Matt Robinson Article (#452) 06-11-13

Another Wednesday, another portrait photographer. Matt Robinson is well into the 100 Strangers Flickr project. See the project HERE.

Photographer Matt Robinson is well into the project, into the 50s I think.

His set of strangers is HERE.

The editor of the website, Digital Photography School contacted Matt and asked him to write an article about approaching strangers. Here is Matt, in his own words:

“Hey folks, the editor/founder of the website Digital Photography School asked me a couple days ago if I would be interested in writing about my 100 Strangers Project (how I got started, what my process is, etc). So, this is what I came up with! I hope I did the project/group some justice.”

So, the article that Matt wrote is HERE.

It is well written, and insightful.

Enjoy.

Bob

Christine (#451) 11-05-13

This past weekend there was an outdoor art festival three blocks from my home. What a wonderful stranger hunting venue!

I saw Christine and was immediately attracted by the stylish hat. She was in deep conversation with another stylishly dressed woman, so I waited my turn. The other woman suddenly wheeled around and left. I had a difficult choice, I chose Christine.

When I explained the project, she was surprisingly (to me) shy and reserved. She was a vendor and artist. Her art is watercolor painting, predominantly tropical birds and landscapes. The previous day it had rained. Thankfully, the tent stayed dry and no art was harmed. See her website HERE.

http://www.christinereichow.com/

When I showed her images on the camera’s LCD, she was not happy – not enough of a smile. OK, so I got a ‘say cheese’ version too. One for her and one for me. :-)

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  She did like the final result and asked for a copy. Got her e-mail and sent it off.

Bob

Vernon (#450) 11-04-13

Post #450, a sort of round number. I should hit #500 before February 2014. I’ll have to think of something special for that.

On a cold Minneapolis day, Vernon was pacing the sidewalk of Nicolett Mall. Did I mention that it was cold? He was going from person to person, trying to sell his book, “Yesterday’s Coffee.” Vernon was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He earned a degree in Journalism from The University of Missouri, one of the top journalism schools in the country. After a tour in the Viet Nam War, Vernon worked for a newspaper.

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But as time went on, he made some bad choices and became a junkie. Now clean, he has written six books, the most recent being about his personal growth in kicking drugs. He calls coffee the “think drink”, and “Yesterday’s Coffee” contains poetry reflecting on the past – the good and the bad. Vernon is VERY well spoken and articulate. The last line of one of his poems sums up his philosophy: “As long as we live we can learn, as long as we can learn we can change, and as long as we can change we can grow.”

Bob

Krista (#449) 11-02-13

I’m glad that I asked Krista how to spell her name. I would have guessed wrong. She laughed and said that it was important – after birth, she was in the hospital for five days before she got a name. I guess that her parents wanted to get it right!

Minneapolis was cold. Very cold, for a Florida guy. But even the locals were surprised and said that the sleet and snow were a few weeks early. Downtown, people were walking fast, trying to get to their location and off the street. But Krista was sitting on a bench, looking quite content. On this low bench, her feet did not touch the ground; Krista is well under five feet tall.

And when I asked to photograph her, she was pleased. Krista was born in Iowa but moved to Minnesota for college. She never moved back.

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I asked what the best thing that happened that day was. She thought for a few seconds, then suddenly brightened up. “This morning, my cat jumped into my lap and went to sleep. I always like that. And she’ll do it again when I get home!”

Nice.

I photograph many strangers who do not find their way into this blog. They can be seen on my Flickr Photostream HERE.

Bob

Dennis and Lewis (#448) 11-01-13

I met Dennis and his friend Lewis while visiting St. Louis, Missouri. They are veterans of the Viet Nam War. And they are homeless. Both seemed optimistic, and neither were bitter. Except for the use of Agent Orange, the highly toxic defoliant used by the US government. Neither Dennis nor Lewis were directly harmed by Agent Orange, but they knew men who were.

Between them on the bench was a brown paper bag, containing a beer that they were sharing. Although homeless, a place to sleep at night was not their immediate concern. The next meal was not their immediate concern. Their immediate concern was finding tickets for that evening’s baseball game. We were a few blocks from Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

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Notice that both hats have the St. Louis Cardinals logo. The Cards were to play the Los Angeles Dodgers that evening, in the first game of the American League Championship Series. After we spoke for several minutes, Dennis asked if I could help them with money for game tickets. Well, I am sensitive to the plight of the homeless (especially veterans) and I am not adverse to giving a little money for food. But Championship Series baseball tickets?? I donated enough for a sandwich, but did not feel like mortgaging my house for baseball tickets.

Bob

Kylor (#447) 10-31-13

Continuing with yesterday’s post from LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Andrea was with three friends. Kylor was the most talkative. As I first explained 100 Strangers to all of them, Kylor laughed and said, “I donno, my boobs are almost showing”. As I spoke, I was making eye contact, but suddenly my eyes felt very heavy and they migrated downward. Her shirt was open and what at first looked like a sports bra was actually a hospital-like bandage held with tape.

Don’t ask.

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I assured her that only her head would be in the image and she readily agreed. Her friends Jake and Len also agreed, but were much more reserved in speech. They all loved their images on the camera’s LCD.

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Bob

Jerry Tovo – Heroes (#446) 10-30-13

It is Wednesday, the day to look at another photographer’s work. And this one is a doozey.

I recently visited the Missouri History Museum, in St. Louis. One room was occupied by the photography project of Jerry Tovo. It is called, “They May Have Been Called Heroes”, and it documents the plight of homeless veterans. The walls were adorned by LARGE black and white portraits.

The mission is stated below. I have copied and pasted this directly from the website, hopefully breaking no copyright laws.

“TMHBH is dedicated to raising the Nation’s awareness to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of homeless Veterans, by photographing, videotaping and otherwise recording their stories. Additionally, we are producing a major gallery exhibit in the hopes of inspiring personal involvement and the donation of funds to programs designed for shelter, education, rehabilitation, job training and re-socialization, for those, too many American Patriots currently doing without the basic necessities.”

Please click on the link below, or copy and paste it into your browser.

http://www.theymayhavebeenheroes.com/

Enjoy.

Bob

Andrea (#445) 10-29-13

In La Crosse Wisconsin, I had only a few minutes to ‘stranger hunt’. After meeting and photographing John (a future post), I was quickly walking back to the quay, where the Riverboat was waiting. While on the last block, I noticed two young men and two young women on the other side of the street, horsing around. They were shoving, laughing, and generally having a good time. And they were in front of a tattoo parlor, a wonderful stranger habitat.

So I checked my watch, quickly crossed the street, and introduced myself and the 100 Strangers project. The girls laughed and thought that it was a great idea. The guys were a little more reserved, but did not object.

Today’s Stranger is Andrea. I told her that a friend of mine named Andrea calls herself Andy. This Andrea perked up and said, “That’s what my mother calls me!” I immediately got my shots and went on to the other three.

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Bob

Paul (#444) 10-28-13

Paul is a musician. He sat on a concrete ledge with his guitar (in great light :-) ) along Main street, but pedestrian traffic was light. Two blocks away was the weekly Farmer’s Market, packed with people. An intersection in the market has four corners that are favorite spots for buskers to perform. But on this day, Paul was number five – he said that all of the spots were taken. Paul said that there is no ‘signing up’ for a spot. It is ‘squatter’s rights’, so to speak.

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Paul was originally from New Jersey. He was in Las Vegas for a while when his mother became ill. While he was in Sarasota, she passed. Now he (at least temporarily) calls this home. Paul liked this image on the camera’s LCD and took my MOO card.

Bob

Elliott and Nancy (#443) 10-26-13

I saw Elliott and Nancy sitting together on a park bench. They were cousins. Elliott did most of the talking, and he was a character. He was spitting mad at the government, and the shutdown.

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Elliott is a veteran, and gets benefits that pay his schooling. He is currently enrolled at a local college, working on a degree in substance abuse behavior, but his benefits were on hold because of the shutdown. Unsolicited, he pulled out a government letter and held it to my face. It stated that he was to receive about $1,500/month. But checks were not forthcoming.

Now, the character part: Usually I crop off the top of the head to bring more attention to the eyes. In this case, I wanted to leave the hat so that you could read it. Try. It’s not easy, but if you sound it phonetically, you’ll get it.

Bob

Michael (#442) 10-25-13

While visiting St. Louis, I went stranger hunting on Market St. At 5PM, the street was filled with business people on the move, checking phones, etc. I had two quick rejections – not common. So I looked for someone seated, who would not be a moving target. And there was Michael, sitting quietly on a bench seeming to be at peace with himself. He was.

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Michael was born in St. Louis, but was raised by his grandmother in Mississippi. When she died, he moved back. Now he is working at a nearby catering establishment. The best thing that happened to him on this day, was “getting off work at 4:30 and getting to relax on this bench”.

Ah, the simple pleasures.

Bob

Johnson on Creativity (#441) 10-23-13

This Wednesday's 'other' photographer is Mark Johnson. Mark is a very creative Photoshop guru and challenges us to be more creative, in this Scott Kelby guest blog post. It is a worthwhile read. Please copy and paste this URL into your browser.

http://scottkelby.com/2013/its-guest-blog-wednesday-featuring-mark-s-johnson/

Enjoy.

Bob

Rob and Ashley (#440) 10-22-13

While visiting Macon Ga, my wife and I took a walk around Mercer University. A couple of hours later, I was stranger hunting, downtown. I saw a young couple photographing each other with cell phones in front of a museum. So, I made my move.

Immediately Rob said, "So, we meet again". What? He said that he had seen me in the Mercer University Student Union that morning. Wow, Macon isn't THAT small. But he and Ashley obliged. Each are Mercer students, and from Atlanta, 75 miles away. Neither was at all interested in seeing the images or taking my card. :-(

I was a bit surprised that Ashley agreed in the first place. She had a nasty cold sore on her lower lip that was surely very temporary. Most women won't allow a photograph when they are not looking their best. I cloned it away in Photoshop. My feeling is that sores, scabs and pimples are transient, and I am comfortable removing them. Moles, birthmarks and wrinkles stay - they are a permanent feature of the person.

Bob

Audreyanna (#439) 10-21-13

A University of Florida student who doesn't care about football? Does not have tickets for the Tennessee game? It's true. Audreyanna is from Kissemmee and is football neutral.

But she very much likes the 100 Strangers project and took my MOO card.

All is not lost.

Bob

Mays (#438) 10-19-13

Mays was a character.

I visit Macon GA, a few times each year to visit family. And, of course, I prowl for interesting faces. I saw Mays and Lilly in front of an old hotel. The light in the doorway looked nice, so I approached them and ‘did my thing’. Mays was immediately interested; it was a little hard to judge Lilly.

I asked Mays if he was from Macon. He said no, that he had only lived here for 40 or 50 years. Good enough. As I was photographing Mays, Lilly feigned a reason to step inside the hotel lobby and temporarily disappeared. Mays yelled, “Hey woman, get back here!” She did! Although reluctant to remove her glasses, she did at least put up with me. :-)

Then another woman walked by and Mays called, “Hey, come over here and get your picture taken. Without looking at Mays or me, she waved her hand dismissively and continued on. I guess that she was used to Mays and his antics. The irony is that I recognized her as Darlene, a stranger whom I had met and photographed on a previous trip.

The world is getting smaller.

Bob

Jessica and Fitz (#437) 10-18-13

I Jessica, and her friend Fitz, in Macon, GA. Fitz is from Brooklyn, NY, and had been in Macon for 16 years. Jessica was born in Macon. When I asked Fitz which city he preferred, he was ambivalent. But New York has a MUCH higher cost of living - like $8 for a pack of cigarettes. Jessica had visited Harlem with a previous boyfriend, but she really didn't learn too much about the local geography.

They both spoke about the outrageously high new York taxes. And when you look around, where does it go?

They took my MOO card, and will presumably see this post.

Bob

Inspiring People Photography, Ata Mohammad Adnan (#436) 10-16-13

It's Wednesday, and this week's 'other' photographer is Ata Mohammad Adnan, of Bangladesh. Please copy and paste this URL into your browser, and enjoy. The article is about his 'people' photography.

http://121clicks.com/showcases/people-photography-ata-mohammad-adnan

I am still submitting these posts from an iPad while traveling.

Enjoy.

Bob

Craig (#435) 10-15-13

The light was a little more harsh than I like, but there was no open shade nearby. So after meeting Craig, I clicked. When he saw his image on the camera's LCD, Craig said "I always look stoned in photographs". He DOES look stoned.

He wasn't.

Bob

Ann (#434) 10-14-13

I met Ann at Island Park, Sarasota. She said that she normally doesn’t allow photographs, but that she would allow me to take a portrait that day (no reason was given for the exception). She waved her arm at the gaggle of sailboats moored nearby, and said that she used to live on a boat in the area. She’d like to again. Then she quickly walked, nearly ran, to the water’s edge and said that she might go for a swim. After a lot of rain, the water was brown. I suggested that it might be polluted, and that this was not the best time for in-water recreation.

She ran back and said, “You’re probably right”. Ann then plunked herself on a bench and reiterated her usual aversion to photographs. Immediately she got serious, looked right at me, and said “Go ahead”. I did.

I find the image revealing, almost haunting. Prior to capturing this image, I would think of these words to describe Ann’s demeanor: flighty, flirty, superficial, theatrical, and coquettish. But, again, she very suddenly became serious before the portrait. Looking into these eyes, I would not consider any of the above descriptive words. I’d like to think that I captured a bit of her personality that had been hidden. But maybe I am giving myself too much credit. :-)

Bob

George (#433) 10-12-13.

George and Ann (future post) were sitting on a park bench, overlooking the bay. I assumed that they were a couple, but I was wrong. Next to George was a book written by Patricia Cornwell. I am familiar with her series of novels. The protagonist is a Forensic Pathologist, Kay Scarpetta. I commented on this to George. He loves her books (usually), but found this one dull. There was only one murder to solve - often there are several. He would finish it later that day and return it to the library. Although disappointed, George planned to check out another Cornwell novel.

After Ann got up and left, George commented on some of his inner thoughts in surprisingly graphic prose. I am sometimes amazed at how strangers take me into confidence and reveal inner personal thoughts. I guess that I should be flattered. But it puts me a bit ill at ease.

Bob