30 november, 2009

rick . 50 years old / hays . kansas

i left oklahoma at sunrise and set out on the highways to make my way back to denver. it is a long drive, which becomes even longer when one has to meet and photograph a stranger somewhere in the journey. looking at the map, i decided that hays, kansas would be a good place to stop. i came to that decision by a very simple process: i was going to arrive there around eating time and it was the second to last town that had been granted a printed designation on the map i used. if i had continued on to the last town, i might not have had enough light. so... welcome to hays.

the brakes in my car had stopped responding in a timely manner, so i looked into that. then i asked a passerby if he knew if this town had an older downtown area and, if so, where that might be. he pointed me in the right direction and i made haste to get there. i parked near main street and found myself actually looking forward to the ensuing adventure. i am still in a drought, so the fact that my interest was piqued was refreshing.

i found a little place called the "old soda shoppe" and thought that might be a good place to have some lunch. after devouring a sandwich and treating myself to a milkshake (the old kind, served in a glass with the remaining tastiness left in the silver cup with a slender-handled spoon), i asked the young woman working in the café if she would be today's stranger. she blushed and smiled a lot but eventually nervously agreed to participate. i asked her name. it took her a bit more time than usual to tell me. then i asked her how old she was. she started telling me that she was seventeen, but changed her answer to eighteen. hmmm. after a few more seconds, she said, "do i have to do this?" no... nobody has to do this. ever. i bade her a good day and then continued on my search.

i was distracted by an antique store. i have a great appreciation for things of old. i like old design. old colors. old clothes. old cars. i imagine that i would appreciate the way of life in the olden days, too. i looked all around and saw a bunch of stuff that i wanted, but purchased none of it because i had no money and no real need for any of it. i made my way downstairs and saw a gentleman sitting at a computer at the front desk. i told him what i was up to and asked him to be the day's stranger.

rick agreed right away. we filled out the paperwork and traded information and then dove into the photographs. rick has been living in hays since 1980. he moved out there after spending the first part of his life in missouri. i am not sure what brought him to hays, but rick said it was a good place to raise a family. i imagine that he is happy with his choice, because he's been there for nearly 30 years.

rick is the proprietor of the "brunswick antique mall". they opened their doors 6 years ago and rick seemed to be quite pleased with the endeavor. the place was full of treasures and most definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in downtown hays, kansas.

thanks for your time, rick.

29 november, 2009

aaron . 27 years old / tulsa . oklahoma

my last full day in oklahoma greeted me with rain. tulsa is not exactly a pedestrian-friendly city to begin with, but throwing some rain into the mix makes it nearly impossible to meet someone out on the street. fortunately, coffee shops exist... and fortunately for me, aaron decided to enjoy his cup of coffee under an umbrella.

zach and i prepared to head out into the thick of the lousy weather, but we only went as far as the front porch of the coffee shop on cherry street. i approached aaron and explained what i was up to. when i told him how many days in a row i had been doing this, he leaned forward on his seat and stuck out his hand for me to shake. he was sold.

aaron is from tulsa, but has spent some time in california and minnesota, but despite his wanderings, he considers this his home. he graduated with a degree in economics, but has found himself selling pipeline cleaner. pipeline cleaner? well, oklahoma is an oil state and oil flows in pipes and it turns out that those pipes need to be cleaned. i had no idea. i asked aaron if he liked his job. he told me very frankly that he did not and that he was currently looking for other employment.

we shot the breeze about cameras for a few minutes. he asked what i thought and i shared my opinions and then we parted ways. he seemed like a pretty nice guy. he was wonderfully easy to photograph and seemed to have a genuine interest in life. that is merely speculation, but i suppose that is my prerogative.

thanks, aaron!

28 november, 2009

tammy . 49 years old / tulsa . oklahoma

i've been on the lookout for a little prop for a new project i've been mulling over. i wanted to find those masks that are made up of the dark glasses, a funny nose, and bushy eyelashes. do you what i am talking about? well... zach told me he knew of a magic tricks and gags store called "top hat", so we made our way over there to see if they had what i was looking for.

we walked into the store, greeted first by a large chicken suit on display, and then by a jolly woman who asked if we needed anything in particular. i told her what i was looking for and she showed me a couple of boxes full of the exact thing and even helped sort through them to find a good pair. after making a selection that i was happy with, we looked around the store. it was the kind of place that could steal hours if one is not careful, so we made a quick pass through and were distracted only momentarily by a pair of fake breasts that i felt inclined to try on.

as i was paying the jolly woman for the glasses, i told her about my project and asked her to be today's stranger. she agreed right away and despite the many signs advising against it, we took the photographs inside the store. it turns out that tammy only works at top hat once in a while and finds herself gainfully employed by one of the wealthiest men in the country. she works for an oil and gas company as an engineering technician. she said her boss was a very good man and she seemed to be content with her job.

tammy was very nice. she seemed a little uncomfortable in front of the camera, but there was a lot going on in the store with little children running around and other customers perusing. i would have liked to set up a creative shot with props and tricks and gags but it didn't seem like we had that kind of time.

at any rate, thank you so much for your time, tammy!

27 november, 2009

anna . 19 years old / tulsa . oklahoma

my friend zach and i went into owasso to look for strangers. we had a few hours before we needed to be back at the house for dinner, so we figured that gave us plenty of time. owasso is not a metropolis, which is just fine, but it is also not so small of a town that it has a center. "downtown" owasso is a giant parking lot with a number of big businesses around it... not prime territory for strangers. we went to starbucks and enjoyed a warm beverage in the sunshine. some people walked by, but i wasn't feeling it... the trend for these days.

we decided to pack it up and make a quick trip into tulsa. tulsa has a bit more going on and i have taken a liking to cherry street. we went straight for it, found a parking spot, and headed up the street. after a block, we turned around to go the other direction. soon after that, i saw a group of four young people coming towards us. one of them was lagging a bit behind. she had a lovely hat on and the brightest, friendliest eyes that i've seen so far in oklahoma. i told her what i was up to and asked her to be today's stranger. anna was immediately up for it. i introduced myself and zach to her friends, christopher, will, and another anna, and the six of us chatted for a few minutes.

anna has been hitchhiking around the west coast for a while. she worked and saved some money to make the trip and is now back in tulsa, working again to save some more money. next time she ventures out she wants to go to the new england area. i recommended that she visit that part of the country in the fall. anna and her friends were all very sweet. they were full of life and energy and seemed to be the kind of people that make the most out of every day. i liked them a lot.

i photographed anna in a nearby parking lot. while we were shooting, she told me that she played the banjo and that she happened to have one in the car. after a few portraits, we all walked over to the car and anna played us a little ditty. it was a reworked modest mouse number and it sounded lovely. she has only been playing the banjo for 7 months and said it was her first instrument, but she seems to be picking it up like a natural. i made a video of the performance on my phone, complete with music and friends and the gang's two dogs, kansas and bruno.

anna and the others invited us over to their place later on that night, but we unfortunately couldn't make it. i do hope our paths will cross again soon. these are the kinds of stranger experiences i hope for every day. thank you all so much!

26 november, 2009

marty . 64 years old / collinsville . oklahoma

this thanksgiving day morning slipped away from me and suddenly it was lunch time. i joined my friend zach and the rest of his family at his aunt's house. i figured i would say some hellos and eat some food and then go out in search of the day's stranger. after partaking in the festivities, i decided to go for a walk around the neighborhood instead of driving into town. this was a risky move, as the neighborhood was very rural and there was only enough light for one or the other. i was determined to find someone in the neighborhood, though. i figured i would go door-to-door knocking if it came to that.

i walked a few blocks before i saw the first adult outside. there had been a child playing on a basketball hoop, but i figured i would get shot if i solicited her. i spotted a man carrying some bags out to his vehicle. as he was loading them in the back, i approached him with an explanation of what i was doing. i told him i was from out of town and was visiting my friend and his family. i explained the project. another man came outside and the first man tried to convince me that the other guy should be the day's stranger. that dissipated organically, though, and the first man told me to go ahead.

marty told me he was a good judge of character and that in his 64 years on this earth he had never been wrong. as we were chatting and exchanging information, a younger woman came out of the house, marched over to the scene, and told marty that his wife had instructed him not to participate. marty told the woman that i looked like a nice kid and continued on. i am not positive, but i am guessing that marty was this woman's father and that whatever he says is punctuated with a judge's gavel. the woman walked back inside and marty explained to me that his wife is a little skeptical of these kinds of things. i told him i understood. despite marty's willingness to participate, he held onto enough skepticism to not share his contact information with me. i told him that if he had any interest in this project after he saw it posted online to please contact me. i ask for people's phone number or email address so that i can notify them if they are going to be in a show or a book, but it seems that people often assume i am going to sell their information to telemarketers or computer spammers.

marty is retired now, but use to work as the maintenance supervisor for american airlines. i asked him if he enjoyed his job. he gave me a very direct "no" but after a short pause asked me if i wanted to know why. i told him i did. he told me it was an adult babysitting position. he was frustrated that his job quickly became less about airplanes and more about managing people. he told me that he learned a lot about people in the many years he worked for AA and that it wasn't always good. i told him i could relate and that even in the short time (comparatively) i've been working on this project, i've had my fair share of disappointments.

marty asked me about the project and about my goals. he told me that he thought this must be difficult. i appreciated that sentiment and explained that it was. marty asked how many people have turned me down and i confirmed that there have been over 1,000. then he asked how many have said yes and i told him that he was number 445. marty gave me a sincere look and told me he might be in touch with me.

thanks for your time, marty, and for saying yes despite encouragement in the other direction. happy thanksgiving!

25 november, 2009

bob . 60 years old / tulsa . oklahoma

zach and i drove my car to a recommended garage to have my front end aligned. we had some time to wait, so we figured we would go for a walk to look for strangers. again, though, we are in oklahoma, which seems to be the least pedestrian friendly state i've visited. this place is made for driving and driving is what people do.

nevertheless, we came across a parking lot near a few businesses. the sun was out in full force and in a challenging spot, so i wasn't sure if i could make it work even if we did come across someone. i told zach i wanted to photograph a woman today. he didn't understand why (and was much less excited about that idea than i was). i was adamant about it because it is quite difficult to make up numbers as the days go on. i had barely finished explaining that to him when i saw bob.

bob was standing in front of the midtown hardware store, enjoying a cigarette in the sunshine. heading in the same direction, i watched him walk around the side of the building and into the shade. i jumped on the opportunity. i walked up to him and told him what i was up to. he obliged right away by telling me he could relate to my quest. upon graduation from school, his son's best friend travelled around the world photographing the tombstones of famous people with the first name james. bob looked at me with big eyes and a warm smile when he told me the story. he also told me that his kid sister was a professional photographer. it is so nice to run into people that have some appreciation for photography.

bob was born in oklahoma, but travelled the world from the age of 3 years to 25. he grew up in a military family so lived just about everywhere. when i asked him specifically where, bob replied, "name a place in the world". i guess he found a cure for his travel itch because bob is back here in tulsa and didn't mention any plans for leaving. he works at midtown hardware. i asked him if he enjoyed it and he replied, "well, i've been her for 20 years." so i suppose that means he enjoys it.

bob was a really friendly guy. he wished me luck on the project and i felt like he meant it. i like this photo of him quite a lot and am glad for the chance to meet him.

thanks so much, bob!

24 november, 2009

bobby . 27 years old / enid . oklahoma

zach and i drove to new mexico from denver last night. we stayed in the most affordable hotel we could find and then got back on the road before sunrise to make the long drive across the state of oklahoma. we didn't run into many people throughout the day. we stopped for gas and food in tiny towns that didn't have many pedestrians. this part of the country is very car-oriented. i would find it very difficult and frustrating to continue this project in these surroundings.

looking at the map, i realized that we had one more opportunity to look for strangers before the sun went down. that opportunity went by the name "enid, oklahoma", and was the last place to find people before arriving at zach's home after dark. enid is not my kind of town. as you come into it on highway 412, the only thing immediately visible are strip malls and fast food chains, a lot of big trucks, and gas stations. they had a starbucks, though, so we made our way there to get some coffee and look for people.

starbucks was in an ugly building sitting in the middle of an ugly parking lot with a lot of really harsh sunlight ricocheting off the cars and asphalt. i cringed. zach and i took our beverages to go and started walking. looking up and down the street, the only things we could see were road and strip malls and people climbing in and out of their big trucks to go to "dollar general" and "sonic". we didn't have a lot of time to get this done. we had been driving all day and were very ready to get to zach's place. these are the days of iheartstrangers and sometimes they are very taxing.

after a failed attempt in a big parking lot, we crossed four lanes of traffic to make our way back towards the car. neither zach nor i were "feeling it", to say the least. as i was looking around, i saw a man step around the side of a small cargo truck to throw a piece of plastic on the ground. i don't particularly like it when people do that, but i thought i would challenge myself to invite this person to be today's stranger. i figured he would say yes. and i figured if he said no, that i could convince him otherwise.

i rounded the back of the truck and excused myself. a couple of guys were moving mattresses around. the two of them laughed when i told them about the project and bobby agreed to participate. his co-worker/friend jimmy told bobby to throw a large piece of plastic mattress covering away first. i noted the irony. bobby came back from performing his task and we got to work. bobby asked jimmy for his email address and jimmy was not happy about disclosing it. after bobby called jimmy a girl, jimmy told me not fill his inbox up with "spam" and then gave me his address. i assured him that i wouldn't and then bobby and i took some pictures while jimmy wrestled with mattresses in the background.

we didn't exchange much information as bobby had work to do and i had a few more hours of driving ahead of me. i did find out that bobby was born and raised right there in enid and that he works for "galaxy mattress & more" and he loves his job.

23 november, 2009

dino . 67 years old / denver . colorado

my good friend, zach, came into denver from new york city just before noon today. we drove back to my place and then walked downtown to grab some lunch with my friend hillary. zach was in town because we planned to drive to oklahoma to spend the thanksgiving holiday with his family. we hadn't decided whether we should leave today or tomorrow, so we talked it over and decided to just go tonight and see how far we can get. so... directly after lunch we started searching for strangers.

an older man said yes, then backed out after he read the model release. it's too bad that the model release is what keeps people from participating, but there is little to do about it because i have to use it. another man interrupted my spiel to say, "pick somebody else." then there was the woman who said she was tired. she didn't bother to stop walking while she told me that...

standing on the sidewalk, feeling frustrated, i saw another older gentleman crossing the street towards a hummer. i made a beeline for him and called out to him as he was searching for his keys. i told him what i was up to and he agreed to be today''s stranger without any hesitation. he asked me where his keys were. i confessed that i had no idea and then we both laughed. he had a lot of character in his face and i assumed he had a lot of stories.

i had a difficult time making out everything dino said as he spoke quietly and with a thick accent. he told me he was from italy (i heart italy), but came over to the states over 30 years ago. i asked him how he liked it over here and dino replied that coming here was the biggest mistake of his life. he gave up his job in italy to come here for 6 months, then returned home to find that his employer wouldn't hire him back on. i asked him if he was married. he said he was, so i asked him if that was part of the mistake. he laughed and said it wasn't, but only because this was the second marriage.

i don't know what dino does for them, but he works for a catering company. on the rear window of his hummer is a sticker that reads, "touch of sp ces", but i am guessing it is missing an "i".

thanks so much for your being today's stranger, dino!

22 november, 2009

eric . 62 years old / denver . colorado

believe it or not, it was another gorgeous day here in denver. i went for a late afternoon stroll up colfax in search of today's acquaintance. the light was beautiful as the sun was working its way lower in the sky, welcoming night. colfax is an east/west street, so it stays brighter for longer than some of the other parts of town.

i walked more blocks than i thought i would have to and eventually decided to turn around, heading back to where i started from, but on the other side of the street. i was distracted by just about everything happening around me. i felt more perceptive today than i usually am, which proved to be rewarding. i walked by many people, but very few that struck me as the kind to be willing to participate in this. i walked and walked and walked.

finally, after crossing an intersection, i saw this tall man with dark glasses making his way in my direction. as we neared each other, he said hello. that was all i needed. i immediately asked him to be today's stranger and he immediately agreed to it. eric told me that he lived out here 40 years ago, then moved to michigan, and only recently came back. he said denver looked a lot different back then than it does now.

eric hurt his back while working as a maintenance man for a school and has been unable to work for years. something about his being retired made him feel compelled to come back here. he made it sound like times have been tough for him, but he has managed to come out on top. he told me he had cancer, but it has gone into remission. he credited god for taking good care of him and seemed genuinely appreciative for his life. he said hello to people as they passed by in the same way he had said hello to me. i like it when people interact like that... it seems like the way it should be.

i asked eric if he had family or friends, but he told me in a very matter-of-fact manner that he didn't. he said he and his wife are still married, but have been separated for quite a while now and have not even seen each other in months. he said she was his only family. while we were talking, he quickly took a phone call, and then told me that it was his son. i was surprised by that because i would consider a son to be family. then eric told me he had 5 children... i didn't press him with questions about them.

he was warm and friendly and i enjoyed the way he spoke... with a lot of energy. i caught him on his daily walk. eric said that his doctor encouraged him to walk several miles every day to keep his body in as good of shape as he can. he said the walking is good for his bad back. i thanked eric for his time and then we parted ways. about halfway through my note-taking process i realized i didn't have my mittens. i decided to retrace my steps and found them several blocks away, lying in the middle of the sidewalk. i was glad for that... replacing mittens would have been a real inconvenience.

21 november, 2009

laurie . 59 years old / evergreen . colorado

after a wonderfully lazy morning, i decided to make a trip to evergreen with a dear friend and her dog. we made our way up there in the early afternoon and had to make a stop in "downtown" evergreen to look for strangers because our final destination was tucked away in the woods and not exactly bursting at the seams with people.

evergreen is an idyllic little town and definitely worth the visit if you are in the area. we made our way through the main street with eyes out for people we didn't know. i spotted a man on a ladder, hanging holiday decorations. he turned me down very quickly. i wasn't in the mood to work on this project today so the rejection was more frustrating than usual. sometimes i feel like just having a day for me...

i found a woman across the street, also spreading holiday cheer by way of bright lights and decorations. i figured that if people were interested in hanging decorations, then they would definitely be up for participating in this project, but i guess even evergreen isn't immune to skepticism. this woman said yes, so we made the arrangements and filled out the forms and started chatting but then she bailed. i don't know why. her reasoning was faulty, but i don't want people to do it if they don't want to. i left her and crossed out all of her information on the one model release i had with me and set out to look for another.

not far away i spotted another woman who was also on a ladder. she was putting up some hooks on which to hang decorations. i guess it was "decorate the town" day. laurie was immediately receptive to the idea of the project and very friendly. she is originally from iowa, which she spoke fondly of, but has been out here in colorado for about 30 years. she said that the weather has a lot to do with her staying out here... it really is remarkable how many days of blue sky and sunshine we get.

laurie is a barber and seemed to be quite satisfied with her profession. she had such a warm smile and so much kindness in her eyes. she was very sweet and took the time away from hanging hooks to ask me a few questions about the project. i appreciated that so much. she wanted me to take as many photos as was necessary to get a "good one". i think we managed just fine. she looks just as beautiful and sweet in the photo as she did in person.

thank you, laurie!

20 november, 2009

scott . 45 years old / denver . colorado

i spent a good part of the day with my friend, kristin. after having a tasty bite to eat in a part of town i rarely find myself in, we went looking for a salvage yard of sorts that i had come across many months ago while taking pictures for my other website. we drove to where i thought it was and couldn't find it. we turned around, looking again, but still found nothing. i turned around to make one last attempt and found it a bit further up the road. if you head north on broadway, continue on until it turns into brighton boulevard. i highly recommend going there because it is full of treasures.

i found what i was looking for, or a very suitable version of it anyway, and a lot of other things i had no idea i even wanted. i suppose that is usually the case. where does this desire to accumulate come from? the man working at "queen city salvage" was extremely helpful. he was willing to talk and search for what i was looking for and he let kristin and i poke around and answered all of the questions we could think to ask.

he chatted with us as we were getting ready to leave. the hatch of my car is extremely heavy because the lift supports need to be replaced, so i had kristin hold them up while i loaded an old window into the back. i set the window down and suddenly realized i should ask the helpful salvage man to be today's stranger. he was walking away, so i called after him and took off in his direction, but then realized i left kristin with the burden of the hatch. embarrassed, i called to her that she could set it down, and, fortunately for me, she laughed about it.

i told scott what i was up to and asked him if he would be today's stranger. he confessed that he was indeed strange and agreed to it. i think he found it amusing. he even wanted to help me find a good location for the photos. i gave him my card, which happened to be an old photograph of a two-sided drive-in movie theater in oklahoma. scott seemed to appreciate that. whether he feigned it or his interest was genuine i will not know, but he made me feel good about what i was doing. it was nice that he took a second to ask about the image on the business card. out of the last 439 people, he is one of a small handful that have asked about the photos i use as promotional material.

scott is from the east coast originally: maryland, new jersey, and pennsylvania. he moved to chicago for some time, where he picked up some knowledge about cars (he knew a good amount about mine), and eventually made his way to denver. now he spends his time working several jobs, the salvage yard being his friday work. his friend owns the place and they collaborate as they both have knowledge and stuff to get rid of. scott also runs an alpaca ranch not far away and is a historic building renovation carpenter. he was very easy to speak with and obviously had a lot of experience under his belt. he had a good smile and struck me as a warm person.

it is so very wonderful when the process of finding the day's stranger is as organic as it was today. thank you so much for your time, scott!

19 november, 2009

mike . 52 years old / denver . colorado

i took some photographs for the denver forum today. the event was at the oxford hotel in downtown denver, so after i was finished, i decided to walk around that neighborhood in search of today's stranger. i met some very nice people at the event, so i was in a great mood. it was a beautiful day, too, which only added to my happiness. the sun was shining, but the air was cool - perfect for a light jacket. i spotted an attractive older woman and asked her to participate, but she had used up all of her break time walking as slowly as possible and needed to get back into work.

i walked around a few blocks, not necessarily worried, because i had plenty of daylight left, but still eager to find someone. i decided to take a pit stop at "common grounds" to fuel up with some coffee. i ordered a latte, but realized that i did not have my wallet. the barista had already started making my drink, so she gave it to me for free. i thought that was very nice of her, but i was quite embarrassed by my absentmindedness. while i was waiting for the drink, a man chatted with me about my camera bag, comparing and contrasting it to his own bag (which he told me he could fit a 6-pack in). he was quite nice, too.

i stepped outside with my coffee in hand and rounded the corner and walked about a block and then saw mike. he was walking slowly and didn't seem to be in any kind of rush. i excused myself and told him what i was up to. he chuckled. i explained a bit more and asked him to be today's stranger, careful to explain there was no money or any other shady business involved. he said, "sure, i don't care." i told him that was good enough for me and we got down to business.

mike is originally from san diego, california, but has been here in denver since 1980. i asked him if he liked it and he responded that he was happy to be where is ex-wife wasn't. she is back in san diego, so i guess that is enough for him. mike was looking for the barth hotel when i stumbled upon him. the staff had called him several times about his potentially working for them, but he was unable to call them back as he had run out of minutes on his cell phone. i passed the barth hotel earlier in the day on my route to the oxford, so i was able to tell him exactly where to go.

mike was very kind. he kept a warm expression on his face and had an endearing smile and laugh. he patiently stood there while i took a few portraits of him and waited until i was finished to ask me a question. "how in the world do you make money from this?" he was quite surprised when i explained that i didn't make any money at all from this. he asked me why i did it and was impressed enough with my answer that he told me he was going to look at the rest of the site. i explained to him that i do get work indirectly through this project and that i also enjoy meeting people and practicing my craft every day. i can't be sure, but i think mike walked away from our encounter feeling a little bit inspired.

thanks so much for your time, mike. i hope the job at the barth works out for you.

18 november, 2009

cynthia . 18 years old / denver . colorado

after about two hours and too many no's to count, i spotted a young woman climbing into a rather beat-up car on 13th avenue. i was pretty much expecting another rejection, so i was very pleasantly surprised when cynthia agreed to be today's stranger.

she is currently studying to be a photographer at the art institute just around the corner. studying part-time and looking for work with the rest of her time keeps her quite busy. she said that she is willing to do just about anything, but she is still having trouble finding a job.

i asked her what kind of photographer she hoped to be and cynthia replied that she is interested in family events. she said she has been working with photography her whole life and gave her mom the credit for growing that interest in her. there are plenty of family events taking place, but the secret is convincing those families that photography is something that should be paid for. event photography is not my favorite, so i fully support cynthia pursuing it. if she had said she wanted to photograph strangers every day... well... that would have been a different story.

cynthia's parking meter had just expired, so we hurried the process. i made a comment about the condition of the car, but she passed on the glory to her cousin. thanks so much for saying "yes" today, cynthia.

17 november, 2009

kirk . 40 years old / denver . colorado

i left my place earlier today than i did yesterday, but decided to repeat the first part of my route. i hoped to photograph a woman as an attempt to even out the gender numbers, but i wasn't coming across many of them. i walked by a wonderfully friendly man, but didn't ask him because i was determined to find someone of the female persuasion.

i again tried to visit "unassimilated", the store from a couple of days ago, but found it closed. it must be open by appointment only. i would feel lousy making an appointment to just look at stuff i can't buy, so i may not discover its treasures until i strike it rich. i walked down some streets i have never before visited and had a great time looking around, but it became obvious after some time that i chose a very non-pedestrian route.

i had a lunch appointment in the day's last hour of decent light, so i was trying to get the stranger photo taken care of before that. time started closing in and that all too familiar feeling of panic started to flood my system. there are people all over the place. i know this. you know this. but... there are not people all over this who look like they want to be photographed by a stranger on the street. it's not an easy thing to describe, but there is a vibe that most people are putting off that says they are definitely going to say no.

i crossed the street to head a bit closer to where i needed to end up for lunch and noticed a curly-haired man admiring a slick, white BMW in the parking lot near the jet hotel. i approached him and gave him the strangers rundown. he grinned at me with a hint of a "when is this guy going to ask me for my bank account number?" look on his face. i'd say that the fact that i don't ask people for money or drugs or sex usually comes as quite the surprise. sometimes they still say no, but today it proved to be enough.

kirk works for a popular burrito company's corporate office. he said he upgraded his computer system, but it was having some difficulties with the changes, so the IT department was working on it. he decided to step outside for some fresh air and then look for some food. he only had a few minutes to give me so i tried to make the process as quick as i could. i wish i could meet the stranger and then take them for coffee or buy them lunch and then get to know them a bit better. i'd much rather tell people that i wanted to buy them some coffee and take their picture than just take their picture. i need some funding.

kirk was a very nice guy. he had a good smile and seemed like a meek person. he wasn't quite sure what to do in front of the camera, so we joked about this not happening to him every day... or ever. this photographing strangers trend has not caught on yet, so i still get the joy of bringing an entirely new experience to the people i meet on the street.

i wished kirk success with his computer and he wished me luck with my project and we parted ways. thanks so much for your time today!

16 november, 2009

diona . 21 years old / denver . colorado

inspired by the beauty of yesterday's walk, i headed in the same direction this afternoon. i hoped to find someone to photograph before i made it to michael's (yesterday's stranger) store, but it didn't work out that way, so i will have to visit another day. i ended up walking through his neighborhood and continued on to downtown. i was determined to photograph a woman today, but it seemed that the gods were against me.

one woman blushed and giggled and said no. another smiled and wished me luck, turning me down. another said she couldn't allow me to photograph her. another was waiting for the bus, but told me where to find her boots, which i had complimented. another was trying to catch the train. another was the stylist for a german photographer and couldn't participate because she was working. i lost count of the no's, but am fairly certain it was six or seven. each "no" stings a little. and each takes some time. when i spent the better part of the day working, time is of the essence. perhaps i should start waking with the sunrise and set out immediately to look for strangers.

i stood at an intersection, trying to decide if i should cross the street or turn around or take a right or just sit down in the middle of the street and hope that the arresting police officer would turn out to be a woman. eventually choosing a relatively sane option, i crossed the street. when i got to the other side, i decided to walk through a courtyard called "writer square". i just now remembered that, as soon as i arrived to the square, i asked a man if he'd be today's stranger. he also said no because he was working and the boss was "lurking". he was in some kind of security uniform and he was nice, so i believed his story. about a second later, i found today's stranger.

two very beautiful young woman were walking through the courtyard. they were both dressed to kill. one of them was wearing dark aviator sunglasses. the other had an old camera around her neck. they were speaking to each other in a language i didn't recognize. i walked up to them and excused myself. i gave them the story and asked if the one with the camera might be interested in being today's stranger. she smiled when i told her what i was doing (before i had asked for her time), so i thought she might say yes. she did. and oh, what a relief!

the two women were from kosovo. not having much knowledge of that part of the world, i looked up what language is predominantly spoken there. it quickly became clear that i have a lot to learn about that area. greece is the closest i have been to kosovo, but the two have very different histories. i wont get into the history lesson i just gave myself on wikipedia because i'd hate to misspeak, but let's just say that there is plenty to discover. anyway, i am guessing the two ladies were speaking albanian (correct me if i am wrong, please). i should have asked, but, once again, i wasn't thinking clearly enough.

diona is currently living in california, but she is in denver visiting her friend who is studying here. the two were friends as children back in kosovo and both of their families moved to the united states about 10 years ago. diona is studying fashion and will be making her way to paris in january to continue her education. she arrived to denver just a few days ago and is thoroughly enjoying the snow that we've recently been graced with. she just turned 21 years old yesterday. the two ladies looked very happy to be reunited.

our interaction didn't last long. we exchanged the necessary information and then made light work of the photos. diona had a very well rehearsed but natural smile and seemed extremely comfortable in front of the camera. i only had to make sure the exposure was correct and my focus was sharp. it didn't take too long for the sun to set after we finished shooting, so it was quite lucky that diona said yes. i sat down and took a few notes and then went on my way.

15 november, 2009

michael . 62 years old / denver . colorado

being that i am still in a severe rut, i wasn't necessarily excited about the adventure that hearting strangers would inevitably be, so i was extremely grateful for having wonderful company on my walk today. we set out from my apartment and headed north and west towards the part of town called "five points". it was a gorgeous day. snow has graced us with its presence again and today the sidewalks were shrouded in archways of heavy laden branches. it was breathtaking.

we walked for a while, coming across very few people. it being sunday, coupled with the cold temperature and snow, the scarcity of folks was not a surprise. we ended up in the most beautiful of neighborhoods and couldn't help "ooo"ing and "ahhh"ing over the unique architecture and ravishing color schemes. wandering around, choosing streets based on some indescribable system of mine, we eventually stumbled upon an exceptionally grand home. on the corner, an elderly man and woman were engaged in a conversation. i had it in mind to photograph a woman today, but was not inspired to interrupt these folks. my companion and i decided to walk around the block and see what the duo's status was when we came back around.

keeping an eye out for other strangers along the way, we didn't find anybody overly compelling. rounding the other three corners of the block, we made the final stretch towards the man and woman. they were still chatting, but i figured we might approach them just to see what ensued. our walk down the sidewalk was interrupted by our inability to ignore a stretch of four of the most beautiful homes that i've come across in denver. as we stood there, admiring the intricacies of each of the homes, a man called out to us. he was the man that we had seen on the corner. he was carrying a shovel to aid in his task of clearing the sidewalk, but obviously welcoming interruptions.

he began telling us the history of this particular block and eventually diving into a poetic description of this neighborhood known as "curtis park". i told him that i was working on this project and asked if he might like to be today's stranger. after a brief disclaimer about how he still uses blankets and smoke to communicate and recently decided to take a class to learn the difference between a telephone and a computer (although... now they can be combined into one handheld tool), he said he had no particular objection, but it might be more practical to find someone a little more technically savvy. we chatted for another minute or two and i decided that this man was far too interesting to pass up.

michael ritchie moved to denver from washington d.c. to attend university at the age of 16. he told us that back then there was a bit of skepticism around educating out-of-towners because they tend to just learn and leave. but michael liked it out here and decided to stay. he has a background in business and design and has been combining the two for many years. the beautiful house he is standing in front of has been his home for the last 31 years, but has been standing since 1884, which is considered ancient to denver's standard. he owns the next three houses down the street, too, and another around the corner and his business sits on a lot across the street. he has been collecting rare and foreign materials for many years: doorknobs, french doors, 18-foot doors, old wooden-wheeled wagons, and a vast array of other home furnishings and building materials. his store is in a beautiful old building marked with an antique french marquee which very uniquely spells out the clever and highly appropriate name "unassimilated". i am looking forward to stopping by and spending some more time with michael.

we stood on the sidewalk for several minutes, listening to michael passionately share stories about his life and the neighborhood that is now his home. he had a distinguished air about him, but one free of arrogance. speaking with him was a completely refreshing experience. i was intrigued, to say the very least. he lives in his home by himself and has kept a variety of canine companions over the years, but this year brought about the death of his last chow. he spends his time renovating these historic homes and collecting international treasures.

in the small window at the top of the house, there is a face. i had a hard time distinguishing if it was a painting or a statue of some kind. i asked michael about it, but he claims to not see it. he knew what i was talking about because people often ask about the face, but he swears he can't see it and assured us that the house is not haunted. i am sure it is an elaborate game he likes to play with people. i found the whole thing to be absolutely charming. everything about michael was enchanting, from the way he spoke to his slight but constant head nod. he refers to his part of town as "michaelville", claiming that "ritchieville" would exude the wrong vibe.

if you end up in his neck of the woods, please say hello. it will be worth your time. thank you so very much, michael!

14 november, 2009

paul . 26 years old / denver . colorado

today's search went a lot longer than i hoped it would. i spent nearly a couple of hours searching. it was cold and overcast and threatening snow the whole time. there wasn't a lot of light, which, as i am sure you can imagine, isn't the best for picture-taking. 5 people told me no today. one of those was on the fence, but was being so indecisive that i just let them go. another of them said yes, then reneged on account of not wanting exposure and claiming the project to be commercial. i felt like throwing in the towel. i remember standing on the street, looking up and down the sidewalks, seriously considering just walking home and posting a farewell to this project.

it was in the deepest point of this despair that i saw a man in a bright orange jumpsuit leading a pack of 4 or 5 other people in my direction. he was carrying a bright green cone in one hand and modeling purple mardi gras beads around his neck. i stepped aside to let the troupe pass, but the orange-suited fellow made eye contact with me and looked to be of the friendly sort. it is very rare that i will stop a group of people and single out one of them, but i figured i had nothing to lose.

the entire group was quite friendly and after the guy agreed to be today's stranger, one of his compadres gave me a business card, representing the "denver boarding coalition" - snowboarding, that is. paul was a very amiable guy and told me that his friends call him "rabbit". the process wasn't happening as naturally as it usually does, so i didn't think to ask why, but i am guessing there is a lovely story to accompany that nickname. paul's friends decided to go on ahead and they arranged to meet at a bar after we were finished.

paul and the gang had been at a snowboarding-related expo. he saw the orange suit and was immediately drawn to it, but it had a hefty price tag on it. the company dropped their price and paul took the bait and purchased it. he was excited to wear it the next day on the mountain, but clearly couldn't wait. why put that in a bag and carry at your side when you can just put it on over your clothes? i didn't ask about the green cone, either. one would think that questions about nicknames like "rabbit" and green cones would come naturally, but i was out of it.

i did learn that paul works as a cartographer for a leading elevation company. he enjoys his work and i'd guess the rest of his life, too. i am going to assume that the candid attitude and high energy he exhibited for me is his normal. he struck me as a highly motivated individual and a trustworthy guy. he certainly made a good impression on me. i wish it didn't take 5 no's and a couple of hours in the cold and snow to have a 5-minute conversation with a nice guy, but so be it, i guess. what else can i do?

thanks paul!

13 november, 2009

danielle . 27 years old / denver . colorado

i had a meeting with some lovely folks at the platte forum (platteforum.org) this morning. we talked about my possibly talking to some of the participating students about this project and i think that sounds like a lovely idea. after that, i drank some coffee and then felt the urge to go to south broadway to look around. that looking around turned into a several hour affair.

in the process of looking for strangers, i stopped by the new illiterate (illiteratemagazine.com) gallery space. they recently moved in and they had a show hanging. all of the pieces were themed around "where the wild things are" and i knew one of the artists, so i wanted to take a peek. i also wanted to meet the people who so graciously featured me on their website. it turned out to be a brilliant decision and i hung out with them for some time. they are nice people.

i reconvened my search for strangers and walked and walked and walked. i came across a very old woman with more wrinkles on her face than i thought was even possible. she was beautiful. and she was wearing some tinted prescription glasses. to top it off, we were near a good background. i thought it was perfect, but alas, she rejected my offer. she said she needed to go to the bank. i told her it only took a few minutes, but she held her ground. that was a tough loss.

i walked on again, retracting my steps, intent on shooting in the south broadway neighborhood. i had spent quite a long time in the searching process today and was feeling pretty tired when i suddenly saw these two women making their way in my direction. we crossed paths in the middle of the street. i immediately said hello and began telling them about the project. i walked with them to the side of the street i had just come from and finished up the pitch.

danielle and lisa were both wonderfully friendly. they were all smiles and laughs and when asked who would participate, lisa volunteered danielle and danielle accepted, but she insisted that lisa join her for some of the pictures. we crossed the street to take the pictures in an empty lot beside a ragged old wall. i had walked by that place several times today and was so glad to finally have the opportunity to use it.

danielle is originally from bridgewater, massachusetts, and lisa from providence, rhode island. they are both 27 years old. i am from the east coast and am also 27, so that was all very nice. those similarities gave us some light material to connect over and made the mood very fresh. danielle works as a computer programmer (and enjoys it) but had the day off and chose to spend it with lisa, who lives in the neighborhood. they were window shopping at the different stores around the south broadway district, just checking things out. i didn't find out much about lisa as she was politely letting danielle and me do our thing, but she did say she liked my scarf. it is so nice to receive a compliment from a stranger!

these two woman were a breath of fresh air. they were so happy and lighthearted. and, i have to say, their mood was contagious. i had been feeling very worn out and tired from the big search, but the worries drifted off immediately upon meeting danielle and lisa. thank you both so very much!

12 november, 2009

taryn . 24 years old / denver . colorado

i went down to wolf camera to drop off another file to print. while it was in the works, i rode my bicycle to a sporting goods store a few blocks away. as i pulled up to the place, i saw a guy bouldering on a big rock. i approached him and asked if he might like to be today's stranger. he told me he was working out and didn't want to break his routine. he looked pretty tuckered, so i thanked him and went inside.

i perused the stuff i couldn't afford and then, feeling dejected, got back on my bike. i really wanted to photograph a stranger in this other part of town because i am not often there, so i started exploring the streets until i came across the skate park. i watched a bunch of different people do a bunch of different things that i cannot do and was fascinated by the whole thing. it was a predominantly male crowd, but there was one female who was standing near me. i eventually asked her if she would be today's stranger. she said yes at first, but then quickly changed her mind. i didn't find out why. i hung around for a few more minutes, but was worried about the time, so i split.

i went back to the mall street to pick up that print, but decided to find the stranger first. i walked a couple of blocks and looked down an alley only to make eye contact with taryn. she was lighting a cigarette, on a break from work. it didn't take any convincing for her to say yes, so that was nice. while we were starting our chat, another guy came up and asked for a cigarette. taryn went around the corner to get him one and i just listened to him talk about how great the new american spirit cigarette cases are. i guess they are metal. the guy was excited about them because he uses them for storage after the smokes are gone. taryn came back and then the guy hung around for a minute, still chatting. i felt a little bit awkward. he was a nice enough guy, but something seemed a little off.

anyway... taryn works at a woman's clothing store called "forever 21". something about that name just makes me sad. i wouldn't want to be 21 forever. i asked taryn what else she did with her time, but she said she doesn't have much of a life. i found out that she grew up in littleton, which she referred to as "little fun" and then laughed. she didn't ask me any questions and i wasn't sure how to keep her talking, so i just set to taking pictures. i wasn't thrilled with the way i was handling my camera, so i took about twice as many shots as i usually do. taryn was very sweet, but quiet. when i finished the photos, we shook hands and then she split. i stood on the street taking notes for a few minutes then continued on with the rest of my evening.

11 november, 2009

eric . 36 years old / denver . colorado

after finishing up a lunch date in lower downtown, i decided to go stranger hunting. the weather has been beautiful, but the days are getting shorter and shorter. this whole daylight savings thing really messes with my schedule. i think we should leave time alone.

i hadn't walked very far, maybe just a block or two, when i saw a man step into the sunlight across the street. i noticed his hat and liked it a lot. i think i may have only decided to cross the street to ask him to be the day's stranger because of the hat. he looked pretty good in the hat, too, so i suppose that helped.

i went over and told him what i was up to. he was on a short "fresh air" (i can't give away his secret) break from his job. eric works as a receptionist for an equity company that was just above where we were standing. i don't really understand what that means, but he said that he enjoyed his job. he was born in salida, colorado, and said it was a really great place to grow up. he has been living in colorado ever since and seemed to enjoy that. actually, it seemed that he enjoyed things on a regular basis.

we chatted for just a minute before eric needed to get back upstairs to work. he was a super nice guy. he had cheerful eyes and a good smile. he told me he liked my green shoes and said he had the same pair, but in yellow. i have never seen the yellow, so i might have to be on the lookout for those now.

well... thanks so much for taking the time to be a part of this, eric!

10 november, 2009

jaime . 32 years old / denver . colorado

after a tasty bite to eat with a friend of mine, i pedaled over to south broadway. it's been some time since i last visited the thrift/vintage stores down there, so i thought i might take a peek at the discarded gems. i didn't find anything too wonderful, so i set out to look for my own treasure: the day's stranger. i made my way north until i walked by the mayan theatre. just as i was about to pass a pharmacy/convenience store, i saw a woman step onto the sidewalk right in front of me. her bright jacket and scarf caught my eye first, then her glasses, and finally her clear, bright eyes.

i immediately excused myself and told her i was a photographer and that i was taking pictures of a stranger every single day. at first she looked at me with all the skepticism in the world, but then she asked if i was the guy that had the show at city, o' city. i told her i was and asked if she was up for it. i think that my having some credibility made her feel a bit better about the whole situation, so she agreed to participate.

we rounded the corner to find some shade and started chatting. i soon found out that jaime was the owner of "fancy tiger crafts" - a lovely store on the corner of ellsworth and broadway. i've repeatedly visited the fancy tiger clothing boutique that sits across the street and have even had good conversation with matthew, the owner and jamie's husband, but, not being particularly crafty, had not gone into the craft store until today. i've heard a lot of talk about the stores and the people that run them and everybody has such very good things to say. i'd like to go ahead and vouch for them and say that everything good you have heard about both of the stores is absolutely true.

realizing that jaime was probably heading back towards her store, i asked if we could take the pictures near there, as the pharmacy background was everything but photogenic. that gave us a great opportunity to talk some more, too, so off we went. jaime was born in california, but moved out this way when she was very young. her and matthew spent a few years on an island off the coast of texas, but are now happily settled back at home in denver. jaime said that her store is doing well. people are apparently being even more crafty than normal during this economic calamity. i asked her if she was crafty and she said that she was indeed. felting, sewing, knitting, spinning, etc. - it sounded like she does it all.

jaime was very pleasant to speak with. her and matthew really seem to be wonderful people. in the end, i think jaime was glad to be a part of this project. she told me she liked it because when she saw the exhibition, she expected to see many people that she knew, but she was surprised to learn that she only recognized a handful. she said, "they really are strangers." which was quite nice to hear... i guess i am doing an ok job at keeping it diverse, at least socially.

we said our goodbyes in front of her store, then she ducked inside to head back to work. i realized a few seconds later that she might benefit from having one of her photos taken in front of the shop, so i went inside and volunteered. it turned out that it wasn't necessary, but i am glad that i went inside because i found a basket full of "make your own sock monkeys" which i think i might have to further investigate.

if you get the chance, go visit both of the fancy tiger stores on south broadway. thanks so much for your time, jaime!

09 november, 2009

wayne . 60 years old / denver . colorado

i parked my bike at city, o' city to grab some coffee and say hi to some friends. after fueling up, i headed outside to search for strangers, but there was an adorable cockapoo (cocker spaniel / poodle) named henry sitting outside on the bench, so i took a few minutes to bond with him before setting out on foot.

i didn't dress warm enough, so i did my best to stay in the sun. i ended up walking towards the library and museum, but i didn't really feel like shooting down there. i wandered around and eventually crossed in front of the library, which is, in addition to the little parks in that area, home to a plethora of drug dealers. i am not sure exactly what they are selling, but it's nothing i am interested in. a bright-eyed guy looked at me and said hi in a cheery tone. i responded equally as cheerily, causing us both to smile a bit bigger than normal. he asked me what i was doing. i told him i was just walking around. i asked him what he was doing. he was hanging out. he asked me if i needed anything. i told him i was good and smiled. he smiled and patted me on the shoulder. i bade him a good day, but was wishing there was a way to make those stories. portraying busted drug dealers would probably take some better convincing skills and a stronger angle than i've developed so far.

i crossed broadway to make my way back towards the capitol building and soon saw an older gentleman standing under a tree, looking at his iphone. i approached him and gave him the strangers' pitch and he agreed to be today's. "what do i have to do?", he asked. i explained the simple process and he didn't protest in the least.

wayne was working on google wave - a brand new google program that, from what i understand, incorporates instantaneous chat functions with conference capabilities, allowing for people to have a whiteboard meeting from anywhere with phone reception. it sounded pretty efficient, but something i have little use for as i don't have anyone to have conferences with or anything to conference about. wayne is a journalist and has been for his entire life, he said. he had a good spirit to him and a ready smile that caused me to assume that he enjoys his life and his work.

the sun was setting directly behind him, but it was soft enough for me to incorporate into today's photo. as i was composing the shot, a guy walked by and yelled, "you are going to break your camera!", and then laughed. i asked wayne if he knew the guy. he didn't. i suppose interaction is good, right? even in ridiculous forms. wayne and i wrapped up our interaction pretty quickly. he asked me if he could photograph me when i was finished. the second shot is him readying his phone for the picture taking process. i don't know what he plans to do with the photo, but i hope it turned out great.

thanks so much for your time, wayne.

08 november, 2009

ryan . 31 years old / denver . colorado

i attended a fundraiser last night. it was a black tie event. saying that that is not the kind of place you will frequently find me is a bit of an understatement. they frown on moccasins and boat shoes and torn denim with old t-shirts, so i was in a recently purchased costume, doing my best to not be an eye-sorer. i took some photographs for the boys & girls club and they played a part in the event, which is why i was there. it was a great experience and it turned out to be a much better time than i assumed it would be. the night continued on into the wee hours of the morning, ringing in today after it was already half over.

i've been spending so much time thinking about this project: how it transforms and how it could be better, but also the impact it has had on me. it has definitely turned into the answer to that "what do you do?" question. and i guess because of its ever increasing dominating presence in my own life, i'd like for the "finished product" of each day to somehow be more monumental. which, i suppose, means putting more time into it. but here we run into the situation of finances and this is where i get stuck. while spinning my wheels in trying to get free, i expend a lot of energy, which then leaves less for the project. do you see the cycle?

well... today, when i grabbed my gear and set out to look for strangers, it felt good. i didn't feel the burden, but rather the adventure, which is why i started it in the first place. it's nice to get back to that. this new energy comes and goes and i never know for how long it will stick around, but i am absolutely welcoming it.

i wandered around and ended up on colfax. i started heading west to bring myself closer to my home turf and didn't walk far before i saw this young guy walking up the sidewalk in my direction. i couldn't see him all that well because the sun was setting behind him, casting those golden bursts of light that blind you when they dodge telephone poles and passing trucks. i excused myself and began my spiel. for a second, the guy didn't stop. he looked at me with a set of eyes i've seen about a thousand times. those eyes that think i want some money or some drugs or a cigarette. i turned to walk with him and continued on with my story, for some reason not feeling affected by the split-second rejection. as i continued to talk, he stopped, and i watched as his walls came down. his eyes changed and i knew he would say yes. colfax is a tough sell. i know this, but i continue to solicit its patrons. colfax always has people, and often, especially on sundays, the people that are usually in other parts of town are hiding. i'd venture a guess that this guy's initial resistance was due only to our location.

ryan was out walking around with an older canon film camera on his shoulder. i didn't see it at first because of that setting sun, so it was a nice surprise when i realized what it was. he is studying graphic design at metro state college and was working on an assignment for his "photography one" class. while he isn't studying, he works in the service industry, but i didn't get the specifics. he moved out to colorado 9 years ago because his older brother had moved out here a while before. he grew up in new jersey and upstate new york and, i am guessing, just felt the call for some adventure and change. denver seems to have a special appeal to people from the northeast.

ryan and i chatted for a few minutes in the alley where i photographed him. we talked camera lingo for a short while and then he asked if he could photograph me. i was happy to oblige. returning the favor is the very least i can do. i am fairly certain that day 427 marks the first time that the stranger has wanted to take pictures of me. thanks so much for your time, ryan.

07 november, 2009

peggy . 54 years old / denver . colorado

a friend of mine came down from fort collins this morning. we spent some time setting up some pictures for the boys & girls club fundraiser that will take place later tonight, then grabbed some lunch, and ventured out to look for strangers. it happened to be "free day" at the denver art museum, so we decided to go down and check it out. i purposed to photograph the day's new friend before we soaked in all the western art on display.

as we were standing in front of the museum, chatting and laughing, i saw a woman dressed in black with beautiful black hair. my buddy realized i had drifted off, so he asked me if i found someone. i told him yes and then chased the woman down. i excused myself and, to my pleasant surprise, she responded jovially. i told her what i was doing and asked her to be today's stranger. she energetically agreed and said, "i'm open!". i asked her to walk across the street with me so that we could take advantage of the vacant shaded wall. she agreed, but told me she only had a few minutes left on her lunch break.

peggy works in the museum gift shop and seemed to thoroughly enjoy her job. she told me she also sings - jazz and blues - and might be interested in having some head shots taken. i liked the sounds of that! i asked her to let me know when she performs. i'd like to go listen to some good jazz soon. peggy is originally from chicago, but moved to denver via santa fe, new mexico 31 years ago, so i think it is fair to say that she has made denver her home by now.

our interaction was quick, but exactly what i needed. i am trying to find my way out of this drought that i've somehow lost myself in. upbeat, happy interactions with people like peggy definitely serve as a guiding light. thank you, ma'am.

06 november, 2009

jovan . 30 years old / denver . colorado

after spending a few hours putting some of the finishing touches on the boys & girls club job, i decided to head out into the gorgeous day (75 degrees!) to look for today's stranger. i walked down 16th avenue for a few blocks until i came to sherman street. there was an alley near there that i wanted to use, so i walked in circles for a couple of minutes, hoping that someone would catch my eye. nobody came by the alley, but i did see a young man take a seat on a stone wall across the street.

i cut through some traffic and approached the guy. he had some paperwork at his side and was dressed sharply, so i assumed he worked in the area. i told him what i was up to and he chuckled a bit, but agreed to participate right away. jovan said that he dabbled in photography, too, and he understood the challenge of finding subjects. i appreciated his empathy.

jovan was just taking a few minutes away from his job, looking forward to his work week coming to an end. he works as an accountant at a nearby business. i asked him if he enjoyed his job, but he just replied that it was "a job". he was very good-natured and seemed like a genuine guy. he had a calm presence and kept a warm smile on his face while we chatted.

we didn't talk much, but our interaction was good. jovan told me he didn't have any images online because he was just messing around with photoshop right now. i wished him luck and told him to drop me a line when he starts showing his work.

thanks so much for your time today, jovan.

05 november, 2009

chris . 19 years old / denver . colorado

at one point during my search for today's featured stranger, i crossed colfax. i've eluded to it before, but i'll just go ahead and reiterate my ambivalence for colfax. i like it for the dump that it is, so it is hard to label it with a "good" or "bad" feeling. today, though, i would go ahead and say that i don't like it. not even for what it is.

as i crossed over, i saw two under-cover police officers with someone who was, most likely, not a police officer. i gawked for a few seconds and then continued on my way. i probably made about 10 steps south, when this guy yelled, "what are you doing?" at me. i told him i didn't quite understand. he clarified that he was just saying hello. ok... so i gave him a hello back. the next few minutes made me very uncomfortable. the guy's name was jay. he assured me that that was true by showing me the letters j-a-y tattooed down the length of his forearm. i told him i was joshua, but felt silly because i had no ink to "prove" it. he asked me about partying, smoking, drinking. he told me i was cute and asked if i had a girlfriend. he kept casually trying to get me further away from colfax, which ordinarily would have been fine with me, but i guess i felt more secure closer to the under-covers in this instance. he eventually asked me if he could spend 10 minutes with me. i told him i was working. i told him i was looking for strangers to photograph. he told me it was too bad i didn't have my gear. when he learned that i did, he told me he didn't look very good. i assured him he looked fine. he asked about his hair. i told him it looked good. i eventually asked if he wanted to be today's stranger. he did. oh yes, he did. "let's go down the street.", he said. i asked him why. when he didn't have a good answer, i went ahead and told him i was going to head out. fortunately he let me go without protest.

i went to city, o' city for a brief respite and then stepped outside to again look for strangers. i immediately saw this young man. we crossed sherman street together and, on the other side, i told him about my penchant for strangers. he looked young, so i asked him if he was at least 18. he said he was 19. perfect.

it turns out that chris was on his way to the library. he wanted to do some research on animals in preparation for his future as a marine biology student. he's got another year of high school, but he's making good use of his time. he told me he has lived in florida, alabama, and in denver, but has been out here for 17 of his 19 years. he lives with his mother, 17 year old brother and 3 year old sister, and he and his brother team up to help take care of their grandmother.

chris was a nice guy. we didn't spend much time chatting, so i will wrap this up here. thanks, chris!

04 november, 2009

sarah . 28 years old / denver . colorado

after a wonderful breakfast meeting with another photographer (ashley davis, who i mentioned on here several weeks ago), i hopped on my bike to tackle the rest of this busy day. i rode probably less than one block before i saw a young woman sitting in the sun, enjoying a cigarette in front of a decrepit (i.e., photogenic) warehouse-type building i pedaled passed her, but then turned around, thinking it completely crazy to pass up the opportunity.

by the time i turned around, the woman had gotten up and headed into an alley. i caught her as she was making her way into the door of another building. i excused myself and told her what i was up to, explaining that her setting had been too photogenic to ignore. she very pleasantly agreed, but asked if she could grab something inside first. of course!

i dismounted and readied my gear and then sarah came back. we exchanged some information and signed releases and chatted a bit. sarah said she was a "chefé" (female chef, but i might have made up the spelling) for this catering company called "fancy to fantasy" and she's been working with food for the last 12 years. she is originally from virginia, near washington d.c., but has been out here in denver for the last 3 years and likes it very much.

we didn't talk much more than that... i am pretty sure sarah had work to do. she was very pleasant while we did speak, though. she had a soft, high pitched but very soothing voice that i just now realized reminded me of another sara that i know in boston. i was reeling from the previous meeting and excited about the rest of the busy day, so i pedaled off feeling like a complete champ.

thank you, sarah!

03 november, 2009

glenn . 60 years old / denver . colorado

choosing to make the best of the 30-minute cycle, i went out in search of strangers after loading up my local laundromat's washing machines with my dirty clothes. it's rare that it happens like this, but today everything went according to plan. it was marvelous.

i wandered for a few blocks until i caught sight of a man sweeping off his front walkway. as i neared the house, i saw that it was for rent. it was a very quaint house, like the kind of place i might like to purchase some day - "some" being the keyword. i approached the sweeping man and told him what i was doing. he laughed. it was a good-natured chuckle, though, and he agreed right away. it seemed that the more we talked, the more he wondered. i am fairly certain he thought i was a little on the crazy side.

glenn asked me what my parents thought of my doing this project. i didn't really feel like getting into the specifics of my family's painful drama, so i was glad when he followed up that question with his curiosity about how everyone in my life felt about it. i told him that i figured most people thought i was a little nutty, but now i will take this opportunity to say that my mother fully supports me. that is both a blessing and a curse, because when one has another's blessing, it is important to not let them down.

glenn grew up in california, but he and his wife moved around between there and chicago and denver, finally settling in denver in 1989. glenn was doing some post-doctorate work in the bio-medical field and they wanted to purchase a home here. glenn "retired" not so long ago and has been spending his time renovating the home that we were standing in front of. he was making some finishing touches to it and, i would guess, feeling pretty glad to have it nearly wrapped up.

while we stood in his front yard, a young woman with two dogs approached us to ask if i was inquiring about the house. i admitted that i wasn't and stepped aside, allowing she and glenn to talk some shop. glenn made a comment to the effect of being glad that i had come along because it caused him to be outside when this woman walked by. let's all take a moment of silence in appreciation of serendipity, shall we?

glenn and i had a nice chat and then parted ways. i walked to the corner to take some notes and glenn continued his work. i hope he rents his house soon. i forgot to ask him what he planned to do now.

02 november, 2009

thomas . 20 years old / denver . colorado

this was a busy day! i spent the morning working on my other website - joshualanglais.com . it occurred to me late last night that i needed to make a big change. i have been loading images to another site called "i heart people i know", but i was growing very tired of it because it was limiting what images i could show off. i laid awake for a long time, unable to stop thinking about it. i was too tired to do the work then, but my head was too active to let me rest. when i woke up this morning, i dove into it and got the work done relatively quickly. it was a great start to the day.

then i went downtown to take care of some of the prints for this weekend's fundraiser for the boys & girls club. keep an eye out for some of the images from that job... they will be making an appearance soon. while awaiting something to print at wolf camera, i decided to go look for the day's stranger. still feeling the effects of some previous pressure from some of this project's viewers, i was looking to photograph a non-white male. so i walked up and down the 16th street mall, watching the passers-by like a hawk.

i eventually came across a gentleman who turned out to be from jordan. he just arrived a few days ago to participate in some medical training. he is a pediatric surgeon in jordan and was going to be here looking in on some surgeries for about 4 weeks. he was extremely apprehensive about the project, and asked if we could wait for his friend to arrive so he could find out if it was ok. it was supposed to be 10 minutes, but i ended up talking with him for about 20 minutes. his friend had still not arrived and, sadly, he told me he just couldn't do it. it is one thing to not take it personally when someone doesn't even listen to my spiel, but it requires more strength than i have to brush it off after a 20 minute conversation. i walked off very disheartened... hardly even able to cherish the good conversation i just had...

i walked on and heard another "no" and was just not in the mood for it today. another hour and a half of walking around, talking, asking, searching... some days it is just too much. i walked a few blocks, did some pacing, made a few circles, and then spotted a young guy i had seen about an hour earlier. his bike caught my eye initially and then his hat and sunglasses. i did not ask the guy the first time i saw him because i was trying to be more diverse, but when i saw him the second time, i couldn't resist.

thomas had just parted ways with a friend and had to walk a couple of blocks up the street. he agreed to be today's stranger and actually seemed glad about it. that was perfect! i walked with him for a little while until we came to an alley i had been wanting to use. he was super easy to photograph and had a really laid back attitude. he was a pleasure to chat with for the couple of minutes we spent together.

born in chicago, he came out to denver when he was four years old and has been here since. thomas said he likes it out here. he works as a pedicab driver, a line of work i have contemplated getting into several times. i like biking and i like people, so it has seemed like a natural way for me to go. i supposed it would make it quite easy to photograph strangers, too. "confessions of a pedicab driver - a collection of photographs" has a nice ring to it for a book title, right? thomas said he likes the work, but it is slowing down as the temperature is dropping. he also said it is pretty inconsistent, making it difficult to count on for paying the bills. i figured as much, but it still seems like a good gig.

thanks so much for your time, thomas!

01 november, 2009

marcia . 48 years old / denver . colorado

i didn't realize that the time changed today. both my phone and my computer update automatically and i don't have any other clocks. i don't check the news or watch tv, so i was really in the dark about the whole thing. i received a text message sometime after noon that mentioned something about the "new time" and that got me thinking. i did some research online and discovered that the time had indeed changed. it was actually quite important that i found this out because i had scheduled a portrait session for later in the day. i had been undecided as to whether i should photograph a stranger before or after the other portrait. having an hour less of daylight each day changes my schedule considerably, so i decided to rush out and look for strangers.

i was quite lucky to stumble upon marcia right away. i only walked a few blocks from my apartment and spotted her walking her chihuahua, who goes by the name "dinky". it turns out that dinky is 16 years old and is not in the least bit interested in being photographed. truth be told, he seemed like he couldn't have possibly cared any less about me. i felt a little bit slighted because i tend to have a very good rapport with dogs, but i didn't let it ruin my day.

marcia is originally from ecuador, but left there when she was 5 years old. since then, she has been living in both florida and here in colorado. she told me that she liked it here except for the winter. i suppose the winter is florida is quite a bit more moderate, but the colorado winter is quite a bit more manageable than it is back in new england. she has a son who is currently in the army, living in colorado springs, and i got the impression that she was happy to be near to him.

marcia was very sweet. we did not talk much, but she exuded a lot of kindness in the few minutes we had together. she asked me a few questions about the project and then we parted ways. thank you so much for your time, marcia.... and dinky.