Kathryn (#432) 10-11-13

October 10, 2013

On a balmy Sunday, Venice hosted an outdoor arts and crafts show. Some of the vendors looked, well, artsy and crafty. Kathryn was among them. Her stall said "Kathryn Page", and she made fancy capes, boas, etc. I saw her behind her kiosk, eating lunch. When I asked, she did not hesitate to have her portrait made. But she immediately assumed this pose. Kathryn would not make eye contact.

So I should have said, "she did not hesitate to have her portrait made" - on her terms.

Bob

Kirk Tuck, on How to Approach Strangers (#431) 10-09-13

October 8, 2013

I have referenced Kirk Tuck and The Visual Science Lab a few times. The common sense approach that he takes to issues just speaks to me. Below is one of his posts about how he approaches strangers for portraits. I am composing this on an iPad: so far, I cannot see how to make this URL a link. Please copy and paste it into your browser. Thanks.

http://visualsciencelab.blogspot.com/2013/09/say-hello-look-people-in-eye-and.html

Enjoy.

Bob

Ruth (#430) 10-08-13

October 7, 2013

Ruth was visiting Southwest Florida from Dallas. I asked why. "There is no ocean in Dallas". I did not point out ocean vs Gulf of Mexico. I said, "But you have the Trinity River". Ruth wrinkled her nose.

As we parted, she God blessed me. Always a nice way to end.

Bob

Igor (#429) 10-07-13

October 6, 2013

Igor prowled the Farmer's Market with his monster Canon 1-D. He recently moved to Sarasota after living in Alabama for 16years. But he was born in Russia.

When I questioned the spelling of his name, he said "You know, like Igor Stravinsky!"

Oh yeah, like that.

Bob

David and Cecelia (#428) 10-05-13

October 4, 2013

I met them each the same day, but they were not otherwise related. While photographing in my favorite Farmer's Market, it began to rain. David was huddled under a vendors tent with a bottle of cleaning fluid in his hand. He works at the market, performing custodial tasks. He did not seem upset by the momentary weather induced reprieve.

After the rain subsided I saw Cecelia. She was pleasant, but in a hurry. I had to get a few quick shots, and she was not interested in chit chat.

Bob

Georgia Mae (#427) 10-04-13

October 3, 2013

I saw her on Cherry St., in Macon, GA. Two years ago I would not have had the courage to approach her. But with ~200 strangers under my belt, I walked up to her wheelchair, introduced myself, and asked if I could take her picture. She was at first quietly inspecting me, considering her response. Suddenly she made her decision, shook her head 'yes', and it was if we were old buddies.

Georgia Mae was born and raised in Macon. Her speech was peppered with religious phrases. As I was about to walk away, she profusely wished me good luck, a good day, and 'God Blessed' me. After that, how could the day NOT turn out well?

Bob

Street Portrait Photography - by Lola Elise (#426) 1013

October 2, 2013

Wednesday again, and today the other photographer is Lola Elise. Her article on the basics of Street Portraiture is HERE.

Enjoy.
Bob

The Hustler (#425) 10-01-13

September 30, 2013

Fred hustled me. I've been hustled by strangers before, but Fred is a pro.

I was standing in front of a bookstore in Gainesville, FL, with a friend, while our wives shopped inside. Suddenly, like magic, Fred was between us on his bicycle. Before we realized he was there, he had positioned himself so that he could address both of us, with his feet spread, balancing the bike. He immediately asked if we could help him with lunch - he was hungry. Camera in hand, I was prepared for this eventuality.

I said, "I'll make you a deal. I belong to a camera group called 100 Strangers, and my job is to meet and photograph people who I haven't met before. Can I meet you and take your picture?" As I said this, I handed him a few $$$. He shrugged and said "Sure." So I asked him not to smile for the camera and got a few pics.

Fred lives in Gainesville, but was clearly ill at ease answering questions. I started to say something else, but he quickly picked up his feet and peddled away.

I've had homeless men ask for money, but when I comply and get a portrait, they usually are eager to talk for a while. Fred had no such interest. Maybe he had a monetary quota, so many dollars per hour.

I like the portrait, but the encounter was a bit wanting.

Bob

Adrienne and Kyle (#424) 09-30-13

September 29, 2013

Gator clothing (University of Florida), the universal language. So when I gave Adrienne and Kyle the ‘gator Chomp’, it was a given that they would allow portraits. As we were under cover during a brief squall, we had time to talk.

Adrienne works at the University’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, while Kyle works at the Shands Teaching Hospital. As I was at ‘The Shands’ during medical School, we had another bond.

Adrienne was interested in 100 Strangers as a possible project for her widowed Mom who lives nearby. I gave her my MOO card and suggested that she contact me about the group. I later received an e-mail from Adrienne thanking me for the images – I have yet to hear from her mother.

Bob

Elle (#423) 09-28-13

September 27, 2013

As I first got out of the car, Elle walked by and I loved the hat. But she was on the X*6& phone! So, no luck.

When I saw her again sans phone, I knew that the Great invisible Hand of Luck was guiding events, and that it was my duty to get a portrait. Elle (she spells it “L”), is a professional photographer, using a Nikon D90 for advertising pics.

I asked her the best thing that had happened that morning. She said having breakfast at her favorite spot, The Toasted Mango Café. I looked it up, it DOES look interesting and I will try it. The interesting description is HERE.

The downer for Elle was that she was hoping to see a certain guy and make contact. He wasn’t there. But Elle and I agreed that it would be a good reason to return to the Toasted mango. Again and again.

Elle did not want a copy of the portrait, as she said that she had gained some weight. GIVE ME A BREAK!

Bob

Bud and the Collector (#422) 27-09-13

September 26, 2013

Bud was walking through an outdoor mall in Tampa. His demeanor and hat immediately reminded of a professional golfer of yesteryear, Chi Chi Rodriguez. So, I walked up to him and told him so. He recalled Chi Chi well, and did not disagree.

But the hat was on loan, it belonged to his wife. They were from neighboring St. Petersburg, and the wife was at a doctor’s appointment. Bud was babysitting the hat. Actually, she had dozens of hats – all kinds. I said that many women collected something, often shoes. “Oh, that too!” She used to have nearly 30 pair of high heels, but an orthopedic problem necessitated their departure.

I dared not utter the word ‘jewelry’.

Bob

Adam Garelick (#421) 09-25-13

September 24, 2013

Wednesday again, boy these come around quickly! So, here is someone else’s street portraits. And this week’s someone else is New Yorker, Adam Garelick.In his words:

“NEW YORK STREET PORTRAITS is a collection of images I have made on the streets of New York. I don’t know the subjects, and our meeting is the result of nothing more than happenstance, but they have all been gracious to allow me to photograph them for the project.

My reason for beginning this project is simple. I have lived in New York for ten years, and I have seen the countless ways by which we try to define the City. But I think the best measure of New York is its people. They are the ultimate testament to New York’s vibrance, diversity and character. I know of no other place where freedom and individuality are as celebrated as they are here. This project is an effort to document those who embody that spirit.

If your portrait appears on the blog and you would like a print of the image, please email me and I will happily send you a copy."

See Adam Garelick’s project HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

Miki (#420) 09-24-13

September 23, 2013

I was heading toward a football stadium 30 minutes before a game. In my pocket was the trusty Canon S100, the Olympus OM-D EM-5 back in the motel room. Folks heading to the game wore either U of Florida colors (most), or Tennessee Vols orange. And there was Miki. She wore neither, and never attended either school.

She sat on a low concrete wall smoking with Mike (who had no interest in being photographed). She loved the 100 Strangers idea and was willing to participate. Miki was astounded when I correctly guessed how to spell her name. She was from Bradenton, 150 miles south. When I told her that I was from nearby Venice, she brightened up into a huge smile and said, "Oh, my car once broke down in Venice!", like that really endeared the city to her.

When photographing a stranger, I like to take a few quick bursts of 3-4 images each. The Canon s100 has excellent image quality (I think), but like all point n shoots, the shutter is slow to actuate, and the refresh rate is ponderously slow. So I got only two shots.

Still, I like this one.

Bob

Liz and Wendy (#419) 09-23-13

September 22, 2013

I walked through Hyde Park in Tampa, a neighborhood through I had not photographed. And I got a few rejections. My success rate is around 75%, so I seldom get multiple rejections in a row. Finally, Wendy and Liz headed my way, and Wendy was receptive to being photographed. Liz was not, but Wendy sort of shamed her into it.

As we parted, they conversed in Spanish. To me, this is significant. Over the past couple of years, I have noticed the indisputable fact that Latinos almost uniformly decline being photographed by me. I don’t know why. Maybe my Anglo appearance is a put off. Who knows.

But I appreciated the opportunity to photograph Liz and Wendy.

Bob

Rihanna (#418) 9-21-13

September 20, 2013

Rihanna (I hope that I have spelled this correctly), was on break from her job at L'Eden, a restaurant in Tampa. When I saw the light that she was sitting in, I FLEW over to meet, and photograph, her. Rihanna was totally agreeable, as was her friend, Brett.

I asked her what the best thing was that had happened to her that morning. She said "being photographed". Wow! But then she wouldn't take my card or give me an e-mail address so that I could send her the image. Go figure.

I love B&W, but this is one time that I prefer the color version.

Bob

Donald, the Marine (#417) 09-20-13

September 19, 2013

Donald played his harmonica on a street corner; a sign at his feet said “Marine Veteran”. An occasional passerby tossed a coin into his tip box. When he took a brief break, I carefully placed a piece of paper in the box and struck up a conversation.

When in the military, he was in a band, playing clarinet, but in a pinch he could play flute or sax. His father told him to stay in the Marines, but Donald got out after four years. Had he stayed in, he would have had a pension for over 10 years. Instead, he is homeless.

Donald showed me the Opinion Page of a local free newspaper. The topic was how the downtown homeless hurt business, and that money spent on human services was wasted. He was not bitter, although frustrated. He had been arrested three times in the past month. I will not detail the ‘crimes’ in deference to privacy, but suffice it to say that they were petty, and no one was harmed. Money spent through law enforcement efforts and the courts was probably wasted.

But Donald actually has a very realistic, if not totally optimistic, outlook. He used to live in Michigan, and sleeping outdoors in Florida is a LOT nicer.

I cannot overstate how well Donald spoke. He liked his image on the camera’s LCD, but has no access to the Internet. I sent him a print, care of Resurrection House, a nearby central resource for the homeless.

Sometimes, Dads are not so dumb – stay in the military.

Bob

Urban Scot Videos (416) 09-18-13

September 17, 2013

Today is another is some-other-photographer Wednesday.

When I first joined the 100 Strangers Flickr group a couple of years ago, one of the very active members was Peter McConnochie, in the U.K. See his Flickr Sets

HERE.

.As a ‘star’ in the group, he was interviewed in a Photographer Profile. See the interview

HERE.

Peter (now The Urban Scot) has recently produced some short videos about how he approaches, and photographs, strangers. These two run for less than six minutes, combined.

If these will not run in your browser, the links are

HERE

and

HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

Rachel & Bert (#415) 09-17-13

September 16, 2013

Rachel and Bert were sitting at an outdoor table, fiddling with an iPad. I waited for a while, but then thought ‘what the heck’, and introduced myself. I have photographed only one other officer in uniform, and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity. When I asked, they both smiled and looked at other before saying “OK”. Strength in numbers.

Rachel has known Bert for many years, but she does not work for the police force. I showed her the image on the LCD and she approved.

When I showed Bert his image, I said “Yeah, that looks like a relaxed Police Officer off duty”.

Bert shook his head slowly and said “Always on duty”.

Bob

Kitty (#414) 09-16-13

September 15, 2013

I complimented Kitty on her cool looking hat, and she seemed receptive. Her reaction to being photographed was a bit delayed, possibly due to a slight language barrier. I believe that her accent was either Scandinavian or of the Baltic States. Either way, asking her to not smile was futile.

I asked her what the best thing that had happened that morning was. Kitty brightened up and pointed to a crowd. She said that an elderly man went by with two tiny black dogs, and you just HAD to smile. They were so cute that it made my morning.

Nice!

Bob

Rob (#413) 09-14-13

September 13, 2013

Walking through downtown Tampa, I saw Rob weaving a bit as he navigated the sidewalk at 11AM. As I approached, he quickly walked toward me and asked if I could help him get lunch: he was hungry. Prepared for this eventuality, I showed him a few dollars and explained that I liked to meet and photograph strangers. I handed him the $$, shook his hand and said, “My name’s Bob”. He brightened up and said that he was Rob; we were both Roberts! True. My namesake and new BFF was prepared to pose any way that I liked.

Rob was from Michigan, and has been in Tampa for two years. Being homeless, he finds the Tampa climate far more hospitable. I didn’t mention that if you have a home, the climate is STILL more hospitable.

Fred hustled me. I've been hustled by strangers before, but Fred is a pro.

Fred lives in Gainesville, but was clearly ill at ease answering questions. I started to say something else, but he quickly picked up his feet and peddled away.

I've had homeless men ask for money, but when I comply and get a portrait, they usually are eager to talk for a while. Fred had no such interest. Maybe he had a monetary quota, so many dollars per hour.

I like the portrait, but the encounter was a bit wanting.

Bob

Gator clothing (University of Florida), the universal language. So when I gave Adrienne and Kyle the ‘gator Chomp’, it was a given that they would allow portraits. As we were under cover during a brief squall, we had time to talk.

Adrienne works at the University’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, while Kyle works at the Shands Teaching Hospital. As I was at ‘The Shands’ during medical School, we had another bond.

Adrienne was interested in 100 Strangers as a possible project for her widowed Mom who lives nearby. I gave her my MOO card and suggested that she contact me about the group. I later received an e-mail from Adrienne thanking me for the images – I have yet to hear from her mother.

Bob

As I first got out of the car, Elle walked by and I loved the hat. But she was on the X*6& phone! So, no luck.

When I saw her again sans phone, I knew that the Great invisible Hand of Luck was guiding events, and that it was my duty to get a portrait. Elle (she spells it “L”), is a professional photographer, using a Nikon D90 for advertising pics.

I asked her the best thing that had happened that morning. She said having breakfast at her favorite spot, The Toasted Mango Café. I looked it up, it DOES look interesting and I will try it. The interesting description is HERE.

The downer for Elle was that she was hoping to see a certain guy and make contact. He wasn’t there. But Elle and I agreed that it would be a good reason to return to the Toasted mango. Again and again.

Elle did not want a copy of the portrait, as she said that she had gained some weight. GIVE ME A BREAK!

Bob

Bud was walking through an outdoor mall in Tampa. His demeanor and hat immediately reminded of a professional golfer of yesteryear, Chi Chi Rodriguez. So, I walked up to him and told him so. He recalled Chi Chi well, and did not disagree.

I dared not utter the word ‘jewelry’.

Bob

Wednesday again, boy these come around quickly! So, here is someone else’s street portraits. And this week’s someone else is New Yorker, Adam Garelick.In his words:

“NEW YORK STREET PORTRAITS is a collection of images I have made on the streets of New York. I don’t know the subjects, and our meeting is the result of nothing more than happenstance, but they have all been gracious to allow me to photograph them for the project.

If your portrait appears on the blog and you would like a print of the image, please email me and I will happily send you a copy."

See Adam Garelick’s project HERE.

Enjoy.

Bob

When photographing a stranger, I like to take a few quick bursts of 3-4 images each. The Canon s100 has excellent image quality (I think), but like all point n shoots, the shutter is slow to actuate, and the refresh rate is ponderously slow. So I got only two shots.

Still, I like this one.

Bob

As we parted, they conversed in Spanish. To me, this is significant. Over the past couple of years, I have noticed the indisputable fact that Latinos almost uniformly decline being photographed by me. I don’t know why. Maybe my Anglo appearance is a put off. Who knows.

But I appreciated the opportunity to photograph Liz and Wendy.

Bob

Rihanna (I hope that I have spelled this correctly), was on break from her job at L'Eden, a restaurant in Tampa. When I saw the light that she was sitting in, I FLEW over to meet, and photograph, her. Rihanna was totally agreeable, as was her friend, Brett.

I asked her what the best thing was that had happened to her that morning. She said "being photographed". Wow! But then she wouldn't take my card or give me an e-mail address so that I could send her the image. Go figure.

I love B&W, but this is one time that I prefer the color version.

Bob

Donald played his harmonica on a street corner; a sign at his feet said “Marine Veteran”. An occasional passerby tossed a coin into his tip box. When he took a brief break, I carefully placed a piece of paper in the box and struck up a conversation.

When in the military, he was in a band, playing clarinet, but in a pinch he could play flute or sax. His father told him to stay in the Marines, but Donald got out after four years. Had he stayed in, he would have had a pension for over 10 years. Instead, he is homeless.

But Donald actually has a very realistic, if not totally optimistic, outlook. He used to live in Michigan, and sleeping outdoors in Florida is a LOT nicer.

I cannot overstate how well Donald spoke. He liked his image on the camera’s LCD, but has no access to the Internet. I sent him a print, care of Resurrection House, a nearby central resource for the homeless.

Sometimes, Dads are not so dumb – stay in the military.

Bob

Rachel has known Bert for many years, but she does not work for the police force. I showed her the image on the LCD and she approved.

When I showed Bert his image, I said “Yeah, that looks like a relaxed Police Officer off duty”.

Bert shook his head slowly and said “Always on duty”.

Bob

I complimented Kitty on her cool looking hat, and she seemed receptive. Her reaction to being photographed was a bit delayed, possibly due to a slight language barrier. I believe that her accent was either Scandinavian or of the Baltic States. Either way, asking her to not smile was futile.

I asked her what the best thing that had happened that morning was. Kitty brightened up and pointed to a crowd. She said that an elderly man went by with two tiny black dogs, and you just HAD to smile. They were so cute that it made my morning.

Nice!

Bob

Rob was from Michigan, and has been in Tampa for two years. Being homeless, he finds the Tampa climate far more hospitable. I didn’t mention that if you have a home, the climate is STILL more hospitable.

As I walked away, he called, “Hey, what’s your name?”

Bob