Jovana, Aleks, and friends (#762) 01-16-15

Last weekend, downtown Sarasota was taken over by Thunder by the Bay, an annual motorcycle rally. It's a great place to see interesting people, but the ear-splitting noise makes forging relationships a bit challenging. Z's restaurant has a wide open wall to the street. To satisfy the thirsty crowd, an ice cooler full of brews was placed at the opening, tended by a pretty young lady.

Jovana (pronounced 'Yovanna') was talking to Aleks (pronounced 'Alex') in a language unfamiliar to me. They are from Serbia, so this is what Serbian sounded like (a first time for everything). Detailed discussions were impossible for the right reason – everyone was having too much fun. Jovana and Aleks were happy to be photographed, and each liked the results. While they were looking at the back of the camera, Wade came up and said, “How about me, don't I get to be photographed?” The answer to that was obvious. Turns out that Wade works at Z's with Jovana, Aleks does not. And Bob was nearby the entire time, tossing verbal barbs and wisecracks. He wore classic Harley duds. “Sure”, he said, “I don't mind being photographed.”

                                                     Jovana

                                                    Aleks

                                                     Wade

                                        Jovana & Wade

                                                  Bob

All were laughing and joking. All liked their images, and all wanted cards. I had to go back to the car to get some more. In one way, this is street portraiture at it's best, all being happy. BTW, it was before noon. I don't think that adult beverages were involved. Well, not much.

Bob

Dominic (#761) 01-15-15

I had just parked on Main St. by one of my favorite stranger hunting grounds when Dominic walked in front of my car. His beard, dapper look, and sartorial presence immediately caught my eye. I quickly fumbled to get the camera out of the bag, the Moleskine journal into my packet, and my wits about me. I had to hurry to get around him to introduce myself.

Dominic is from Tampa, and works for Merrill Lynch. He was in Sarasota for the day to learn some procedures from the local office manager. When I told him that I lived in Venice for most of my life, he thought I meant Venice Italy. I said, “If my name was Dominic, I would live in Italy.” He replied, “I'd like to live in Milan.

I explained that people in business dress seldom want to be photographed, in my experience. He was very interested in 100 Strangers and asked for a copy of the image, and my card. Dominic then THANKED me for including him in the project. I love it!

That evening I got an e-mail from him, again thanking me. I was so impressed that I have included the text below:

“Great to meet you today Bob! I think your 100 stranger project is pretty cool.  I try to talk to three people a day I would not normally talk too, and if that means stop them in their tracks to ask how their day is going so be it. All I have is today!

We are all connected 100x over and should cherish the moments we are blessed with.”

How nice is that?

Bob

Duneska and Armen (#760) 01-14-15

Armen and Duneska were imbibing in front of my favorite coffee shop, so they were fair game. When I 'made the ask', Duneska seemed a little befuddled and reluctant. Armen said yes right away. She asked,

“What is this for?”

I showed her my photostream and said,”It's a way to meet people. The camera is a tool. I never would have walked up to you and introduced myself without the camera.”

Armen: “Why not?”

Duneska smiling at him: “Because you look too mean.”

Armen moved here from Ocala, FL, eight years ago, to be near family. He likes Sarasota and Ocala about the same. Duneska came to the U.S. From Columbia 16 years ago. She has a slight, delightful accent.

I got a few shots of Duneska, which she didn't like at all. A bit frustrated, I turned my attention to Armen. He really liked the images, as did Duneska. I saw how she was sitting and said, “Don't move, stay just like that”, and got the posted image. She liked it. I e-mailed both to Armen, and have had no reply.

Before leaving, I asked Duneska, “What should readers know about Columbia?”

“That it is a beautiful country, and pretty safe. It's not like you hear on TV.”

Bob



Stewie (#759) 01-13-15

While driving, I waited for a long red light. A young man walked by on the sidewalk, looking at each car. He held a crude cardboard sign that said, “Homeless, will work, God Bless.” After he got 30-40 yards away, he turned about and headed back to the corned, whacking his sign against each signpost that he passed, as if he were mad at it. At the corned, he turned around and retraced his path.

Next to me was a bank. The entrance was in shade, a decent place for a portrait. When the light turned green, I pulled into the bank parking lot, got out, met Stewie, and discretely made a small contribution to his well being. He said that the sign was legal, as long as cops didn't see him accept money from someone in a car.

Stewie's Mom wants him to move back into her home. But he prefers the freer life. Stewie lives in an unofficial homeless camp. I asked if he was looking for a job.

“I can't work because of a disability.”

“What kind of disability?”

“Mental.” I thought of him slapping sign posts with his cardboard sign.

“I think that stores like WalMart accept people with treated metal disorders.”

“Yeah, but they cut a check. The Feds know about it and withhold money. I can make more money doing this.”

Bob



Matt and Katie (#758) 01-12-15

It was late morning that I strolled through a market in Bradenton. Matt's hair immediately caught my eye, as they slowly walked my way. It was high overcast and no shadows were evident, so I figured that light would be soft enough where we stood. I was wrong.

As I explained to the two of them, “... and my job is to meet 100 people I don't know...”, and Matt cut me off. “I'm one of them.” Needless to say, I immediately liked Matt. Matt is from Vermont, and moved to Bradenton 13 years ago. He works for a company detailing boats, and he'd like to strike out on his own. Katie is from Bradenton and went to Manatee High School. I asked Katie, “Is he getting you to detail boats?” Laughing, she said “Not a chance.”

As I said, the light was suboptimal. I paid the price with more post processing than I like.

Bob

Justin (#757) 01-11-15

Justin is from Seattle, having moved to Sarasota 1 ½ years ago. His girlfriend relocated to Sarasota with their son, so Justin followed to stay close to his son. About a month ago, I met a stranger with the exact same scenario.

Actually, Justin likes Seattle better. The social scene is more active, Sarasota is more sleepy. He is trained in computer science, but if he wanted to work in that field, he'd have to commute to Tampa, about 50 miles away. So instead, he works at Micheal’s on East, an upscale restaurant about three miles away. There he could walk to work, but prefers a bicycle instead. In Seattle, numerous large IT companies were with walking distance of his home.

Bob

Cleo (#756) 01-10-15

Looking for a 'new' jacket, I entered one of America's treasures, a Goodwill store. A lady immediately greeted me, “Welcome to Goodwill.” It seems that WalMart has institutionalized the 'greeter.' As I left with my contraband, she smiled and said, “Have a good day!”. I went to the car to drop off the jacket and get my camera.

When I reentered the store, she looked surprised. When I explained the project and asked to meet and photograph her, Cleo immediately agreed, but the smile vanished. She became all business. I asked if she could step outside for a minute, and she agreed. As we took a few steps she said, “excuse me..., Welcome to Goodwill” to an entering customer. I got a few shots immediately outside the front door; she suddenly turned around toward an approaching customer, “Welcome to Goodwill.” Cleo takes her job seriously.

She is from Asheville, but was not interested in talking about herself. The more I talked, the more suspicious looking she got. I showed her the image on the LCD. She didn't look particularly pleased when she said, “The camera sees what it sees.” I asked if she wanted me to get another shot, perhaps with her smiling. “Don't matter. The camera sees what it sees.”

Bob

Dick (#755) 01-09-15

Sitting in front of my favorite coffee shop was Dick, sipping his latte. Such a distinctive look allured me, and he was very amenable to chatting and being photographed.

Originally Dick was from Chicago. He sold consumer products around the world, and spent time in the Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, and other locations in Asia. Forty years in all. His wife was born in Philadelphia and they now split time between Sarasota and the Pocono mountains. Not bad.

Their Sarasota condominium is right downtown, they can walk anywhere. The large homeless population doesn't bother them at all. Dick was enjoying his Pastry Art latte, but he has a different favorite coffee shop. Somewhere else for me to try!

Bob

Rocky and Maria (#754) 01-08-15

I saw Maria and Rocky in front of Pastry Art of course. And this is the first rocky I have met in this project. I told them about the 100 Strangers project and said that Maria looked like a real character. She burst out laughing, and Rocky said “yep she's a character all right.”

The two of them used to work at Pastry Art and Maria was the manager for a while. She said that when ownership changed about three years ago, the whole culture became too serious. Nobody smiled (that has not been my experience). Now they each work at eateries within a few blocks of where we sat. Both were engaging, and Maria's hearty laugh is contagious.

A few moments after we parted, I saw them searching for something. Rocky had lost his wallet. There were no more smiles, and no contagious laughs were heard.

Note: No smoking is allowed in front of Pastry Art. Rocky's cigarette is a prop, it is not lit.

Bob



Al (#753) 01-07-15

While drinking a cup of Joe al fresco, I saw Al across the street, walking in the other direction. Something about his demeanor caught my eye, and I resolved that if he came back, I'd meet him. Sure enough, after walking a block he about faced and headed my way. I quickly crossed the street and walked toward him. In an unusual display of efficiency, a busboy immediately removed my ½ cup of coffee, the price of being a stranger portrait photographer.

Al seemed amused by my request and immediately said “OK.” I halfway expected him to ask for a little money, but he didn't. Instead, he went right into a series of poses, he clearly likes to be photographed. He is originally from Sarasota. I asked if he worked nearby. “No, I'm just hanging around now.” Hmmm...

I asked if he had eaten breakfast, he had not. But Al had to be somewhere in a few minutes. So I dragged him across the street into Pastry Art and bought him a muffin to go. The look on his face as we parted suggested that this had not happened too often in the past.

Bob

Logan (#752) 01-06-15

At the Sarasota Farmer's Market, Logan was working at the back of a pickup truck. He was unloading pots of flowers. After working at other jobs, he finally joined his father in flower sales 2 ½ years ago. A I asked if they grew them. “Oh, no. How can you compete with flowers from South America. They are shipped in one day and are still cheaper then we can grow them.”

Logan went to nearby Sarasota High School, and was the fourth ranked pole vaulter in the state. Of course, ribbons are for first, second and third. That career ended badly. A pole broke, and he pulled all the ligaments in one shoulder.

I asked about his scratches and shiner. “On Christmas Eve, I tried to break up a fight in a bar. But the other guy lost. He's in jail.

Bob

Genie (#751) 01-05-15

Went to a different Farmer's Market for a change of view. And, some different faces. Genie was sitting on the curb on a street corner, singing and playing the guitar. She seemed to be appreciated, as I saw a few people adding to the tip jar.

Genie was born in Freeport, NY, but spent much of her life in the Dominican Republic. She had no accent. She and her husband (who works at a market a few yards away), now live on a 32 foot sailboat. We discussed how the west coast of Florida is not very live-aboard friendly. They have been in the Bradenton area for seven months. Soon they plan to move on to the Florida Keys, and then Puerto Rico.

Genie has studied some photography, and gave me her e-mail address so that I could send this image.

Bob

Robert (#750) 01-04-15

Robert was sitting on an outside stool at Smokin' Joe's bar. He had a DSLR in his lap, a 3000 series Nikon. This location always works for me, the light is very nice. At bit quiet at first, he opened up and “got into the spirit.”

Robert is from Belmore, a neighborhood in Queens, NY. He left young, but remembers small houses being close together. Once he went to a store to buy candy and got lost on the way home. All of the houses looked alike. Being from Queens also, we traded stories about “the good old days', and how the neighborhoods have changed. Not for the better.

He photographs all kinds of things, and was interested in Flickr. He seldom shows his work. Robert was very interested in 100 Strangers and took a card. Before parting, we photographed each other with our respective cameras to our eyes.

Bob

Tessa (#749) 01-03-15

Tessa, who works at Pastry Art was sitting in front of the bakery, waiting for her shift to begin. This was the first time that I had seen her outdoors, so I immediately approached her. Amazingly, sue was a bit reluctant; I know that she has seen me photograph people many times, including her coworkers. I heard a bit of the usual, “My hair doesn't look good today”, etc. But once she agreed, she couldn't stop grinning.

Tessa is familiar with Flickr, and has an account. I asked if I could find her under “Tessa.” She wasn't sure, as she had changed accounts a few times. I asked:

“Had you been hacked?”

“No, but when Yahoo took over, it was a Cluster.”

“Wait a minute, I know that word!”

Bob

Andrew (#748) 01-02-15

I had just been turned down by a stranger, in front of my favorite coffee shop, no less. While licking my wounds, a barista, Joel (https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobdeinphoto/15016197129/) came out and spoke with a man sitting alone. He was clearly outgoing, and worked somewhere nearby. When Joel left, I made my move. Andrew was very outgoing, and we had a long conversation about the local homeless situation.

He is a bartender at the Gator Club, about a block away. For 18 years he has seen the homeless, drunks, crack addicts, crooks – the gamut. Having been homeless himself, Andrew has seen it all, from both sides. He recounted local homeless people (some of whom I have photographed) who had one stroke of bad luck that destroyed their lives. And others who are crackheads, hustlers, and you-name-it. But overall, Andrew is nonjudgmental, and caring for the homeless population. One fellow has panhandled me several times, and is a former Stranger. Andrew says that Phil gets a Social Security check and has a place to live. Panhandled money goes for cigarettes. Another of my former strangers is an excellent pianist, but gets stinking drunk most nights, sometimes at the Gator Club, and is a general nuisance. One psychotic (harmless) fellow sat in front of the Gator Club rubbing oil on his feet and selling strange artwork. Andrew chased him off. “He's going to hurt business. We need business to pay our taxes, and pay his Social Security.”

What an interesting dialog. I look forward to chatting with him some more – so many stories to tell. Oh, and Andrew is positive that Obamacare is going to provide needed services for some of these people. That should appease some readers, and enrage others.

Bob



Leslie (#746) 12-31-14

Leslie was walking toward me, on her way to the Whole Foods Market. She used a cane, but moved fairly quickly. When I approached her, she was more than happy to be photographed. Leslie was the stereotype of what I call the “open” person. She was happy, in the present, and totally engaged. Nice. We have all encountered the “closed” person.

Leslie is from Wisconsin and is very glad to be in Sarasota. Her husband's parents had a condo in nearby Bradenton. When they died, Leslie and husband began using it for vacations. Her husband got cancer and they moved into the condo “permanently.” He died one year ago Now Leslie lives in it during the winter, spending summers in Wisconsin.

She was so pleasant. Here she is a recent widow, and obviously has some kind of movement problem (she didn't say and I didn't ask). Leslie has reasons to be bitter and dour, but she has chosen to eschew the negative and be grateful for the positive.

Bob

Cheryl and Casey (#745) 12-30-14

On a very cool morning, I watched Cheryl and Casey exit their car. Casey's wool hat seemed appropriate. The sun was high enough in the sky to make light harsh (drat!), so I followed them looking for an acceptable location. Cheryl wore a fuchsia jacked that could easily be seen from 50 yards.

Finally they approached an area of acceptable, if not great, light. I made my pitch and the two looked at each other; finally Cheryl said, “Why Not? We work in photography.”

“Oh, are you photographers?”

Cheryl said, “No. I'm a model”, and Casey said, “And I do the wardrobes and makeup.”

I was surprised that Cheryl agreed – usually professional models won't allow free photos. But I just reveled in my good luck and asked her to take a couple of steps to the right. Immediately she got this HUGE smile. I asked if she would not smile for the camera. She looked shocked and laughingly said to Casey,”He's trying to direct ME!” In other words, this amateur Bozo is trying to direct me, the beautiful professional model. Then she walked away, the shoot was clearly over.

This professional smile reminds me of a series of commercials a few decades ago, when Pepsodent toothpaste was popular.

“You'll wonder where the yellow went,

when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent!”

Yeah, Cheryl's smile would work for that.

So then I asked Casey to step into the same light. She looked shocked, and said, “You want to photograph ME?” I said, “Sure, I photograph people and you're a people”. She looked a bit flummoxed, but then complied. Clearly she viewed herself as a Plain Jane accompanying Cheryl, the Beautiful. Do any viewers think that Casey appears ordinary, and is deserving of the rank of second class citizen?

This bothered me, and I questioned whether I should post this. The implied stereotyping is just contrary to my value system and makes me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, here they are.

Ironically, I later saw them in an area of perfect light. Just not meant to be.

Bob

Carl (#744) 12-29-14

Drinking a cup of Joe outdoors in December. How good is this? Carl liked it as he intently studied his laptop. Carl has a Ph.D. From the University of Pennsylvania, and teaches Ancient Greek History at nearby new College. Of course we all know a lot about Ancient Greek History.

But New College is different, there are no grades. At the end of each course, Carl writes a narrative about each student's progress. He says that the students are incredibly motivated, and liberation from grades allows freedom to pursue material based on intellectual curiosity. As an Honors College, other schools recognize the degree for entry into graduate school. I asked if Medical Schools or Law Schools posed problems, I know that Medical Schools used to be extremely grade and test score oriented. Carl assured me that this seldom is an issue.

He liked the image and asked me to send it to him. “I can't wait to show this to my girlfriend. Unfortunately I just read this now, preparing this post. There has been about a 10 day delay. Sorry, Carl.

Bob

Richard (#743) 12-28-14

Richard sat looking so relaxed, so at peace. Not so his dog, Charlie Brown. Every passerby required this pit bull mix's attention, not at all threatening, just interested. My attempts to photograph him with Richard were in vain.

But Richard had no issue with being photographed. Originally from Newport Beach, CA, his work took him to Chicago. For eight years, he commuted to Chicago from Newport beach. Pretty ambitious. Finally, he moved to Chicago and raised three children there Now Richard has two grandchildren.

Richard moved to a home on the bay, in Sarasota. He can work from there (sort of) but was not interested in discussing the nature of his work. Both he and Charlie Brown seem satisfied with the arrangement.

Bob