30 june, 2009

jen . 27 years old  /  denver . colorado

after running an errand with my camera gear in tow, i figured i'd hit up the old faithful spot down by the library and museum to look for the day's stranger.

i perused the area for a few minutes and eventually saw this small, darkly dressed figure crammed into the shade of the museum, hunched over a book. as i passed, i couldn't tell if she was an older woman or a young lady. she was sitting in such a small space and her eyes were covered with large, dark sunglasses and her hair had fallen into her face. it mostly didn't matter if she was young or old, but i didn't know if i should say "excuse me, ma'am" or just "excuse me". i went with the sans ma'am approach thinking that, either way, i'd be safe.

well... jen turned out to be a young woman. as i started talking to her, she peered at me through the top of her sunglasses and started smirking almost immediately. the smirk threw me off and i started smiling, then laughed a little bit.

i sat down beside her and started giving her my card and exchanging some information, but she took her time turning her body towards me. she eventually warmed up a bit and, in the end, left me thinking her a terribly sweet person.

she came out to denver for the heck of it about four years ago from milwaukee. she is now working in the shop inside the museum, putting her art degree and previous internships to good use. she happened to be on a break when i passed by. she said it was not exactly what she was expecting to happen on her break, but in all honesty, she didn't seem too upset about it.

it was probably about ninety degrees today. i was in shorts and a t-shirt and sweltering. i told her it was a pretty hot day to be wearing all black, but jen said she wears black just about every day. i asked her if there was any particular reason for that and she said that there wasn't. that makes me wonder what color i would choose to wear if i could pick only one. it might be grey... which isn't really much of a color, i guess.

well... thank you for your time today, jen.

29 june, 2009

kurt . 70 years old  /  denver . colorado

after running some errands downtown and spending a bit of time talking on the phone, i decided i should kick it into gear and begin the search for today's stranger.

i was at the top of the long flight of awkwardly spaced steps that lead up to denver's capitol building when i spotted a grey-haired woman sitting on a stone wall reading a book. i like finding people when they are reading books. and i like photographing the older generations. but... she was a bit too reserved and eventually declined my offer on account of being a 'private person'.

as soon as i turned away from her, i saw a couple of people at the bottom of the hill taking pictures of something in a large tree. i figured i would make my way towards them and see what it was all about.

i approached the gentleman and started giving him the rundown, but he interrupted me to ask me to speak slowly because he couldn't follow so quickly. kurt turned out to be a german, just visiting and touring around on a few weeks vacation. i don't know who the younger woman was that he was with, but if i had to guess, i'd say it was his daughter. i didn't ask, but it looked as if they were photographing squirrels. crazy american squirrels.

we had some communication barriers, so our conversation was short, but he was a good natured guy. i don't think he really understood why i was doing this project, but that probably had little to do with language. i think most people think this is just very strange and they say yes only to humor me...

at one point during the photo session i came a few steps closer and kurt jokingly asked if he should go shave. i liked the joke and it was even funnier because of the thick german accent. he asked me if i made money doing this. i told him i didn't... so then he wished me luck and we parted ways.

thank you for your time, kurt! i hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday.

28 june, 2009

tricia . 25 years old  /  denver . colorado

i helped a buddy of mine move today. during a lunch break, he, another friend of ours, and i went over to "snarf's", a sandwich shop i'd heard a lot about but not yet been to, for a bite to eat. i had my camera gear in tow, hoping to find someone to photograph.

as we were eating i spotted this bright blue wall and immediately fell in love with it. i watched people pass by, but nobody was standing out to me. one older man caught my eye, but he was terribly old and hunched over and i just don't know if it is ok for me to ask people like that if i can photograph them. i'm still trying to figure it all out. i guess i'll just keep going on a gut feeling until the answers come to me.

we finished eating and i still hadn't found someone, so i went over to stand on the corner to get a better look at who was walking up and down the street. it was then that i noticed this young woman sitting over on the patio at snarf's, smoking a cigarette.

i walked over and gave tricia my spiel. i remember that i had seen her working inside the sandwich shop, so i figured she was on a short break. she said she had a couple of minutes and agreed to walk across the street with me so i could use that gorgeous wall.

my interaction with tricia felt empty. she didn't seem too enthused about being a part of my project. she stared so blankly into the camera that, at one point, i even asked her if she was ok. she assured me that she was.

she comes from iowa and is out here in denver studying computer science. she likes it. and she likes working at snarf's, too. "it's cool.", she said.

i told the friends i was with that it is these days that really get to me because i feel like i just take something from people. there are other days when the whole interaction feels symbiotic. and those days make me feel really great. however, i didn't start this project so i could feel really great, so press on i shall.

at any rate, i am glad to have met tricia. and i'm glad to have finally eaten a snarf's sandwich.

27 june, 2009

marcella . 43 years old  /  denver . colorado

i spent the better part of the day taking pictures at a conservative christian wedding in longmont. then i drove back to denver and made my way down to the PRIDE festival to look for the day's stranger. the two scenes made for quite the juxtaposition.

i grabbed an iced coffee at city o' city and asked around about what was going on down by the library. my sources told me that it was the PRIDE festival, so i figured i would be sure to get an interesting story down there.

i walked down 13th avenue and rounded the corner onto broadway. i was distracted for a little while by a man and woman fighting on another corner. the man had the woman in a head lock and was dragging her around while she was screaming about wanting her cigarettes. other people were around, but nobody seemed to be too concerned. it makes me wonder if we've come to a place where we mind our business so much that we would just let people murder each other in front of us and not say a word. i was pretty worried about them and was looking around for a police officer, but couldn't see one. i watched them separate from each other and the man started walking up the street... probably to find something else to knock around... and the woman was with another woman.... maybe they went to find those cigarettes.

i was just about to walk into the entrance to the festival when i saw this lone black woman in ultra bright colors dancing by herself at the top of some stairs by the judicial building. i figured she had to be pretty interesting if she was wearing those beautiful colors and dancing alone when there were thousands of people a hundred yards away from her.

i walked up the stairs and excused myself. i gave her my spiel, but she didn't even acknowledge my being there. she just kept on dancing. just when i was about to turn and walk away, she said "so...?", but it was in a nice way. so... i went back into it and re-explained what i was up to.

marcella's uncle was a photographer and a lawyer. she told me this as if it would help me to know that she knew what photography was all about. she's from detroit, michigan, but is living here in denver now because of some kind of miscommunication involving a greyhound official and the police. she said she didn't want to talk about it, so i didn't press her for more information.

she was a bit aggressive, but, again, in a friendly way. she was a challenge to shoot because she moved around a lot. she counted every picture i took because i had told her i would shoot twenty and that was making me pretty nervous. she also had a variety of poses and faces for me, most of them not looking quite as good on camera as she had probably hoped they would.

she stopped talking for a second and listened carefully to a woman on a stage around the corner singing 'i believe i can fly'. marcella got excited because that is her 19 year old son's favorite song. i don't know where he is or what he does, but i thought it was nice that his mom was overjoyed to hear is favorite song.

she read the entire release and signed and then said she had to go catch a bus. i asked her what she did for work. she said she didn't. so i asked if she was just hanging out. "hanging out? no! this greyhound incident has made me homeless. i'm not hanging out! i'm looking for a job!", was her response. she managed to say even that in a friendly tone, though.

the last i saw of marcella was not her getting on a bus, but dancing and singing her heart out where the stage was.

26 june, 2009

jennifer . 34 years old  /  denver . colorado

i road my bicycle all over town looking for print shops. i have no idea how to get this project off the ground. none whatsoever. this is all trial and error and i am starting to feel very tired of being clueless.

i tracked down print shop after print shop, following this lead and then that until i finally made my way all the way across town to a place called 'publication printers'. i didn't receive an official quote yet, but i heard enough to know that i am way out of my league. i knew that already, but the reminder still got me a little down.

then, as soon as i left there, it started to pour. rain. hail. thunder. lightning. i was on my bicycle with my camera gear on my back and desperately needed to get under some protection. just as the storm got out of hand, i found myself by a pizza place on south broadway called 'pasquini's'. i waited under their outdoor awning for a few minutes until i realized the storm wasn't going to dissipate immediately. i went inside and ordered a beer. i tried to drink it outside, but the rain was too intense and their awning was a few years too old.

i took a small table inside along the windows so i could keep me eyes on the weather and hunkered down with j.d. salinger's 'franny and zooey'. i opened to where i had left off and tried to lose myself in the glass' living room.

when my beer was gone and too much time had gone by, the rain subsided enough for me to start walking. i eventually started to ride, but slowly as to avoid the spray from my rear tire shooting up and soaking my back and camera gear.

i came upon a woman with a black and white polka-dotted umbrella at the same time as i neared a very large sky blue wall. i let her pass and then, checking myself, turned around and called out after her.

jennifer was very sweet. she graciously agreed to participate in this project that must seem pretty nuts to people. sometimes i just can't believe people are so willing to do this... while other days i can't fathom why anyone wouldn't want to. today i was really glad that jennifer was on board.

she was making her way towards the light rail (commuter train) after a day of working as a stylist at 'salon no dice' on bayaud avenue. she said she was in no particular hurry, which was refreshing as i was not in the best head space. i fumbled around with my gear and spent some time exchanging information and then we finally got to shooting.

it was raining when we started, but the sun had just started piercing through some clouds and was strong enough to bleach out the gorgeous blue wall i had been so excited to use. oh well... i will keep it in mind for the future.

jennifer did a fantastic job in front of the camera. i think she was a little uncomfortable and shy, but she managed to keep such a contented and pleasant expression on her face. i owe her a big thank you for being a bright spot in the dreary storm.

25 june, 2009

curtis . 48 years old  /  denver . colorado

an afternoon storm rolled into town once again. i hadn't had a good opportunity to photograph beforehand, so i nervously anticipated a break in the rain. i've been dealing with a lack of motivation to begin with, but my energy level was drying up at the same pace as everything else was getting soaked. i really don't love shooting in the rain.

i kept a close eye on the puddles, just waiting for them to be still. the sky lightened up slightly and i made a dash for it. in a light mist, i started walking towards the library and museum. i stopped shortly here and there along the way to wait for people to walk by, but wasn't having much luck.

i found myself standing in front of the denver art museum while the sun broke through the clouds and started doing its job of drying up all the moisture. i watched people go by for several minutes, but nobody caught my eye until i saw this gentleman standing at the crosswalk in a white polka-dotted red cap. as he was about to cross the street, i called out after him.

curtis was a great sport. i told him what i was up to and asked if he'd be today's stranger, telling him that it was his hat that won me over. he agreed to it, so we crossed the street to use this neutral wall as the backdrop.

curtis is the building engineer for the denver art museum. they've got a bit of construction going on, so i'm guessing he's a pretty busy guy right now. i asked him what it takes to be the building engineer of a place like that and he said that you can do it in a few different ways. he did it by working is way through the ranks. he is HVAC (i don't know what that means) certified and has spent quite a bit of time welding. then he pointed across the way and said the engineer of that building was a college guy and didn't have much working experience. i think there's quite a lot to be said for doing things the old-fashioned way.

while we were shooting, a couple of curtis' co-workers were standing on the other side of the street making a big deal about it. curtis took it like a champ, though. he seemed to be a really good-natured guy. they soon crossed the street and whisked him away because a call had come through on the radio requiring the boss' attention.

in case you are wondering, like i was, curtis' hat comes from a company called "kromer". they make welding hats but curtis demonstrated how versatile it is, and i've got to say, i'm pretty interested in owning one.

thanks for your time today, curtis!

24 june, 2009

holly . 35  years old  /  denver . colorado

i had a fairly busy morning and left myself a small window of time in which to shoot before i was off to be thoroughly distracted for the rest of the day. one thing led to another and i ended up setting out to look for today's stranger on a different route than usual.

i chose a course that would be busy with people and would also bring back towards my apartment. a few blocks later, i saw holly coming down the street towards me. she was walking alone and looked very pleasant. and she certainly didn't look like she was expecting to meet a photographer.

i excused myself and gave her the first few lines of my spiel. a big smile spread across her face as she asked, "are you serious?". i laughed because i haven't been asked that before. i told her that i was very serious and then went into the project in more detail. i thought she was going to say no, but she surprised me.

holly was terrific. she was one of the sweetest strangers i have met. she was walking back to her job at a local nonprofit after moving her car to avoid getting a ticket. i like knowing that we only met because she was moving her car. or... that is one of the million reasons anyway.

holly is married and the mother of a two-year old. she doesn't like being photographed at all, but she did a great job. the light was beautiful where we were standing and i think she matches it perfectly. she asked to see the photos on my camera - another request i don't get very often - and then, as we were looking at them, she said she was 4 months pregnant. i am pretty sure that holly is only the second pregnant stranger so far. she was full of surprises!

holly was very encouraging and had such a refreshing spirit. she told me i was brave to do this every day and told me to "keep on keeping on". that's a saying i've heard many times before, but i always like it.

thank you so much for your time, holly. it was really great meeting you.

23 june, 2009

kevin . 22 years old  /  denver . colorado

this morning, had i been asked to guess what the weather was going to look like throughout the day, i would have said very assuredly, "gorgeous, sunny, and hot!" and i would have been wrong. most of the day went that way, but then...

i went for a long bike ride to try to both get in shape and get a little color in my skin. i took my time doing some other work and then finally grabbed my gear and set out for a coffee to stimulate the brain before i looked for strangers.

a storm, similar to what i anticipate will ring in the end of days, rolled into town in a big hurry. i didn't waste a lot of time drinking my coffee because it almost instantly became terribly dark outside. i figured i should get out there and shoot before denver was sucked into the middle of the earth and we were all surrounded by nothing but darkness.

a group of people congregated outside to look up at the sky at some very ominous clouds. i am not expert on the matter, but it seemed that some of the other onlookers were and they opined that those were tornado clouds. and then i felt some rain...

i asked a young woman who looked at me like i was a total "chester". she managed to be polite enough to tell me that she had her computer with her and was trying to get home before the storm soaked her to the core.

not having time to fool around, i immediately asked an older gentleman. he hemmed and hawed and asked how long it would take. i told him three minutes and he said, "sure, yeah, i guess." i told him it wasn't something he had to do and he looked so relieved. i let him go.

i went from that encounter directly across the street towards a young man standing beside what i assumed was his car. i gave him the pitch and he agreed to be a part of it. for a second he tried to convince me that his girlfriend, who was still sitting in the car, should be the stranger, but i told him it was him that i saw and him i wanted to photograph.

we made quick work of the whole process and i honored kevin's request to get his girlfriend, sarah, in on the photos, too. there was so little light that i had to crank up my camera's ISO and still shoot at a slow shutter speed - not ideal circumstances for a four and a half year old consumer level camera. oh well...

kevin and sarah and i did not talk much. it was all business today because of the encroaching storm. but... they were both very sweet. and i owe them both a big thank you for their willingness to participate. had they said no, i would have gotten drenched.

22 june, 2009

andrew . 22 years old  /  denver . colorado

my day ran away from me so i ended up shooting quite a bit later than usual. the sun was blazing! and i loved every second of it. it seems as if the rain and hail and tornadoes have taken a trip somewhere else. and as far as i am concerned, they can stay away.

i made my way towards my home away from home to solidify some later-in-the-day plans. on my way down there i saw an "alternative" couple walking towards me. the man had platinum blonde hair, tattoos, piercings, and wore a lot of black. the woman had bright red hair that was pulled up over her head in dreadlocks. she also wore block and seemed to match her partner in tattoos and piercings. i don't have many photos of that demographic, so i figured today was as good a day as any to start. the woman said no, though, and it was really her hair that i was drawn to, so i let them go.

immediately afterwards, this striking young man came up to me and asked if i had a cigarette. i didn't. i think i should start carrying some around with me so i can be the guy that has one for whoever asks. that guy is always a crowd-pleaser. who doesn't like that guy? right? anyway, i told him i didn't have one, but that i did want to ask him for something.

i dove into my spiel and he was immediately receptive to it. i was glad to have found someone so soon after i started the hunt. i'd say he had a couple of inches on me and looked pretty fit. i'm sure he's heard it before, but if he ever gets in a pinch and needs some money, he could for sure make some bank doing some modeling. he wore those black ray ban sunglasses like they were made for him and was pulling off his look effortlessly. from the photos i took of him, it looks as if he's been in front of a camera or two.

andrew hails from boulder, but is living here in denver for the summer because he's interning with a branch of the hospital doing cancer research. he's currently studying microbiology and, even though we didn't talk about it, i would guess that he's doing pretty well in school. he struck me as one of those guys that is just bound for greatness.

his last name is french, orignally l'bombardier (the bomber), but has been cut down to "bombard" - something a bit more suitable to the american tongue. i generally like my last name very much and am quite proud of it being french, but "the bomber" is a name worth envying. but i digress...

andrew, thank you, man! it was great meeting you today.

21 june, 2009

james . 26 years old  /  denver . colorado

it takes a deliberate decision for me to not walk towards the library and museum and today i did not make that call. it worked out pretty well, though. a bunch of people were down there for a "hoop it up" basketball tournament. i didn't get many details about it, but it looked like a 3 on 3 set up and it had a good turn out, too.

i people watched for a while, feeling a little out of place as my shorts were a few inches shorter than pretty much every other person's. oh well... wear them... own them... that's the only way to do it. while watching the people walking by and keeping an eye on some others playing basketball, a fight broke out. one guy was angry at another guy. a woman fell down in the middle of the scuffle, causing the already heated tempers to ignite. it looked like a pretty heavy blow was going to land, but the crowd managed to smother it quickly. surprisingly there wasn't a whole lot of yelling other than some girl who felt the need to take ownership in the whole thing. there's something sadly comedic about these kinds of things. says the guy who had nothing to do with it...

i eventually went up to a couple of guys i had made a mental note of earlier and told them what i was up to. james agreed to be today's stranger despite the playful chiding his friend was giving him. we walked across the street to use a wall i've had my eye on for a couple of weeks.

james was serving as a referee for the tournament. he stays pretty active in the sports scene and especially has an interest in working with kids. he is currently a barber (straight razors and scissors and the whole bit) but he has plans to start his own children's program to get them involved with sports and help keep them out of trouble. he hopes to have it up and running by next summer. i hope he can do it.

while i photographed james, his friend was giving him all sorts of trouble. i had no idea what he was doing, but james was laughing a lot and i kept hearing hooting and hollering behind me. it was pretty funny.

thanks a lot for your time today, james.

20 june, 2009

michaela . 21 years old  /  denver . colorado

i found a background i wanted to use down on south broadway. a section of a temporary walkway made of plywood was nestled between and old bicycle and a pretty tree. soft sunlight was raking across it, adding a bit of coziness to such a rough structure. i was looking forward to using it.

i asked a young guy, maybe around my age, but he and a friend were "leaving" and he could only stick around to let me "snap one picture". i let him go. i stood on the corner for a while. i paced around for a while. i left the scene. i went back. i eventually saw an older woman. she stopped and listened while i spoke to her. she let me finish and then rather aggressively said she didn't like having her photo taken. there was quite a bit of time in between those encounters, so i was pretty tired of being there.

i decided to head back up town, so i made my way towards my bicycle. i jumped on and rode over to lincoln to get back into a bit more familiar territory. i don't think i even pedaled one block before i saw this long-haired rock star looking guy sitting on the front porch of a beautiful old home. the yard was all grown over and the place was beat up. i like porches. and i like houses that show their age. i stopped short and dismounted my bike, knocking off one of my flip-flops in the process. i put myself back together and carried my bike towards the guy. i told him i what i was to. he responded with, "are you out of your mind, dude?!" i shrugged it off with a smile and asked if he was up for it. i guess i shouldn't have been surprised when he said, "no! not at all!". he was really angry. unnecessarily so. whatever. i wished him a good day and set out on my bike again.

normally that kind of thing makes me upset, but this time i couldn't stop laughing. i pedaled the blocks away and just laughed and laughed and laughed. i probably looked like i really was out of my mind to anyone that watched me riding and laughing. i wish i could have mustered up the laughter a minute earlier so the guy could have seen how nuts i really am.

while i was laughing, or maybe in a small window of recovering my breath, i saw this young woman crossing the street. she had big white sunglasses on that covered most of her face. all i knew is that she was very different than the angry guy and i was up for different, so i excused myself and pulled up beside her. i jumped off my bike (more gracefully this time) and told her what i was up to and asked if she was up for it. and... she was!

michaela was great. she was very friendly and seemed to be amused by the strangers thing. i immediately told her about the last guy and how i couldn't stop laughing. and how i was really glad she said yes, because i wasn't prepared for another no.

she was feeling the effects of last night and was leisurely making her way down to visit her boyfriend at his work. she was great in front of the camera, too. she seemed comfortable there. i never know what is going to happen when i ask someone to take their sunglasses off, but i am almost always pleasantly surprised. i had no idea michaela's eyes were so bright and pretty. they certainly aren't the eyes of someone who was out on the town the night before.

thanks, michaela, for being a bright spot in my day!

19 june, 2009

mike . 63 years old  /  denver . colorado

after some goodwill thrift store browsing, i set out on my bike. i didn't make it far at all before i saw this older gentleman on very wonderful old schwinn. i kind of figured that if a guy is going to be tooling around on a bike like that then he has to be up for a spontaneous photo shoot. today it just so happened that i was right.

i excused myself. he said, "yeah?". i told him what i was up to. he said, "yeah?". i asked if he was up for it. he said, "yeah!". how readily and how assuredly he said it made me laugh. it looked like it was going to be a great day for the strangers project.

i took mike's information and asked him to sign the release. he asked if the pictures were going to be on the internet. i told him they were and i figured he was going to say no at that point, but he didn't. he said he knew there were a lot of people on the internet and he didn't suppose he was going to be one of them. he seemed like a very happy-go-lucky guy and had that wonderfully contagious smile on his face the whole time.

he said he was "as old as the hills". he is the same age as my mom, so i wonder how she is feeling about that. 63... i wouldn't mind a glimpse at my life 36 (because i am 27) years into the future. depending on my mood, i can imagine a couple of different scenarios. i'll try to only think about it when i am feeling good.

i asked mike if he was retired now. he said he was. he also said something about being a property manager. that came through loud and clear, as i am looking for an apartment, so i asked him if he had anything available. he did! so after the photos we arranged to meet up to take a look at the space.

he showed me the apartment in question and then i spoke with he and his wife, wendy, for a few moments. they asked if i was jewish (because of my name). i told them i wasn't, but i grew up very christian. then wendy asked if i believed in the rapture. that was an interesting way to ask about christianity. i'm not sure i've ever been asked like that. i told her i used to but that i didn't buy into it anymore. mike let out a big guffaw and said that was probably because it was forced on me earlier in life. maybe that's right. i think wendy had a few more things to say, but she bit her tongue. i did, too.

mike and wendy came out here from wisconsin. i don't know exactly why, but it might have had something to do with the weather. mike seemed like a sunshine kind of guy. they were both quite sweet and i'm glad for my encounter with them.

thanks for that smile today, mike!

18 june, 2009

jen . 35 years old  /  denver . colorado

i set out in search of today's stranger with a friend of mine. that always changes the dynamic slightly. it doesn't make it worse at all, but it makes it different. to be perfectly honest, today it worked out very well. we walked along for a little while and found a couple of different walls that would have made for nice backgrounds, but the people weren't there to match them.

we ended up on colfax as a deliberate attempt to try something new. from one of the street corners we saw this woman sitting on the front steps of a beautiful old home. i hesitated because i figured she might be waiting for a taxi, but curiosity got the better of me and we made our way down towards her.

i politely approached her as she was sitting there on the steps and told her what i was up to. jen's face lit up right away and she immediately agreed to be today's stranger. she had such a calmness to her that after introducing myself and my friend, i took a seat beside her.

jen and i shot the breeze for a while. she was quite interested in the project, which is always very nice. i was able to talk to her about the ups and downs of it and she seemed to understand some of the nuances.

it was so great to have a casual, comfortable conversation. i didn't feel any pressure or stress. i didn't feel rushed. it was actually quite nice. i didn't learn a lot about jen, though. i guess the only thing i really know is that she is an administrative assistant for the denver health pharmacy and she works mostly with the indigent population. i would guess that she is very good at it. i bet her calm personality is a tremendous asset in a hectic pharmacy.

thank you for your time today, jen!

17 june, 2009

julie . 24 years old  /  denver . colorado

this is julie. i only spoke with her for a few minutes, but she seemed to be a pretty rad chick. some people find the word "chick" to be offensive when referring to women, but i don't mean it to be. so... don't take offense.

i spent the better part of the day in the sun. yeah, it was back today! i was beginning to worry. i celebrated its return by letting it burn my face. i'm the sun's biggest advocate and it burned me. i guess i deserved it. after the sun escapades, i said goodbye to my friend, ben. some of you may know - others may not - that ben is the reason i ended up in denver. he's super wonderful, but he's also gone. this is sad.

i eventually made my way towards the library and museum with my camera gear. there is usually a high concentration of people down there so i tend to go that area often, but i am overusing it. it's losing it's novelty. and fast.

i wandered around with my eyes peeled, but wasn't having much luck. i took a lap around the library, which always proves to be an interesting experience. libraries tend to attract all kinds. all of them. i get the impression that most of those kinds won't be up for being the day's stranger, though. however, today, as i neared the front, i saw julie coming out of the main entrance/exit.

she works in the library, but had just been in there doing some reading. when i met her she was on her way to the GLBT community center to help prepare for the up and coming PRIDE festivities. i went up to her with my spiel and she responded by giving me this smirk. i took it as a "i know you are a totally creepy dude, but i'm going to humor you anyway" smirk. i could have misread that. i might be developing a complex.

i took a bunch of photos of julie. half way through she momentarily got a little uncomfortable. i stopped shooting while she composed herself and told her that i was no longer uncomfortable with making people uncomfortable. she said that was a sure sign of a bad photographer. i tried to explain that taking photographs of strangers makes them uncomfortable, but i no longer let that bother me. i don't know if she understood my point. maybe you don't either.

anyway, we chatted and we shot and we said goodbye. then i remembered the release! again! so i called after her and she agreed to sign it. while she was doing so she told me she graduated from NYU after studying english literature and french. then she moved out to hawaii to "take pictures of grass for the military". i laughed. she laughed. then she said she was serious. that is what she did. and got paid $20 an hour for it. well... that doesn't sound so bad. i wouldn't mind a trip to hawaii, but i think i'd rather not shoot anything for the military.

thanks for being today's stranger, julie!

16 june, 2009

rashad . 32 years old  /  denver . colorado

i put some time in today. let me tell you. i walked around for a couple of hours looking for a stranger. i am guessing that most people that see these photos assume i just step outside and ask the first person i see. that is incorrect. but... explaining how i choose the person is nearly impossible.

i began my search today on south broadway and made my way slowly towards downtown and capital hill. en route, i stopped by a gallery to find out what the procedure was for showing work in there.

i walked to the back and approached the desk. the woman behind the desk looked at me like i was contagious. then she proceeded to school me on how i was not going about it in the right way. she condescendingly asked me if i went to "art school" - like that is the precursor to ever showing work. i, in all honesty, had no idea those people existed. i thought they were fantasized about in the minds of hollywood movie-makers and brought onto the big screen for the sake of spectacle and enjoyment - like jar jar binks. anyway... i left there feeling proud to be the way i am and terribly sorry that i had come to the realization that humans can behave so wretchedly. i most likely will not be showing any of my work there.

i trudged towards the library and museum. soon after arriving i noticed a woman i thought i had met before. i stared a few seconds too long, so called to her to find out if she was who i thought she was. she was. her name is kinsey and she sings and plays in a very great band called "houses". maybe she didn't know it, but she brightened my mood a bit.

after we finished chatting, i looked across the library yard and spotted an older gentleman sitting by himself. i gave him my pitch and he initially agreed to be today's stranger, but eventually reneged on the grounds of not liking to give out his signature too often. that was a new one.

i wandered around a bit and eventually a guy walked by and asked if wanted to by some weed. i didn't. in turn, i asked if i could photograph him for my project. not surprisingly, he said no. "why?", i asked him. "because i am selling weed", he replied. right.

i grew tired of walking. tired of looking. tired of asking. i made my way towards city o' city for the second or third time of the day, but saw rashad coming my way just before i made it there. he agreed to be today's stranger without my having to be too convincing.

he was on his way to the library to use the internet. i asked him what he did. i am not sure why i ask that question... and i am not sure if what people do matters all that much. i am more concerned with who people are or how people are, but those are more difficult questions to ask. anyway, rashad is currently binding books for architects. i told him i had never met a book binder but he made it out to be no big deal.

he is originally from houston, but seems to be getting along just finer here. he has a girlfriend. and a kid. i told him i couldn't imagine life with a kid right now. but he said he liked it. i guess one day i will get there.

well... that's it for this day. thank you, rashad!

15 june, 2009

michael . 38 years old  /  denver . colorado

i jumped on my bike to ride down to south broadway because i wanted to walk around a thrift store and needed a change of scenery to shoot in. once again, though, i didn't make it far.

michael caught my eye as i whizzed by a bar called 'the fainting goat'. i stopped short, turned around, and gave him my spiel. he agreed to be my stranger right away. he said he needed some new headshots, too, as he is an actor. i'm not entirely sure, but i don't think i've photographed any actors for the project so far. but maybe they were just acting like non-actors?

michael was a really nice guy. we chatted for a few minutes in the sunshine while he enjoyed a cigarette. the light was a bit different than i usually shoot in, but it sufficed. while we were talking, another guy noticed an ayn rand book that i keep in my camera bag. he thought it was great and for some reason it qualified me to go in the bar for a drink. after the invitation he went inside and michael and i wrapped up our conversation and he went inside, too.

i stood outside and took some notes and contemplated going inside for a late afternoon refreshing beverage. i realized (again) that i had forgotten to ask michael to sign the model release, so i eventually did. this forgetting thing is working in my favor. it gave michael and me a chance to talk a bit further.

he used to work with computers, but has taken to working a few different bar tending and serving jobs because he likes the chances they give him to meet people. he acts in student films mostly, but was telling me about some other gigs he's looking to get into. i didn't mention it yesterday, but i think he looks a bit like christian slater.

michael also works at a new restaurant underneath the jet hotel called "xo". he gave me two cards for free appetizers, so last night i took my friend ben down there to celebrate one of his last few nights in town. it was delicious and a great start to our evening.

thank you, michael!

14 june, 2009

tim . 55 years old  /  denver . colorado

i saw my first tornado today. at least i think it was the first one i have seen. i tend to forget things like that. anyway, i am almost certain it was my first one. if i have forgotten about the others, then i guess i really can claim this to be my first. yes? ok... to the point... the sky was dark. it was raining. tornado alarms were sounding all over town. it wasn't really the kind of weather i prefer wandering around in search of strangers in.

later in the afternoon there was a break in the storm, so i went to look for a new friend. i set out for the denver public library because there was a used book sale going on. a bunch of people were down there, perusing through white tents full of reading material. i scoured the crowds, looking for someone to catch my eye. i eventually spotted a young black woman who was wearing an "i heart dunks" tee-shirt. i figured anyone who hearted dunks would say yes to my photo project, but i quickly discovered i was wrong. i approached a black man after he finished speaking on his cell phone. he looked at me like i was a gila monster in human form and said no. my third strike came when i asked a guy decked out in a red apron if he'd be today's stranger. he was working at the book sale, but i didn't realize working at book sales was as pressing as he made it out to be. he looked at me and said exhaustedly that he just didn't have the time. so i bounced out of there.

i headed towards the museum and was going to make my way up towards 9th avenue because i had an errand to run over there. i didn't get far, though, because i saw a very pleasant looking security guard standing outside a place that will remain nameless in this story. i've never gone inside there, but if i had to guess, i would say it is one of those places that feeds people's fears under the name of "raising awareness". in all fairness, i have no idea if that is true. it is also largely irrelevant to the story.

tim accepted my invitation to be today's stranger. he requested only that we keep the building out of the photo. that took very little adjustment, so i was happy to oblige. at first, tim was on the quiet side. i photographed him for a minute or so and we made very small talk. he had a steady gaze coming through his deep blue eyes and was a pleasure to photograph. after i finished up with the photos we chatted a bit more. tim used to live on the east coast when he served in the navy, so we talked a bit about how pretty it is over there. he mentioned something about living overseas, too, so we shared a few thoughts on life over there. i thanked him for his time and then he continued making his rounds.

just as we finished up, another storm came through. more thunder. more lightning. more rain. i was fortunately standing under an overhang and decided to wait it out for a while and use the time to take some notes about the conversation. i realized that i had once again forgotten to ask about the model release, so i was hoping tim would come around again. on his way home for the day, he did just that. he needed to make sure he had checked the doors that i was standing beside. i am glad he double-checked because it gave us the perfect opportunity to chat some more.

he signed the release and i asked him a few more questions. it turns out that tim was laid off from a job not too long ago. i am guessing it was for economic reasons. if so, it's a story i keep hearing. and i think it is sad. he picked up this security job for the weekends, but it is not what gets his wheels spinning. he manages to find a few other odd jobs throughout the week and now he's planning on getting his commercial driver's license so he can drive construction trucks.

i really appreciated talking with you, tim... especially the second time. thanks for your time!

13 june, 2009

leigh . 22 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went up to a big garden store with a friend of mine and her family. the combination of it being located outside of my normal denver circle and it being a giant garden store made it feel otherworldly.

just as we walked in, we were greeted by this smiling, jovial young woman. we walked by her after exchanging slight pleasantries and i immediately suggested that i should photograph her because she was cute and seemed friendly. i had a good idea the photos would turn out, too. my friend encouraged me, so i went for it.

i made an abrupt turn around and leigh, noticing i had done so, met me with a readiness to help answer any questions i might have. i told her i didn't need any help finding anything in the store, but could use some help with something else and then dove into my 'i heart strangers' story.

leigh was gracious enough to accept. she had a passion for photography herself, although she is more interested in the film process than the digital one. she was interested in the project and had a couple very nice things to say about it: she said the world would be "ten times better" if more people were doing things like this and she thanked me for choosing her to be a part of it. i've been doing this for 279 days and i'm almost certain that she is the first stranger to thank me for choosing them. it felt very symbiotic, which is exactly how i want it to (and think it should) feel.

leigh was working as an outdoor cashier for paulino gardens. she recently found out that she will be keeping her job and working full time through the fall. she was thrilled about that and seemed to genuinely enjoy working there. it actually seems like a pretty good gig - meeting people just after they've chosen all their new plants and flowers and just before they get home to play in their gardens. i'd imagine she meets a lot of interesting people. plant people are interesting. wouldn't you say?

i think it is also very interesting to note that leigh took the bus into work today only to find out that she wasn't scheduled to be there. because she made such an effort to be there, though, her superiors had her stay and gave her some work to do. these little "accidents" are constant reminders that we're never sure what our days are going to bring us. this serendipity/fate/i'm-not-in-control thing is sending me strong messages.

leigh was a little shy in front of the camera, but i think we managed to make some good photographs together. she had to help a customer or two while we were interacting. i've decided that i like photographing people in their environment. "people at work" is a common theme throughout the photographic history and maybe one i should look into a bit more. i heart strangers with jobs dot com? maybe i don't need many more dot coms.

thank you so much for your time today, leigh.

12 june, 2009

audrey . 56 years old  /  denver . colorado

i saw a sign on an apartment building further down pearl street advertising a vacancy. i'm considering moving out of my place, so am casually on the prowl for something different. i decided to call on this place to get the ball rolling.

audrey answered the phone as she was driving back from the airport. she was on her way home from dropping off a japanese student that she has been hosting. i gave her some time and called again and she met me to show me the apartment in question.

the place was too big for me, but audrey was very friendly, so i figured i would ask her to be today's stranger. she thought the project was pretty weird - in an interesting way - but she agreed to be a part of it. i tried to photograph her in the apartment, but it was too dark, so we moved outside. she wasn't terribly interested in being photographed, so i had to work fast.

she told me she's about to start a photo project of her own involving a wooden (or was it cardboard?) duck. i guess she is going to photograph this duck and let people try to figure out where the photo was taken. sounds like a pretty good time.

audrey is originally from montana. i've never been up there, but would like to go. she said it is very similar to colorado, just smaller. i like colorado, so i'm guessing i will like it up there, too.

audrey jokingly told me that if her photo ended up in any "weird" places that she would have to kill me. ha ha. i've not heard that one before! i am glad she said it with a smile.

thank you for your time today, audrey!

11 june, 2009

faustino . 55 years old  /  denver . colorado

more rain in denver. people are starting to come clean with confessions of "how it used to be" out here. apparently, back in the day, denver used to get a little rain storm every day, but lately (for the last 10 years or so) the sun's been taking over. it seems that the tides, they are a changin'. the one thing i'll give the rain some credit for is that it is making everything grow.

a break in the storms came later in the day, so i took that opportunity to search for strangers. down 13th avenue i went, but only a few blocks. i saw this gentleman walking up the sidewalk from half a block away. i liked his look very much, but thought he was with another guy, so was going to let them pass. just as the three of us came together, though, i realized they were not walking together, so i told him what i was up to.

faustino was one of the most approachable people i've me. he responded with considerable kindness and had a very warm, genuine smile. he agreed to be today's stranger right away and was a natural in front of the camera.

he's a denver native and still loves it here. he recently got a job with the colorado department of employment, but he's working on the unemployment side, which he jovially referred to as "the only growth industry in the country". he was grateful to be in a position to help other people find work. he was unemployed not long ago, so he understands what it's like to be in dire straits.

he wished me luck with my project and offered me a smile that will stick with me for some time. i've photographed in this alley a few times now, but i'm most pleased with faustino's photos.

thank you, sir, for your time today. i hope our paths will cross again soon.

10 june, 2009

cherie . 25 years old  /  denver . colorado

after spending a little while perusing in a lovely vintage store on south broadway, i decided to pedal myself back to my apartment and then set out in search of today's stranger on foot.

while at the store, i carried on a short conversation with the owner about how unusually colorful it was in his shop. i guess color stayed on my brain because as i rode towards my apartment, i spotted cherie's bright yellow dress and pink shades.

i was actually looking to shoot an older black man today. i had seen the perfect guy earlier in the day, but wasn't in the right frame of mind to shoot, so i let him pass. i guess it goes to show that sometimes there is no rhyme or reason as to who i choose - it could be as simple as a yellow dress.

cherie was nice enough to let me photograph her. she had just gotten off the bus from highland's ranch, which she said is about an hour outside of denver. when i saw her she was standing on the side of the road, organizing a small bundle of her belongings and evidently putting herself back together after the bus trip.

she was on her way to univision, a spanish media corporation, where she has an internship. after studying tv production in school, she took this gig - currently working for free, but is aspiring to soon get a "real job" (her words, not mine). i am not knocking working for free as it makes up the better part of my every day.

we shot some pictures. we chatted for a few minutes. she went her way. i went mine. thanks for your time today, cherie!

09 june, 2009

louis . 75 years old  /  denver . colorado

in celebration of my 27th birthday, i spent quite a bit of time with my friend, ben. at one point, we decided we needed food like nobody's business, so we pedaled our bicycles down broadway towards a place called 'the hornet'. just before we got there, we stopped at a red light near a 7-11 convenience store.

i glanced over and saw this super great old volvo at the fuel pumps. there was a for sale sign in the window and an older gentleman standing near it. i pulled around to see how much it was and to take a closer look. i am sucker for the unusual, the vintage, the stuff you don't see every day. but being that i already have a car that fits that bill, and being that i have pretty much zero dollars for things like other cars, i came to a pretty fast understanding that i wouldn't be going home in this 60's white volvo.

louis, the owner of the car, was very pleasant to speak with. he talked about the car for a bit and seemed friendly. he looked like he might be up for a little adventure, so i asked him if he would be today's stranger. he was glad to do it, which was a wonderful surprise. so i asked him to pull his car around to the other side of the parking lot so we could take some photos.

the light was rough, but we managed to make something good out of it. he seemed happy enough to be in front of the camera, too, which made the task quite a bit easier. i asked louis what he was doing when he was 27. he said he was a pretty busy guy then. he was in the service and was already a dentist. he had wanted to be a dentist since he was 14 years old! i am always impressed with the people that knew their course from such a young age. he continued to work as a dentist until he retired. i got the impression that he was very happy with his career choice.

at one point, he looked over at our bicycles and lit up with a smile. he said he had some of those old bikes, too. i was most intrigued by a schwinn bicycle he won back in 1949. he referred to it as "a tank". louis was a great stranger today! i think we could have enjoyed a bit more conversation, but some guy in a big fancy land rover came onto the scene and was interested in the car. while i finished shooting, said driver and ben carried on a short conversation that ended with him saying that what i was doing was "different".

thank you, louis, for your time today. it was great meeting you.

08 june, 2009

amanda . 35 years old  /  denver . colorado

i went up to st. mark's café to meet a new friend who was interested in hearing a bit more about this project. we indulged in lovely conversation for about an hour and a half. it was great! while we were sitting there chatting, i noticed a woman sitting a few tables away. she was there with who i assumed to be her daughters. we made eye contact a couple of times, nothing too explicit, but i made a mental note of it.

i gathered my gear and unlocked my bicycle and then, on my way out, had to walk by this woman. we exchanged another glance, so i said hello. she said hello back. that was that. i hopped on my bike and was almost gone. i made it down the block, but something stopped me. i turned around and rode up to her to tell her what i was up to. i felt pretty embarrassed because i had just left the scene moments before, but was back there... now in my helmet and looking disheveled, interrupting a woman and her daughters who were probably just trying to enjoy their peaceful afternoon at a café.

amanda agreed to be today's stranger, but she thought i was nuts. she said it was pretty weird. i agreed. i am not sure people know how to respond when i agree with them. it is weird. i know. now what? the two young girls that were with amanda did turn out to be her daughters. i only met one of them, natalie. she didn't say much to me, but she seemed like a sweet kid. amanda is an elementary school teacher and said that she loves it. but that is all i got out of her.

she was camera shy and a little preoccupied with natalie, who was dancing behind me as i photographer her mom, making her laugh. i think she was also a little concerned with what the people around us thought. i forget about those people most of the time, but that's probably due to the fact that i've been doing this for 274 days. i also generally don't care too much what people think.

anyway, she was a good sport. i bet she didn't think that this was going to be the result of making eye contact with me. surprise! thank you for your time, amanda (and natalie!)! i hope you both enjoy your summer.

07 june, 2009

kara . 32 years old  /  denver . colorado

the weather was crazy today. crazy. marble-sized hail was falling for a while. lightning was flashing. thunder was booming. i can shoot in the rain and in the snow, but lightning and hail... not so much my thing.

there's a big people's fair going on in denver. i imagine it got pretty interesting when the storm hit, but i wasn't down there to see it. i swung by yesterday to see a friend (former stranger) play some music down there, but big crowds get under my skin in a matter of minutes, so i didn't last long. i ended up down there again today after the storm passed and walked through the hoards of people, in hopes of finding a stranger.

i didn't find anybody at the fair, though. i asked an older gentleman who was standing just outside the grounds, but he declined on account of being in a bad place in life. there's a rejection i can understand. i wished him well and continued my search.

i spotted an older black woman walking with a cane. she had beautiful gray hair, a head scarf, and pretty eyes. she started in with a bunch of questions, but quickly went into a diatribe about a man taking photos of a homeless person downtown. she commended me for "at least asking" people if i could photograph them, but she decided against being today's stranger for a few different reasons.

instead of letting me go, though, she asked me if i had a personal relationship with jesus. man... she had no idea what kind of can of worms she could have easily opened. today was a good reminder of how much i am growing up because i decided to just let her talk at me for a while.

she was sure to remind that jesus is all we have when this life is over and she also felt it important to tell me that "this isn't my personal opinion, it is written right in the bible." i was deep in my head, saying to myself, "bite your tongue, bite your tongue, bite your tongue". when she took a breath and my mouth was full of blood, i continued on my way. i don't have a problem with people being christians, i just desperately dislike being preached at by anyone for any cause, even the very best.

i didn't make it far before i walked by this woman in a bright green sweater and leopard print skirt. she had dark sunglasses on, but smiled at me as i passed. that was all i needed. i told her what i was up to and asked her to be today's stranger.

kara hesitated because she wasn't feeling photogenic, but agreed because she was feeling "strange". we made our way into the shade and i snapped away. after a few frames, she told me that was enough, but i protested and was able to get a few more shots. it is rare that someone gets more self-conscious as the shooting goes on, but i try to be accommodating.

kara is a teacher. she seemed to be really happy about that and i got the impression that she has a great teaching philosophy... a bit more experiential than the standard stand-in-front-of -the-classroom-and-recite-boring-information-until-the-bell-rings kind of stuff. she is also a belly dancer, which is always intriguing to me because i have no idea what that means. i know what belly dancing is, but i don't know where people do it. kara said she had been doing it most of the day at the people's fair. so i guess i got my answer.

she was so friendly and very sweet. she had a smile on her face the whole time we talked and she struck me as the type of person who genuinely enjoys this life we've been given.

thanks for your time today, kara.

06 june, 2009

scott . 33 years old  /  denver . colorado

i was out riding bikes with my friend, blake. we made our way downtown to go to the tattered cover bookstore, a beautiful old store with loads of charm. on the way, i spotted a young woman in a bright green dress. i turned around and asked her to be today's stranger. she said no because she had been sick and didn't think she looked very good.

we pedaled on and after locking up the bikes, i walked around a bit, searching for someone to photograph. i eventually spotted an older gentleman with thick glasses and a plaid western shirt. he said yes, but then asked if he would have to sign a release. i told him yes and then he quickly told me no.

back to searching... but just for a few minutes. this guy came out of the bookstore with an extra spring in his step. he had dark sunglasses on, but he looked like he had a kind face, so i went for it. i told him what i was up to and asked if he would participate. he said he didn't mind, but he thought he knew me already and asked if i lived in boulder. we cleared up the fact that we didn't know each other and then he asked if i wanted to photograph him with his pedi-cab. that was an excellent surprise!

so... scott pedaled blake and me over to a large shaded wall in a parking lot across the street. that marked my first pedi-cab ride and i enjoyed it thoroughly. scott and a friend of his recently started up their own business, currently running two "bikes". i had tried to get one of these jobs when i lived in boston, but it didn't work out. when we were all done shooting and talking i told scott that if they end up looking for more drivers, i'd be more than happy to be one of them.

scott was willing to talk for a while, which, even though that seems to be the trend for june, is still refreshing. he was great to speak with and seemed really friendly. so, if you end up in downtown denver and feel like a pedi-cab ride, look for scott and clean cycle cabs and remember to tip him well.

thanks so much for your time, scott!

05 june, 2009

william . 27 years old  /  tiny town . colorado

during an adventure in which a friend of mine and i decided to just drive and explore back roads we stumbled upon tiny town, colorado. tiny town, as the name suggests, is home to a tiny town - a little gathering of miniature buildings made to look like an old downtown area. it even has a tiny train. we didn't go there on purpose or with any intention of seeing either of these attractions. we went there because there was a convenience store and we needed some water and a little snack for the road.

after procuring everything we needed, we paid our bill, and were about to set back out on the road in search of whatever we found, which happened to be estate sales hosting multiple treasures, aspen trees, elk, waterfalls, gorgeous vistas, etc, but i decided that i should ask the guy working in the store if he'd be today's stranger.

william was very friendly and happy to participate. he had a few customers come and go, so the picture taking process was more action packed than usual. he had a great depth in his eyes and didn't seem to be too uncomfortable in front of the camera.

he ended up in tiny town because he has some family out here. after serving in the marines and spending 8 months in iraq, he came back to the states feeling a bit out of place. he's now dealing with the transition and going to school. he told me he was chilling out in tiny town, staying out of trouble, going to school, and waiting until he got rich. "that's the plan", he said and laughed. it sounds like a good plan to me.

i don't know too many military guys. i've had a few interactions here and there and have made some generalizations based on those. i have some pretty strong feelings about the military and killing and minding our business and things like that and i know those aren't always the most popular conversations to have. i know i am grateful that i didn't have to join the military. i wouldn't last. anyway... i say all that to say that it was surprisingly easy to talk to william. he shared just enough of his story with me for me to better understand that the transition from military to civilian life is not always easy and maybe i should consider that. and that everyone that joins isn't necessarily the same.

william and i are nearly the same age and he spend a good part of his life dealing with a bunch of stuff i'll most likely never have to. we bumped into each other at a convenience store in the middle of the mountains and met eye to eye, had good conversation, and were able to trade some laughs and share some dreams. i appreciate things like that.

i took a few notes in the car and then we got ready to split. as i put the key in the ignition, the tiny town train sounded its horn a couple of times, seemingly ushering us out of there. william was sitting on the front steps of the little log store, smoking a cigarette, and just chuckled a bit and threw us a smile. i'd guess tiny town, colorado is a long way from iraq and i'd also guess the sound of that train is quite a bit better than the sounds of war.

william, thank you, man. i hope our paths cross again. and i hope your plan works out.

04 june, 2009

nevia . 23 years old  /  denver . colorado

man... i've been tired lately. i'm not sure exactly what's going on. i know i've got a few things on my plate, but it's not end of the world type stuff. i've just been a lot more sensitive to the weight of things, i guess.

so i took to wandering again today. given every option, it's sometimes difficult to make a decision. in theory, i could have jumped in my car and driven to some obscure town in colorado or any of the surrounding states and i may just do that one of these days, but today was just a wandering day.

i eventually heard the pink wall on 19th avenue calling my name, so took steps in that direction. when i arrived, it looked bleaker than i remembered. the sun was in the "wrong" place and the spring buds of the shrubs in front of it have grown into full on branches. it wasn't what i wanted it to be, so i rounded another corner, was happier with what i found, and decided to wait for a while.

something happens to me as i stand and wait for people to walk by. i start developing a complex of sorts. i feel weird. like i am waiting to steal something from the people coming my way. like a sunglasses salesman or a jehovah's witness. and while i fully understand that i am not any of those things, well... i still feel awkward.

so, i gave up on standing at the pink wall and made my way west on 19th towards downtown. just a few steps into that decision, i found a yellow-walled breezeway that was home to beautiful portrait light and a nice bright background. some benches were nearby, so i sat down to take a load off. it's is rare that i sit down while looking for people to photograph, but something about it felt right today.

a man came by with two french bulldogs and one of them decided to take care of business directly in front of me. that made the guy feel awkward, but i didn't really mind. dogs will be dogs. i watched a few people walk by and some even walk by again. i imagine that those people were wondering what i was doing, looking all suspicious on the bench as the day carried on. i sat there for a while. a good while. and... i eventually tired of it.

just then, i saw nevia. she came out onto the sidewalk about half a block down from where i was sitting. she was dressed in a hat, baggy shirt, and basketball shorts. she had a messenger bag over he shoulders. nothing about the way she looked intrigued me. not that people need to dress this way or that, but my point is that it wasn't anything about her appearance that convinced me to ask her. that's notable because it is almost always the case that i choose people based on their appearance. it was something else today and something i can't explain.

nevia's story is lengthy and i can't share it all with you as i've already given you quite a lot to read through today, but i'll share some bits and pieces that shouldn't go unsaid.

as a child, her dad wasn't in the picture, her brother died very young and her mom was never around. from the time she was 5 years old, she basically cared for herself. she's the first in her family to have graduated from high school and is already working on her second college degree.

she wants to be a nurse and work for the UN to help people get the care they need. based on our 30 minute conversation, i'd say nevia can do whatever she puts her mind to. she's an athlete, has played every sport, has volunteered at the children's hospital, taught blind people how to snowboard, and the list goes on. she's one of the most driven people i have ever met.

a couple of weeks ago, while eating at a restaurant downtown, she swallowed a piece of glass and just about died. she vomited buckets of blood, her liver shut down, she fell into a coma. she tells the story better than i can, but i'll emphasize that it was very serious. she is recovering impressively quickly and is, not surprisingly, loving life now even more than before.

i am only using one photo today. partly because it is strong enough to stand alone and partly because i didn't take enough of the environmental shot to end up with something good. i hope you don't mind.

well... i will wrap this up with a shout out to nevia. i'm glad you are still around and i am looking forward to hearing about the rest of your journey.

03 june, 2009

david . 54 years old  /  denver . colorado

i've been meeting some really wonderful strangers lately. i guess what makes them wonderful is how much they invest in our interaction and the last few days have felt more like communication and participation than thievery. i needed that change.

the sun broke free from it's rainy chains today and lifted what felt like a hundred pounds off my back at the same time. i felt like shooting today. i felt like meeting someone today. i felt good today.

i wandered around for a while, down 13th avenue towards the library and museum, then through a park that sits between the capitol and some other official looking building (i should find out what that is), eventually coming to a crosswalk in front of the capitol. i spied this bearded gentleman waiting to cross and decided to go ahead and ask him. i thought maybe i would get a harsh no, but i was way off.

david accepted with a cheerful "why not?!", which just happens to be one of my favorite responses. i like the philosophy behind those words and the attitude they encompass. i'd consider myself a "why not" kind of guy, too.

we were standing in the direct sun, but very near the shade of a tree, so we went over there to take some photographs. after shooting, we stood there for about 20 minutes, chatting about nearly everything.

david used to be a handyman. he ran is own business in michigan and was doing quite well for himself. but when the economy took a dive, affecting michigan quite a bit more severely than other places, the handyman competition soared through the roof and forced david and his family out. he ended up with another job out here in denver, but injured himself and is now jobless, looking for work, trying to make his worker's compensation last until he receives a settlement from his injuries.

his wife and four daughters are about four hours away on a small livestock farm in craig, colorado. david tries to get up there as often as he can to spend time with them, but, as you can imagine, faces a long list of difficulties in doing so. both he and his wife have a significant amount of native american blood in them. he was describing his wife and daughters to me and made them sound like a beautiful family. he talked of their hair color and skin tones with a warm affection and a peacefulness in his eyes.

david likes to fish and hunt and says there is plenty of both up in craig. he used to wish that he had a son to go fishing with, but he said he doesn't have to worry anymore because all of his daughters like to go with him. he spoke of them so endearingly, almost like he went there in his head while he stood there talking with me.

david had such a warm personality and some of the friendliest eyes i've seen in a long time. he's the kind of guy i'd like to spend a couple of hours photographing. his face has so much character and, from the short while we spoke, i can tell he has the stories to match.

he seemed content to chat with me today and i was happy to be there listening. it's days like today that i most wish i had an audio recorder, so i could listen more attentively and not worry too much about making sure i remember each detail. i'd rather concentrate on participating in the conversation.

well, david, i hope some great things come your way soon and you get to spend some quality time with your family. thank you so much for your time today!

02 june, 2009

nancy . 64 years old  /  denver . colorado

it has been raining a lot here in denver. if you pay much attention to what i write about each day, you will understand that i don't feel that great about the rain. i am sure it is one of those things that i could learn to appreciate, but i've not yet tried. today's rain was particularly frustrating, though, because it was leaking through my ceiling and dripping on me and my blankets while i was sleeping.

on the upside, it got me out of bed. i puttered around for a while, got some work done, and eventually readied myself to head out into the thick of it. i could only take baby steps, though, and rewarded myself for successfully making it as far as city o' city by going into city o' city. i needed some book time. at the end of a number of pages, two cups of coffee, an apple fritter, and some friendly chit chat, i hadn't mustered up any more energy. to spite that, i decided to go out anyway and finally begin the day's search.

down 13th avenue to broadway and then north. i wasn't sure where i was heading, but i was heading. that was important. about a block later, i saw a squirrel chasing a woman down the sidewalk. these furry little rodents are awfully courageous and daring. they've, i guess, dismissed us humans as being harmless (obviously not taking into account all of their dead on the side of the street) and taken to begging for food. i've seen this behavior quite a bit over the last weeks, but today's little guy was taking it to a whole new level.

as we walked towards each other, this woman and i traded chuckles about her follower and then stopped and began chatting. after a moment, it dawned on her that she had some leftovers in her bag, so she pulled them out (apple peels, i think) and gave them to the squirrel and some of his peeps. i guess he was a salty, not sweet kind of squirrel because he was anything but grateful for the fruit.

realizing that this woman was friendly and not feeling prepared for the long stranger quest that i anticipated was ahead of me, i decided to take my chances and ask her to be today's.

nancy, thankfully, was glad to help out. she had a lovely accent which turned out to be irish. ireland will always have a special place in my heart as it was my introduction to europe. i told her so and we chatted a bit about the beautiful character the irish have. maybe that is where she got hers, too. she was inspiring and exactly the person i needed to meet today.

nancy had some incredible stories about being out of work for many years due to an injury and recently beginning a new job in social services with the aarp. i was most impressed with her willingness to just talk to me, though. she didn't think i was a weirdo or a freak or a conniving serial killer. she met me where i was at and decided to be helpful.

i appreciated how down to earth she was. the twinkle that remained in her eye (and i would guess is always there) for the duration of our conversation helped bring me out of my funk. she was proud to be her age and even added that she was 64 and a half. i hope i'm doing the same when i am her age. actually, i hope i am still photographing strangers at that time. maybe by then people will think i am harmless.

thank you, nancy. i really appreciate meeting you today.

01 june, 2009

john . 67 years old  /  denver . colorado

after spending the morning with a friend of mine, eating breakfast, talking about work, looking at cars, and showing off bicycles, i dropped him off and then proceeded towards my apartment. there are a number of ways to get from his place to mine and today i took a slightly different route than usual. a coincidence?

as i rounded the corner from lincoln onto 12th avenue, i saw this older gentleman frantically waving a one dollar bill and holding his thumb out for a ride. he succeeded in getting my attention, so i pulled over and after fumbling with the locked door, he climbed in.

all out of breath and with a big grateful smile on his face he asked me to catch "the bus". after some explanation, i did what i could, but we and the bus arrived at the destination at nearly the same time.

john just missed his ride to the veterans hospital, where he was scheduled to go through some heart tests. he's been feeling much weaker over the past year and is trying to figure out what is going on. the last thing he needed before today's exam was to get all worked up over a missed ride, so i volunteered to drive him there.

i tried to refuse his dollar, but he insisted. he fished around for some more money, but couldn't find any so he gave me a schedule for the food bank in denver. my current job has not been that great lately, so i might end up needing that list. we'll see.

john served in the navy for four years. he was telling me about some of his travels and spoke affectionately of his time in the service. he admitted that had he known how good they were going to take care of him throughout his life, he would have been a better sailor.

after a couple of minutes of talking, i told him about my project and asked him if he'd be today's stranger. he asked if a byline went with the photo and then grinned ear to ear when i told him that i wrote about each day's adventures. he was elated to be a part of it.

we pulled into the hospital and i parked illegally for a few minutes while i scrambled to pull my act together. i gave him my information, took his information, and readied my camera. we jumped out of the car with a few minutes to spare, so i hurriedly picked a location for the shoot. we were surrounded by construction, red bricks, bright sunshine... it was a mess. i found a spot of shade and asked john to look into the camera. he didn't understand why i didn't want to use a better background, but he was a good sport about it and trusted my judgment.

i shot the pictures in less than one minute. it was a very fast-paced escapade today. it's on days like this that i wish i could spend more time with the stranger, but its also days like that make me want to get up every day and continue meeting a new person every day.

thank you so much, john! i hope everything went well today at the hospital!