that people understand that.

i asked noel to take off her glasses and made a double take at her make-up. i had no idea it was there. fun! the location we were in was pretty terrible - i should have been a bit more pushy and asked her to move, but time was of the essence. it all boils down to time.

i think she liked being photographed. she had a variety of poses for me - a bit marilyn monroe-esque - pouty lips and smoking expressions, wide eyes, and head tilts. she was funny. i snapped away and had a good time with it.

despite the cold temperature, she offered to take off her jacket to show off some tattoos, but then realized her shirt mostly covered them up. she didn't offer to remove the shirt, though, which is good because this is a family friendly project.

she put on the glasses and i took a few steps back to get some atmosphere and she posed away. it was fun today. i was a little worried about the clock and the background, but i think we made the best of it.

thank you, noel.

27 march, 2009

carolyn . 24 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went out to print some model releases this morning. i figured it is time to start making sure that i'll be able to use these photos for whatever medium i choose... or they are chosen for.

after taking a one day vacation, the sun is back in full force, melting the snow from yesterday in a hurry. all over town people are pushing piles of snow off their cars and the streets are steaming as if just dying to dry out again. giant puddles are forming at each intersection and all of the gutters are bursting at the seems, letting water drip all over the place. the sun is reflecting off all of the white snow and wet streets with a vengeance - leaving no chance whatsoever at not finding light.

i was enjoying my time outside, so i took a different route than usual. i made my way south on broadway until i came up to this red wall. i set up camp there for a couple of minutes, waiting for strangers to walk by. there was not a lot of foot traffic, though, so i took one of the first opportunities i had.

carolyn agreed to be a part of the project right away and she didn't seem to mind signing the release, either. i am a bit worried that people are going to refuse me even more now that i am asking them to sign something. we'll see, i guess.

carolyn had today off unexpectedly. her car was stuck across town in the snow, so she wasn't able to go into work today. she seemed like she was making the best of the situation, though.

and that was that.

26 march, 2009

kate . 30 years old  /  denver . colorado

whoa! dry sunny denver got some snow today! i love it. i love it. i love it! at one point this morning i looked out my window on a very dark grey day and shuttered at the thought of going out to search for a willing soul to stand in the cold and wind and snow for some personal project.

despite myself, i put on my winter coat and boots - which have been on a hiatus for the past month - and slid my fingers into my mitten-gloves, grabbed my gear, and headed out into the thick of it.

as i was making my way down 13th street, nearing my turn-off toward the capital building, i saw these pretty eyes peeking out from under a cinched hood. this woman's complexion was warm and her spirits soared even against the formidable backdrop of today.

i excused myself and told her about my project and kate looked at me with the slightest skepticism. i gave her the pitch and she decided to go for it. i asked for her name and apologetically, her age, and then her last name. i think that stretched her a bit, but she gave it to me anyway. i've started asking now because i think i may run into some legal issues with putting these pictures to print without undeniable consent. i wish i had started on day one, but this is a learning process.

kate was obviously feeling pretty good - she was exuding "fresh". she strikes me as the type that often is, but i think today in particular because she was let out of work early and already knew she didn't need to be there in the morning. she is a federal public defender, which sounds slightly more substantial than a photographer of strangers. on a scale of responsibility, one is much heavier than the other, no?

photographer and lawyer meet in alley. photographer shoots lawyer and comes out of it with flying colors. there's a headline you don't read every day.

kate said she was from minnesota. it could have been wisconsin - i need to listen better. she didn't have an accent from either, so maybe it was neither. hmmm... anyway, the point is that she liked the snow because she grew up with it. me too, so we made a good pair today.

i told kate i would take about 20 pictures and her eyes got real wide. 20? i said it only took a minute, so she approved. without realizing it, i actually took 40, but i don't think she noticed. i backed up a few steps to take the full length shot and she wanted to know what she should do. she raised her arms and played in it for a few frames, then she started kicking it. click, click, click, click. these moments are priceless.

after yesterday's troubles this felt like a holiday... merci beaucoup, kate!

25 march, 2009

rebecca . 26 years old  /  denver . colorado

i considered throwing in the towel today. the thought was fleeting, but still, it was there. you are about to experience a tantrum, so consider yourself warned.

i made my way down to 16th street again today. i really dislike shooting down there because the street is too busy and very long and there are only a few alleys i can use for backdrops. unfortunately these alleys tend to be near street musicians, or greenpeace workers, or people selling the "denver voice", so people are already tired of people pitching things to them.

as an aside, i'd like to take this opportunity to express my building frustration for greenpeace spokespersons. i pass by them every day and every day i have to explain why i don't want to sign up to pay them money every month. yes, i care about polar bears. yes, i love the earth. yes, i do look like someone who cares about the environment. no, i don't have money. maybe i should start photographing greenpeace workers.

ok. so, i went down to 16th street so that i could print a picture for marsha. i took marsha's picture on february 7th and promised her a photograph. she is the only person of the 199 (and counting) that did not use the internet, so i needed to print one and mail it to her. these kinds of things take me a long time, but i've been worrying about it for so long that it is turning into an ulcer. i needed to take care of it today.

i had about an hour while my photo was printing, so i continued my search for today's stranger. i was determined to shoot an older woman today. i was on the lookout, very alert, ready - scoping out locations and unsuspecting women. i just needed someone in an older age group - not necessarily old, just old-er than me.

i saw a woman in a fancy hat and big sunglasses. maybe she was 55 years old. i went up to her with all the confidence of a stag in mating season and she shot me down. not directly, though. she drilled me with questions. she wanted to see my identification. she wanted to look at my website on her blackberry. she wanted to know where i went to school. she wanted to know why i was in denver. she said no at one point, but i protested, so she stuck around. i told her i'd spent more time with her than most of the other people, so i needed to photograph her. she laughed and said she was so skeptical because she was from new york. she eventually agreed to be photographed, but refused to take off her sunglasses. my heart sank... i pleaded... i begged... she wasn't having it. so, i had to let her go. i need eyes.

i saw another woman, 40 maybe, short curly hair, a nice tan. i went up to her and gave her the spiel. she didn't stop walking, so i walked with her. she eventually said no, in an accent, british maybe, on account of her husband being part of a sports conference and her wishing to remain anonymous. what?

i saw a black woman with outrageous hair and a gold get-up. who has outrageous hair and a gold get-up except for someone who wants attention? well... this lady. i said, "excuse me, ma'am." she kept walking. i walked beside her and said, "excuse me, i am a photographer." nothing. she looked scared to death. middle of the day, sun shining all over the place, people everywhere, i'm clean-shaven as a baby's bottom and looking more presentable than ever and she's scared of me. insert curses here _________ !

frustration is setting in at this point. big time.

another older-than-i-am woman walks by. she looked very friendly. i told her about the project and she giggled a bit. i took that as a good sign so i kept on with the pitch. she put some money in the street musicians glass and told me no, she didn't think so. i asked if she would tell me why and this is what she said - i swear - "because i don't know you." ha. i am photographing s-t-r-a-n-g-e-r-s and her reason for saying no is because i am one. that is rich.

so, i leave my post. i've been there for so long that the sun has moved and ruined the spot i was waiting for anyway. it is the best place on the street, so now i am not only going on no confidence, but i'll have to use a mediocre background.

i make my way up the street and see a younger girl who i had seen earlier. she had a great jacket on and looked like she was probably sweet, so i waited until she hung up her phone and then gave her the blah blah blah. she looked at me like i had already photoshopped her clothes off and said "no". a very cold no. that brought the 'turned-down this many times' count to five. 5! the new record.

now i am feeling really lousy. as soon as "i'm too cool for your project" girl scampers off, i see rebecca. she comes to stand almost beside me to look at an advertisement. i look at her. she looked young. and i was embarrassed to ask her because someone else had just said no right in front of her, but i figure i have absolutely nothing to lose anymore, so i go for it.

i told her about the project and asked if her if she'd be a part of it. "yes." surprised, i told her how i had just been through the gauntlet and could hardly believe my ears that she said yes. she told me she was an art major so she understood that you need people for such things.

we traded names and i asked her how old she was. 26. you know, there is a lot to be said for my generation... i'll leave it at that.

we were not in great light or surrounded by great backgrounds, but we made do. she said she wasn't photogenic, but she looks it to me.

while we were talking, she kept looking at my hair, which made me self-conscious. i asked if something was wrong with it and she said no, but then she kept looking at it, so i didn't believe her.

anyway, i took a bunch of pictures and then we chatted some more. she is from charleston, south carolina, but is currently teaching english in washington d.c. she's here in denver for a TESOL (teaching english to speakers of other languages) conference. that gave us a bit to chat about as i had a short career of english teaching in south korea a few years ago.

she was great. just great! today took a lot out of me, but rebecca regenerated some of my life. thanks, rebecca.

24 march, 2009

jenny . 29 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went out earlier today and plentiful light was my reward. on top of shooting a stranger, i needed to make a trip to the post office. as it is loaded with people i don't know, i headed down my regular route in that direction.

beforehand, i decided i needed to shoot a woman today, preferably older, but a woman at the very least - i am just a little behind on the gender-equality numbers.

i made my way up the stairs by the civic center building and across the platform and was just about to start back down the stairs towards 16th street when i saw jenny. she was sitting in the sun, reading a book, and smoking a cigarette.

she looked at me and seemed friendly, so i went up to her and told her about the project. she said it sounded cool and was willing to be today's stranger. she was sitting in the direct sun, so i had to ask her to move, but she didn't seem to mind. the salmon colored wall behind her is a pillar, which blocked the sun splendidly.

jenny was killing some time until her next appointment. she said she was a massage therapist not too far from where we were. we didn't talk much more than that.

she did ask if i was doing this all over the world. and that gave me some good ideas. maybe next year, i should travel to 12 different countries and photograph strangers in each of them for a month. anybody want to fund this?

the latest news regarding the country count reports as many as 195 countries, but different sources and organizations report different numbers. the UN recognizes 192, while the US reports 194. let's say it is 195 - i could be the first photographer to make portraits of strangers in every country over the course of the next 16.25 years.

23 march, 2009

sam . 23 years old  / denver . colorado

on my way down the street, i saw sam. he came out of a small courtyard onto 13th street. i walked by him and then stopped, turned around, and gave him my pitch.

he was on his way to work as a cook at earl's - a restaurant downtown. i had never heard of earl's until today, when someone told me it was pretty swanky. he only had a few minutes, so it was pretty lucky that that is all i needed.

it was a little bit chilly today, but probably much more appropriate weather for the season. and it was cloudy. we actually got some rain last night - the first time we've had any since i moved here one month ago. i met sam at around 5.00, so there was not an abundance of light. then i asked him if we could step into his courtyard to take the pictures, but had the challenge of even less light in there. we made it work.

sam didn't say much. he was very passive. i don't think i saw him smile and i'm not sure he even thought this experience was interesting. maybe i am wrong, though. at any rate, he did exactly what i asked him to do.

the background for the two shots is different today. that's because i asked sam to sit on the steps for the second, but there was even less light in there! i should go out earlier to shoot. tomorrow. tomorrow i will go out earlier.

i asked if he liked working down at earl's and he said "it pays the bills". hmmm... i should try finding something that pays the bills.

well, thanks for joining me today, sam!

22 march, 2009

mike . 21 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went out this afternoon a bit after 4.00 to go look for a stranger and return a dvd. i had to bring the dvd up to a spot on colfax street. i haven't had great luck on colfax, so i was hoping it wouldn't be too big of a project today.

as i left my apartment, i was dialing a friend of mine on the phone. i crossed the street near a convenience store that this young guy walked out of as i was listening to the phone ring and ring. i was debating which route to take, and wondering if i should just go up and ask this guy - he had great glasses and super cool hair. but he looked to be one of my peers and i think i have quite a majority of 20-somethings in this project, so i was weighing it for a few seconds.

i didn't get through to my friend, so i closed my phone and decided to chase this guy down. i walked down the street behind him and got his attention. i told him about my project and asked if he'd be a part of it. he said, "sure, i guess". i took it to mean, "dude, you are a freak, but if this is what makes your world go around, then sure, you can take some pictures of me." i had no reason to think that - he wasn't rude by any stretch of the imagination.

we introduced ourselves and then i asked mike to step into the shade. the sun was just about to peek around the corner, so i had a very narrow strip of shade for him to stand in. there wasn't much wall, either, and the place i needed him to stand was covered in broken glass and rocks. he laughed a bit, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

i took a bunch of shots and then told him he was free to go. i figured he was going to want to dash away from the scene - i think he seemed distant because he was trying to figure out what this was all about - but, he didn't dash. he stuck around and asked me some questions. this i love.

he's here in denver for a few days, visiting, hanging with some friends. he came down from portland, oregon, where he's studying journalism (yeah!) and philosophy (yeah!). he's going to take some photojournalism courses next semester, so we chatted a bit about that.

we both agreed that denver has something special going on. he likes it here and said that even if he's lost, he doesn't feel lost. i know what he means. the people here are cool. and the weather is tough to beat.

21 march, 2009

megan . 24 years old  /  denver . colorado

yeah! i am feeling good about today's photo.

i was heading down the street with two objectives: find a stranger and find a hair salon with a willing stylist to fix yesterday's debacle.

i was walking across an intersection not far my apartment when i saw megan crossing the street a bit further up. i changed directions and headed towards her. it was an obvious maneuver, so she looked at me and was most likely wondering what in the world i could possibly want. i am less worried about people assuming i just want money, though, because now my big red beard is gone.

i told her about my project and she seemed interested in it. i asked if she would be today's stranger and she said yes, but excused herself for being shy in front of the camera. i told her not to worry and that we'd end up with something great.

once i was comfortable with where she was standing, i told her i was going to take about 20 shots. that surprised her a bit, but she was ok with it.

it turns out that she wasn't awkward at all. she was much less awkward than i am in front of the camera... i really dislike being photographed

we took some shots and parted ways. i don't know what she does or why or much of anything about her except that she has fun hair, cool pants and shoes, and a great u.s.p.s. cardigan.

20 march, 2009

jools . 39 years old  /  denver . colorado

it is official - i am in a funk.

i went out late this afternoon to find a stranger, but was feeling seriously unmotivated. i don't know why. i made my way through the streets, surveying the masses, but no one was standing out to me. it was quite a bit later than the time i usually go out and there were people everywhere. i guess that may have been part of the problem - too many people.

as i made my way down the 16th street mall, i was distracted by the aveda training school. i've been wanting a haircut for some time now, so i figured i would scope out the scene in there. they took walk-ins and the price was right, so i decided to get a trim.

well... that turned into a tremendous ordeal. it took an eternity and the girl who cut my hair might as well have just given me the scissors. she had questions for everything. in her defense, i did go to a training school, so i should have been prepared for this, but i just wasn't. i am pretty sure it took more than an hour and a half and i absolutely hate my haircut. i pretty much always hate my haircuts, but this one takes the cake.

ok.. so i am sitting in the chair, having a difficult time even enjoying the head massages and aroma therapy because i am watching the clock tick away much faster than my hair was being cut and worrying about getting outside in enough time to shoot.

i finally just gave up and told her it looked fine and did my best to scramble out of there. i was in the middle of a busy street lined with tall buildings and the sun was low, so it looked pretty dark.

i was looking around both for a setting and a person and was kicking myself for waiting so long. i spotted a wall i could use and then i saw jools leaning against a sign or something and decided to go for it.

he agreed to it right away and he was super friendly, but i was out of it. all the way out of it. i don't feel like i worked any magic today.

jools is over here from england on a ski/snowboard holiday. he went to aspen and vail and was feeling great about his vacation so far. he did ask me to make a note about how his face is sunburned, though - so consider that noted.

anyway, i am not sure what is going on with me right now, but i am going to make sure that tomorrow is a good day for the project.

19 march, 2009

emily . 27 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went out to find today's stranger in short sleeves and flip flops. it is gorgeous here! the sunshine brings out the very best in me. without fail.

i walked down 13th for a while then over to 17th on grant street. i tried to stay in the sun and kept a watchful eye out for today's stranger as i walked and walked. but i wasn't having much luck finding anyone. i eventually decided to turn around and retrace my steps.

i eventually roosted on a large planter sitting outside of a café. a few people walked by every few minutes, so i figured i would sit and wait for a while. i was tired of walking anyway, so i could use the rest and bask in the sun at the same time. perfect.

eventually an older woman came down the sidewalk towards me. i got up and said that i was a photographer. that was all she needed to hear. she said, "no. sorry." in a heavy accent, without even stopping. so i sat back down.

i surveyed the sidewalk on either side of me and spotted this girl on a unicycle. a unicycle! ok... i needed to get her for the project. so, i got up from my "seat" and waited for her to pass by. but i choked! i noticed she was concentrating and i wasn't sure she had a good place to stop near me, so i let her pass. to my dismay, i watched her pedal on. but then, to my wonderful surprise, she stopped at the intersection and balanced against a light pole. i took off running down the street to catch her before she crossed.

i gave her my pitch - quickly - and i think she wanted to say no, but i told her i don't see unicyclists every day and i just had to ask. she caved and dismounted so we could go take some shots.

she was a character. she had all kinds of faces... laughs... squinty eyes... very animated. she told me she used to shoot and knows how difficult it is to get people to be active in the photos. i didn't feel like telling her that i have a thing for people not doing anything and just staring at the camera - she was too good spirited. i let her do her thing and just fired away.

i backed up a few paces to take some shots of her and her ride and she played the part to the nines. she picked it up and held it here and there. it was great. at the end, she told me she's having such a love affair with her unicycle that she figured she could use a picture of herself with it, so that is why she agreed. that's a good enough reason for me.

18 march, 2009

jordan . 20 years old  /  denver . colorado

today was very easy. i saw jordan in his cool sunglasses as he was feeding his parking meter. i walked up to him and gave him my pitch and he immediately agreed to be today's stranger.

we crossed the street where he met up with a friend of his - i think he had an appointment or maybe even a date, but i can't be sure. i was out of sorts today. i didn't have my business card ready, so i had to stand on the street and write my information while they patiently waited for me to get my act together. i was embarrassed for not being prepared - i guess my mind was elsewhere.

we took some pictures. i said thank you. we shook hands. he and his friend went that way. i went this way. and voila!

17 march, 2009

johanna . 19 years old  /  denver . colorado

i wasn't feeling particularly motivated to shoot today. i've recently discovered something grand in the website department, so much of my attention has been diverted there. i spent most of the day trying to take care of that and finally made it out of the apartment to shoot in the mid-afternoon.

i figured i would try to shoot someone looking very "irish", being that it is saint patrick's day. i thought people would be a bit more appropriately costumed, but i suppose the good stuff comes out later. then again, i guess it gets less and less appropriate as the hours pass. i had convinced myself that i was see a real leprechaun today and i would use him as my stranger. i am really quite simple sometimes.

i walked down the 16th street mall for quite some time, taking in all the strangers and the sites that inevitably come along with people not knowing they are being watched. there was a fair amount of green, but people were not catching my eye. and then...

and then i saw johanna standing in the middle of 16th street. her hat caught my attention first and then her eyes. did you look at her eyes? they are striking! i was drawn to her... i don't have much more of an explanation than that.

i gave her my pitch and she was happy to oblige. she wanted to know how i came up with the idea and the answer to that is always that i am just not sure. she claimed to be very shy, but i told her the truly shy don't even let me stop them on the street, so she couldn't be that shy. that convinced her.

we went to one corner, but the light was no good, so i asked if she would walk to the next with me. she was nice enough to do so and there we found this little patch of red wall that i figured i could use. i think the pictured turned out just wonderfully.

it takes some guts to stand in front of a camera and let someone you don't know photograph you. perhaps i don't always give them enough credit, so i'll try to do a better job of that.

thanks, johanna! and happy saint patrick's day!

16 march, 2009

lucy . 50 years old  /  denver . colorado

i was making my way downtown to buy some stamps at the post office. you see, now that i have an apartment, i have bills. to my surprise, one can't pay all his bills online, so i had to get checks. checks require stamps. it's amazing to me that is still has to be done this way.

anyway, i passed by a construction worker - red hard hat, safety goggles, heavy, missing teeth. he was a real looker, and i don't have any photos like that, so i turned around and asked if he would be interested. he was on a smoke break and probably didn't want to take the flack from his co-workers, so he declined. oh well. i really needed to photograph a woman anyway.

so i made my ways towards the capitol building and saw lucy walking towards me. i spotted her jacket first, then her hair, the blue shirt, then finally her face. she looked striking. i excused myself and gave her my pitch. she said ok, but then retreated a bit. she was nervous, afraid of having her picture posted on the internet, and very skeptical of it being a scam.

i'm not sure what it is that people think i can do with these photos, but i keep having to reassure them that i have no malicious intent. i showed her my notebook full of names and had some pretty good answers as to why i was doing this project. despite my appearance, i am able to put sentences together quite well - i think that helps.

she agreed to it and even warmed up to the idea a bit. she wanted to know if i was from denver and how old i was. i asked where she was from because she had a lovely accent. it turns out that she's been here for nine years, but hailed from azerbaijan originally. she told me that her accent was russian, though - i didn't ask, but i'm guessing there's a great story there.

15 march, 2009

christopher . 26 years old  /  denver . colorado

letting most of the morning pass me by, i decided to get out and look for a stranger. the sun was out and it was warm and being st. patrick's day weekend, i figured there would be quite a few people out.

i barely made it around the corner from my apartment when i saw this guy is these great colors and a super cool hat walking up the street. i had just crossed the street to get into the sun, but quickly scooted back across so i could ask him if he'd be part of the project.

he agreed to it right away. he was a super model (not to be confused with supermodel). he had a great look about him and stood very patiently in front of the camera, barely changing his expression - very calm.

after i was finished shooting, i asked christopher what he did for work and what he was up to right then. it turns out that he is the executive chef at city o' city - one of the coolest restaurants in town - and he was on his way up to benny blanco's (good pizza) to see if he could snag some small pizza boxes from them as they just ran out down at city o'.

and that was that.

14 march, 2009

kevin . 31 years old  /  denver . colorado

considering that we had another gorgeous day in denver, i decided to go out for a leisurely stroll. i didn't have any particular people group in mind, so i was just looking for somebody interesting today.

i walked for a while with no one really catching my eye. a lot of folks were wearing st. patrick's day paraphernalia (had to look that one up), but i just wasn't drawn to them. had a leprechaun passed my by, then ok...

as i made my way through the sunshine, heading south on broadway, i came across an empty parking lot and noticed a guy sitting on a curb in the sun. he was a few paces away from his scooter, talking on his telephone. i figured he was just taking a call, enjoying the sun, so i made my way over to him. i approached him as he was on the phone, so waited patiently until he hung up and then gave him the strangers pitch.

it turns out that he just recently bought this scooter through craigslist and has been having a tough time with it. today it was broken down and it wasn't the first time. when not working, they are not the easiest machines to transport without a truck, so kevin was trying to come up with a plan.

he said he had plenty of time and gave me the go ahead, so i took some shots. after taking a few closer portraits, i asked if we could wheel his scooter into the shot. so the second shot is constructed. many of them are, but there are a few more elements to this one than usual.

when i was done shooting, we chatted for a while about the project, and jobs, and the weather. maybe i need to prey on more victims of vehicular break-down, because this turned out to be just great. kevin was a first rate guy - extremely friendly... easy to talk to. he seemed like he'd be a lot of fun to chill with.

i offered to help in any way i could, but there just wasn't much to do about it. he was hesitating calling his wife because he was on his way to play tennis with her and she had "known" that the scooter was going to break down. i think he was feeling a bit sheepish.

13 march, 2009

wes . 64 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went out for a long walk today. i didn't anticipate it taking so long to meet a stranger, but i enjoyed some alone time in the sun. i've got a lot on my mind, so it turned out to be therapeutic.

i wandered all over. i had a general direction in mind, but there just weren't a lot of people out. i guess most people have places to be and work to get done. but... it's friday. fridays are meant for fun.

i ended up eventually passing by a fenced-in school playground. i watched the kids playing football and soccer. a couple of them were arguing. i noticed a girl sitting by herself in the shade with an open notebook. some kids were playing basketball and one of the boys was really quite good. he was probably 12 and could most likely teach me a thing or two. then, as i neared the end of the fence, one kid said hey to me and stuck his fingers between the fence. so we made an attempt at a hi-five and he and two his friends and i chatted for a minute. i think they were 12. one of them said he was 15 and then laughed, so i guess he wasn't 15 - i don't know about these things. when i told them i came to denver because of the sunshine, they all said they missed where they were from - arizona, california, and mexico. i suppose there is a lot of sun in those places, too. it felt good to chat with them and they didn't seem to mind that i was 26.

shortly after leaving there i walked by a store front that i had not seen before. it looked like an ice cream shop. there was a girl standing inside, all smiles, motioning for me to come in. so... considering my weakness for ice cream, i did. she let me try a sample of "thin mint" and my goodness that was good. but... i'm on a healthy kick, so that and my current economic state convinced me to be content with the sample.

i headed down the street where i eventually saw an older woman with a red hat. i crossed the street to catch up to her and as we walked across an intersection, i gave her my pitch. no... she had to be back to work.

i crossed the street again to get in the sun, but immediately spotted an older gentleman with white hair on the other side. so, i crossed again and gave him my pitch. he didn't even break his stride. "i don't have any money" rudely streamed out of his mouth. so i matched his pace and told him this wasn't about money, that i was working on a photographic project. "i don't want my picture taken. someone else asked for my photograph in this same area!". he obviously didn't get the "friday is fun" memo.

so... i went back into the sun and spotted these guys on horseback... or i guess you'd have to call it mule-back. i was about to ask one of them, but he mounted his mule and looked as if they were going to take off down the street towards the capital building. i figured there must be some good stuff going on down there so decided to head that way, but then wes came strolling down the sidewalk with this young mule in tow.

i gave my pitch yet again, and this time it took. wes said he was about the strangest person around and said i could photograph him. he was messing with a bridle and told me i could go ahead and start shooting, but i had to explain that i needed his portrait and asked him to step into the shade. so, he and the mule went over beside this building and a fired off a few shots. it took wes about a second to tire of me and my camera so i was shooting as fast as i could and trying not to get stepped on by the mule. i took a few steps back and shot the two of them together (out of the shade - sorry for the poor light!) and then that was it. i shot for 56 seconds, which is quite a bit less time than i am used to. i was so hurried that i didn't even think to ask for the mule's name.

wes seemed like a pretty good guy, though. a real man's man. he's even wearing a bolo tie (i think that is what it's called) with his name on it - "wes". yes sir. good old wes.

12 march, 2009

rhonda . 40 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went through a few rejections today before i ended up with the jewel that is rhonda.

the tall, slim, middle-aged woman with fancy sunglasses, said "i don't think so, but i'm flattered you asked me." ok. next.

the older woman with the long white hair was on her way to a meeting.

the young asian girl acted like she didn't understand me, so i asked if she spoke english. she said she did, but she didn't understand what i wanted. so... i explained that i was photographing a stranger every day. she interrupted me to ask - and i quote, "do i look stranger?" then she touched her scarf as if there was something on it. i tried to explain "stranger" and then asked her if she was up for it. "i don't think so." alrighty then...

in between all of these rejections i ran some errands and visited a couple of friends at their jobs. i finally found another great alley along 16th street. a lot of people were out today, enjoying the sun, i suppose. i spotted rhonda immediately after the older woman with the white hair said no.

she was taking a cigarette break from her "admin" job and taking in a little sun. she agreed to be today's stranger and even pointed out another one to me after i was finished shooting.

rhonda seemed confident in front of the camera - maybe a bit reserved or slightly self-conscious, but she had a great gaze. she was a little worried about her hair being "all over her head", but i told her that everyone's hair was all over their head. she didn't get it, though. oh well. i am a photographer, not a comedian.

after i was finished with the picture taking, we chatted for a bit. she wanted to know why i was out here. people often ask where my phone number is from (617), which opens up some doors for pleasant conversation. then she asked if i'd ever been up to estes park. fortunately, i just went there last week, so was able to encourage her to go.

i like the photos from today. i needed that. i've been feeling pretty dissatisfied lately, so this will put me back on track.

11 march, 2009

lauren . 23 years old  /  denver . colorado

my job has been causing me some stress lately and today it was particularly frustrating. as a remedy, i decided to go for a long walk with my camera and diligently seek out today's stranger.

i walked down 13th and up broadway, then down 16th street mall for a long time, eventually crossing back to 15th street for a bit, then decided to head to 17th, but was distracted by the sunshine and hoards of people on 16th street mall, so gave it one more shot there.

i found an alley that had some decent light in it and decided to camp out on the corner, facing the sun, to watch people. i would guess that i let hundreds walked by. i was hoping to shoot a woman today, preferably older, but they just weren't out. everywhere i looked i saw men. where are the middle-aged woman? maybe this should be a documentary about that...

anyway, a few doorways up from where i was standing, a guy was rocking out on his guitar and singing. he sounded great. i heard a few people pleasantly commenting on his music as they passed me by. it was a good place to stand - with the sunshine, music, and people, but i wasn't feeling it.

after quite some time, i eventually tired of standing there. when i started getting antsy i spotted lauren walking down the street by herself. nearly everyone else was in groups of people or with partners or talking on phones, so the fact that she was alone caught my eye - that and her pink hat. lauren looked like she had some time to kill, too, so i went for it. as she got close to where i was standing, i excused myself. lauren looked at me for maybe a second and then kept walking, but she hesitated, so i started walking down the street with her, blurting out my spiel. "i'm a photographer. i'm working on a project. i'm photographing a stranger every day for one year." her pace slowed. "i've been doing it every day since september. there's no money involved." she finally stopped, i guess she decided i was worth listening to.

she wanted to know what it was for and why i was doing it. she seemed genuinely interested, so i gave her the whole thing. she agreed to let me photograph her, so i asked if we could go back up the block where i had been standing. we made some jokes about her making me chase her down the street and she said something to the affect of "sometimes you can shake 'em if you keep walking". "em"... i fall into that category now. great.

anyway, lauren was very nice. i took a few photos in the alley, fighting a bit with the light reflecting in her glasses. i wish i had shot more because we could have ended up with something better, but she's got a good sparkle in her eye so this will have to do.

10 march, 2009

leanne . 23 years old  /  denver . colorado

i was talking on skype with a dear friend of mine in denmark today. we had a good chat and i was feeling inspired to shoot something really great today, but i came up short. big time.

i wanted to shoot a woman today... that was my only criterion for the day. well, i wanted it to be awesome, too, but i want that every day.

i found a parking garage i wanted to shoot in, so i camped out in front for a while. one girl declined on account of being late for yoga and then there just weren't many more people around, so i decided to move on.

i had just crossed a driveway or an intersection when i saw leanne. she said hello to me and i guess that is why i stopped her. in my experiences to date, people saying hello is usually a sign of them being open and friendly. leanne may be friendly, but "open" is not one of the words i would use for her based on our experience.

for a second, i thought about just letting her go. she had a lot of reservations. she was only expecting one picture, so when i told her i would take about 20, she gasped. she didn't want me to have her last name. she wanted to know what it was for. she didn't want to look into the lens. it was tough.

needless to say, we didn't talk about much. as soon as i took my camera down and said thank you, she picked up her bags and bolted - not even a handshake. she may have tossed a "good luck with your project" may way, but i can't recall.

maybe i need to start dedicating more time to this... set out in the morning and walk by person after person until i meet the right one. or... maybe leanne was the right one and i need to take the lessons i am given. i just don't know.

09 march, 2009

michael . 54 years old  /  denver . colorado

i took full advantage of this day before going out to look for strangers. i left my apartment after 5.00 this evening and still had plenty of light. this is very good news.

i walked by a couple of people before i saw michael. i didn't have any particular age, race, or gender in mind today... just wanted to have a good experience with someone.

michael and i walked past each other on the sidewalk - he was heading up 13th street and i down. as we passed each other, i gave him a nod and he responded with a hello. i couldn't see his eyes because he was wearing dark sunglasses, but something about his hello made him sound very friendly so i went for it.

i excused myself and began telling him about my project. he was immediately interested. we talked a bit and i told him that i am officially now over the halfway mark. i told him about the grant i am applying for and that i hope to make a book out of the images at the end of the year.

he told me that this was the very first time a stranger has come up to him on the street, asking for his photograph, but that he has passed so many people over the years who he would like to take pictures of. michael carries a camera with him wherever he goes on the off chance there will be something worthy of capturing.

he told me a story of a bright red, january sunset here in denver. it was a few years ago, but he recalled it like it was yesterday. he photographed a war memorial silhouetted against the sun with his old minolta 35mm camera. when he developed the image, he said it reminded him of "atlanta on fire" and thought it would make a great book cover.

michael was the person i was supposed to meet today. i am convinced. we had one of those interactions that i cherish - the kind that i don't want to end. maybe by the end of this year, i'll have the courage to push the envelope a bit more and ask for some more time.

08 march, 2009

ayo . 24 years old  /  denver . colorado

after dropping my buddy off at the airport, i returned back to my apartment to clean up a bit and get some things done. after a little while, i set out to disqualify another soul from my sphere of strangers.

daylight savings sneaked up on me. it didn't effect my day in the least until i realized that i now have a lot more time in which to shoot strangers. the second half of this project is going to be a much freer (never written that word before) experience than the first half was - lots of sun, lots of time, the light at the end of the tunnel getting brighter and brighter...

i was on my way down the street towards the library, walking in the sun, planning on making a loop around a few blocks, when i saw ayo rummaging around in her s.u.v. across the street.

i debated it for a few seconds, but i eventually decided to go for it. i dodged some traffic running across the street and approached ayo. she was getting something out of her backseat, so my timing was a bit off. she turned around as i was about to excuse myself for interrupting her. then she jumped back a bit, but quickly shed her fear and responded to me with poise.

she wanted to know what it is was for - her only reservation - and then agreed to it. we stepped away from her car a few paces and began our work. she asked if i wanted her to smile. i told her to just be herself and if something made her smile, then she should feel free. it turns out that she smiles a lot, but naturally, so it is quite refreshing.

she cracked a small smile while i was shooting and because it was "real", i rapid-fired off a few more shots, which made her burst out laughing. the second shot is my attempt to capture the moment - it is out of focus, making this the first blurry image of the project, but there's a great feeling there - very contagious.

ayo is a nigerian name - the first time i've ever heard it before. i think it is beautiful. i wish i had been thinking more clearly because i would have asked her what it meant. you'd think i would be more on top of this stuff by now...

07 march, 2009

josh . 28 years old  /  denver . colorado

my buddy and i were walking back towards my apartment after a delicious brunch at a café called sputnik - http://www.sputnikdenver.com/

we were walking by an empty lot where this woman was emptying grocery bags of aluminum cans onto the ground - bag after bag, making an enormous pile. my buddy thought i should shoot her for my stranger of the day, but something about it wasn't compelling to me. as were were watching her dump her cans on the ground, these two guys on bikes road by us.

i was drawn to josh right away. i told him and his friend about the project and he agreed to it immediately. there were a couple unique aspects to this interaction: 1) we are both named josh and 2) it was his birthday. i thought that was pretty great.

we went over by the side of a massive brick building and started making some portraits. josh had quite an array of poses and facial expressions for me, but we finally got to his natural, good-natured, grin. he's got quite a sparkle in his eye that really makes the portrait come alive.

i asked him for some shots with his bike and he was pretty down with that. as i was working on the second shot, the woman with the cans began driving her car over the pile - crushing them, assumedly to conserve some space. it made for quite a spectacle, so we all stood around and watched the action for a few minutes.

josh and his friend went one way and my friend and i went the other and i think everybody was pretty glad about the meeting. so, here's to josh on his birthday!

06 march, 2009

erin . 25 years old  /  fort collins . colorado

i made my way up to fort collins with a buddy of mine to visit another friend of ours. we pulled onto charming college avenue and found a parking spot. it was quite late in the day, so i needed to find someone to photograph right away. i got out of the car and reached in the back to grab my gear and told my friend that i really wasn't feeling much like shooting today. immediately after i said that he told me to shoot "that girl". i turned to look at who "that girl" was and went for it... and it turned out to be a great idea. incidentally, this friend is the same friend who encouraged me to begin the project in the first place.

i ran across the street as she was unlocking her bike and putting on her helmet. i gave her the pitch and she was all for it. fortunately this lovely alley was just behind her, making for such a great backdrop for her color palette.

erin was great to photograph. she claimed she wasn't photogenic, but i'm finding that to very rarely be true. she had a great spirit about her - very amiable. i took a few more shots than normal because the light and the colors and her attitude were all perfect.

after we finished shooting, my buddy came over to us and the three of us chatted for a little while. i really like it when the project opens up doors for this kind of interaction.

05 march, 2009

pat . 65 years old  /  denver . colorado

a friend of mine is visiting me from new york city. we set out to make the most of the day by heading up to the rockies for some good old-fashioned mountain fun. before we split, we swung by the patagonia store in downtown denver to get some organic inspiration.

after we left the store we went in search of a starbucks. i've not been drinking coffee for a couple of weeks and decided today would be the day to start again. i bought some coffee to go along with a deluxe breakfast, but the beans i bought were unfortunately not ground, so we had to find some joe elsewhere.

on our way to pacify our caffein beasts, we passed this yellow/orange wall. a few steps later, i saw pat waiting outside of p.f. chang's and decided to go for the ask. she accepted (obviously), but didn't have a whole lot to share with me... so we'll just leave it at that.

04 march, 2009

ozzy . 20 years old  /  denver . colorado

i stepped outside to run some errands - i had to pick my pants at a tailor and then find a post office. i made it just around the corner from my apartment when i spotted ozzy. had i given it more thought, i would have been out looking for an older woman, but this was very impulsive... and i like that.

the blue wall behind ozzy is just behind my apartment. i like the wall, anyway, but today it made the perfect backdrop for ozzy's blue eyes and shirt.

ozzy was super friendly - he seemed to be enjoying the sun almost as much as i was. he comes from ohio, but has been out here for a couple of years. he is an aspiring writer and wants to start going to school for it as soon as he can.

after i finished shooting, i picked up my pants from the very sweet, elderly greek woman. i talked with her yesterday about how pretty greece is, and she agreed, but also said she was happy here because she doesn't have to work every second of every day in order to survive. she said she misses two things from there: the ocean and figs. anyway, her tailor shop smells of cigarettes, but i was still surprised at how my pants reeked when i brought them back to my apartment.

after that, i did manage to find a post office... so, all in all, this has been a successful day!

03 march, 2009

kyle . 22 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went for a walk "around the block" today. i walked and walked and walked. i tried to stay in the sun and kept my eyes peeled for strangers. i eventually ended up on colfax, after going several blocks with no luck. colfax is a whole new world. it is its own beast. lots of action, some good, some bad, but lots of it.

i found a parking garage and wanted to shoot under its shade, so i waited on the corner. and waited. and waited. people walked by, but no one was catching my eye. eventually an asian business man walked by - he was dressed sharply and had a good face, so i said "excuse me". he looked at me for a second and ignored me. i repeated myself, once, twice, three more times... i finally said i was a photographer and i was working on a project. he looked at me with a cold stare and said something to the effect of being "kind of in a rush"... then he and another businessman walked at a snail's pace away from me. that made me angry. ok, fine, i have a beard. and my hair is getting long, so it is disheveled. but i am not a vagrant... a bum...

i contemplated the situation for a while... and am obviously still a bit fired up... then i saw kyle making his way down the street.

he had super cool sunglasses on and was wearing his suit in a pretty rockin' way. his ears were plugged with headphones, but i was tired of waiting and thought he'd probably say yes. he did me one better and was enthusiastic about it.

we took a few shots and then i let him go back to his internship at the capital building. maybe i should start wearing a tie when i go out to shoot. i guess fewer people would ignore me...

02 march, 2009

bonnie . 47 years old  /  denver . colorado

a heat wave is coming through denver, i guess. it is 70 degrees today! i like it, but something is definitely not right about that...

i found a background i wanted to use. it was ideal because i could stand in the sun to wait for people to walk by and then only had to take a few steps to get into the shade. i wanted to shoot a woman today and one not my own age. sometimes it feels like am shooting for a 20-somethings dating website. i don't like that feeling.

bonnie was making her way across the street towards the corner i was standing on. she agreed to be today's stranger only on account of it taking the promised "three minutes" because she was in a rush. i asked for her name and age - she quickly gave it to me and then said, "wow". i took that to mean that she was surprised by my question, so i told her i've been asking people that since september and don't have any more reservations with it.

we took some photos and she took off. that was about it.

01 march, 2009

robin . 21 years old  /  denver . colorado

not much a story here. i think she only said yes because she couldn't think of a reason to say no. she seemed sweet, but we had very little exchange of words. sigh....