Samuel (#792) 02-26-15

A young man wearing a stylish hat walked toward me, and I was ready. Samuel was very quiet and reserved, but was happy to be included in the project. He is a graduate of the dreaded Florida State University; dreaded if you are a University of Florida Gator. Samuel is 23 years old and recently moved to the area, from Los Angeles.

He now works for the Sarasota Film Festival, a 10 day event each April. https://www.withoutabox.com/03film/03t_fin/03t_fin_fest_01over.php?festival_id=1312

His work largely revolves around youth programs, getting high school students into film making.

Samuel was very interested in how I go about meeting and photographing people. He suggested making a short film of me at work. Maybe I'll need an agent! :-) If that were to happen, it would probably be during the summer. I'll keep my fingers crossed...

Bob

Leyana (#791) 02-25-15

While sitting outdoors sipping a cup of Joe, I saw two stylish young ladies across the street, outside of the Blue Owl Tavern and Bar. One wore a bandanna and movie-star style sunglasses, and the other had green hair. I thought that it might be dyed. The light is nice in the alcove in which they were sitting, so I left my half empty cup and headed across the street. I was simultaneously trying to avoid being run over and being sure that no overzealous busperson removed my coffee.

As I addressed them the movie star said, “Oh, you've photographed me before, and we're Facebook friends”. I hate it when that happens! When she removed her bandanna and sunglasses, I recognized her as Alaina, stranger #428 https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobdeinphoto/15343669680/in/set-72157627425474507

She realized that she looked different and was cool about it.

So I turned to Leyana. She moved to SW Florida two years ago, from New Jersey. It was just too expensive to live there. So She got a job at Trader Joe's in Sarasota, and worked with Alaina and Vince, stranger #445 https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobdeinphoto/15669207135/in/set-72157627425474507 But sarasota was too sleepy for Leyane, so she moved to St. Petersburg and works at Trader Joe's there, managing the flower section. She says that the flowers are cheap, and second to none. Leyana doesn't know how TJ's can get astromerica from Peru and roses from Columbia, fresh, and sell them so cheaply.

Since photographing Alaina, she has quit TJ's and started her own company, Fresh Farmer. https://www.facebook.com/freshfarmerart Leyane came for lunch, and to help Alaina plan product lines. She loved the 100 Strangers and gave me a 'high five.' This was my first stranger high five, a couple of days later I would get my second.

Bob

Kristen (#790) 02-24-15

Kristen was sitting outside of the coffee shop. This winter has been merciful, seldom has outdoor seating been out of the question. Anyway, she was working on a laptop, and I do mean working. She was affable, and happy to be included in the project.

Kristen attended Lakewood Ranch High School, about 6 miles north. She was a basketball athlete and got a scholarship to a small college in High point, NC. She now works for Comcast, in the advertizing department – that's the work that she was doing on her laptop. I admitted that Comcast is not my favorite company. She doesn't like the service either, but they treat their employees well. Kristen said that Comcast has grown too quickly, and customer service has not kept up. Amen. But they are implementing a program attempting to have all calls answered by a real person – immediately. Refreshing.

Kristen informed me that she does not look good in pictures. Yawn. So I took a few of this smiley face. Then I said, "I'm going to move to the side a little", but she put her hand up, "That's all. That's all you get."

And that's all I got.

Bob

T and Kathleen (#789) 02-23-15

They were sitting in the usual place, in front of the coffee shop. I LOVE this place! The light is always nice. And so were they. The problem is that I can't read my own writing. I dutifully took (sketchy) notes, but I cannot for the life of me read one of the names. Tara? Tanya? For now, she is just T.

Kathleen, the mom, is a nurse at Memorial hospital. She kept looking at T and saying, “Isn't she beautiful?” Who am I to argue. T graduated from Sarasota High School in 2006. She loves this project. T looked at some images on my phone and wanted my card. I got her e-mail address and will send her images.

When I realized that I could not read T's name, I e-mailed her and asked – no response. I hope that she is not miffed about this.

Bob

P.S. Whoa, I just got lucky for a change. I started to type in the e-mail address so that I could send the images, and I was prompted with her address and “Tara.” Tara it is!

Jess (#788) 02-22-15

He insisted on being called Jess Who? I know his last name, but he prefers this moniker. Who am I to argue? Mr. Who? Was sitting behind a bush; it blocked the light, and normally I would expect unacceptable lighting. But a little sunlight crept through and I liked the backlight. Mea culpa – I did have to brighten the face a bit in processing, more than I usually like to do.

While I asked, he held up a finger as to say, "wait." Suddenly he turned and spit tobacco juice into the bush. He still had a wad in his cheek. We were in front of Patrick's Restaurant – Jess said that he was waiting to get a glass of water, but Patrick's didn't open for another hour. I'm sure that the Patrick's staff loves to serve glasses of water.

He liked the pic and gave me his e-mail address. Then he said that he'd like to see me ask other strangers, so he followed me for half a block. We met a friend (former stranger) with a German Shepard, and Jess posed with the dog. Then, suddenly, he was gone. I looked up and down the streets, but he vanished. It was a strange encounter. He kept me a bit off balance.

Bob

Alexandra and Amber (#787) 02-21-15

The Farmer's Market is packed with people in the winter, our “season.” Lots of interesting looking people, but the light and busy backgrounds are wanting. But when I spotted Alexandra's hat slightly above the crowd (she's fairly tall) I knew that it was worth a try.

I followed Alexandra and Amber across the street. If they read this, they might categorize me as a stalker. They stopped at a candle vendor and began examining candles in earnest. So what the heck, I interrupted them and 'popped the question'. I said that I'd wait until the finished candle shopping. They agreed, and I began looking for a nearby acceptable location.

They gladly moved a few yards into shade and I got the shots. Both were born, and went to high school, in Sarasota. I asked, “Sarasota High?”, and they responded almost in unison, “Oh God no!' They attended rival Riverview High. Alexandra went on to the University of Central Florida, in Orlando. Now she is an elementary school teacher.

Amber went to the University of South Florida, in Tampa, and is a recent graduate of the Police Academy. She is waiting for a job. I was unaware that one had to attend the academy with no guarantee of a job after graduation. Seems weird.

Bob

Omar and Bryan (#786) 02-20-15

Omar and Bryan were consuming life-saving pastries and joking. The easy body language and camaraderie made me wistful. Good friends aren't easy to come by, but these two seemed to have it. When I approached them, each was happy to help and spent most of the time kidding and laughing.

 

I asked them if they were from Sarasota, and each said yes?

"Did you go to Sarasota High School?"

Omar: "Yeah."

Bryan: "God no, I went to Riverview." (laugh)

Me: "Did you know each other as rivals in high school?"

Bryan: :No, we just know each other now as rivals." (laugh)

 

Omar went on to the State College of Florida and happened to take one course in Film Production. After graduation, he showed a Film Production course project to an official at a local cable TV station, Sarasota News Network (SNN). He was hired and received lots of on job training. Now he is a staff photojournalist at SNN. Neat!

Bryan is a musician and works in music production. He plays eight instruments. He listed them off, and I said (tongue in cheek) "What, no flute?" He responded, "Oh, I could play the flute too."

Each liked their photos, so I sent them by e-mail. Omar prefers the smiley face.

Bob

Nina (#785) 02-19-15

I was shelf surfing in a Mom and Pop bookstore when I spotted Nina. The store was relatively dark, and her fair complexion and blond hair jumped out. Photographing in the store was out of the question, and feeling somewhat lazy, I didn't make a move as she left the store with an older couple.

But as I was about to leave, she was standing near the sidewalk curb, so I immediately approached her and introduced the project. She seemed pleased and spoke with a delightful German accent. Nina spends half of her time in her native Berlin, and the other half in Manhattan. She is an art broker and sells art in each location. Nina is an artist, working in several mediums, including photography.

Then suddenly the older couple came up and she said that she had to leave with her in-laws. I was very disappointed. Nina was eager to tell her story, and I did not realize that we were under a time constraint.

Bob

Bruce (#784) 02-18-15

Eating a pastry with his coffee, Bruce made a striking image. Curly blonde hair and a beige sport jacket set him apart from the usual patrons. And I told him so as I explained the project. He smiled, and immediately 'got it'. Bruce is a film actor in New York and showed me images of performances on his phone. His expression when playing a cop made me think, “I wouldn't want to piss off THAT guy.” He said that he was playing a gritty cop, the Sam Spade type. These websites are illustrative”:

http://www.brucecolbert.info/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4252111/

Bruce is checking out the area. He likes Sarasota, but it's a little 'sleepy.' He lives next to Columbia University, and compared to New York, everywhere is sleepy. “Yeah, it's hard to compare New York to anything but itself.”

While shooting, I tried to get my usual look with the subject making eye contact. As the consummate pro, he had his own ideas, and glanced to the side. Using burst mode I got one accidental image looking at me. I saw him a couple of days later and he mentioned how important it was to get the look “doing something”, not just staring ahead. Hmmm, makes me think.

A few years ago, Michelle Tricca, a Naples FL professional photographer, captured a large series of portraits of locals making eye contact, and published them without captions. The local newspaper had an article about this and published two photos: one was a man who owned a ten million dollar house on the Gulf, the other cleaned his pool. It was impossible to tell who was who. I thought that this was a powerful message and have always tried to take an egalitarian approach, making us all equal. The poorest, mentally challenged person is totally equal for at least 1/100 of a second in my series. Bruce's comments bother me – maybe I'm missing something by not capturing other expressions.

Bob

Bob (#783) 02-17-15

Bob was sitting in the outdoor, covered area, of Smokin' Joe's Bar. When in the area (a lot) I always check out this spot – this seat. The light is always good. Bob was relaxed and chatty. He lived in Central Islip, Long Island, for 10 years. As a youngster, I lived about three miles away.

He relocated to Chicago, becoming a carpenter. At age 32 he started his own construction business. Over many years, the firm grew to 500 employees, and during the recent recession, it dwindled to 10. Now it's back to 50. Bob looked pained as he recounted all the good hard working men that he had to lay off. He still owns the business.

The layoffs segued into a discussion about the homeless in Sarasota. He shook his hear recounting how men that lost construction jobs could be on the streets like this. He first got a house in Sarasota in 1989, but used it little. Until six years ago, that is. Then he began living six months in Chicago and six in Sarasota. We passed on the street yesterday and I got a hearty, “Hi, Bob.”

Bob

Shane and A******* (#782) 02-16-15

I watched A******* enter the coffee shop. She had long, straight hair and wore an ankle length white dress. I had to meet her. A few minutes later she emerged with Shane, and each had a handful of food. I waited until they were settled and ensconced in their chairs before making my move.

Shane was immediately interested, while A******* was a bit more cautious. Shane was interested in my Olympus camera. He recently purchased a Canon 6D, full frame DSLR, but was also interested in smaller gear. I showed him the OM-D E-M5 and had him look “through” the digital viewfinder. He immediately saw the difference between it and an optical viewfinder. He uses Lightroom and looks forward to learning how to make local adjustments.

A******* looked uneasy. I asked if Shane photographed her and her (large) eyes. She said, not much. She had done some modeling in the past, but was still quite shy and private. She teaches 2nd grade. A******* insisted that Shane be photographed first. As soon as I got the first click of A*******, I knew that the shot was a winner. I gave each of them a card.

The next morning I got an e-mail from A*******. She said that she was a very private person, and asked that I not post her image anywhere. Drat! I immediately processed the image and loved it. I sent it to her and said that she and Shane should like it, and to please reconsider her request. But I assured her that I would not post it without permission.

I never got it. :-(

Bob

Matthew and Katheryn (#781) 02-15-15

They were sitting outside the coffee shop, but with a twist; their suitcases were next to them. Matthew and Katheryn were killing time, waiting to go to the airport. They were flying home to Atlanta, a destination clearly within driving distance.

Matthew and Katheryn met in college, at Furman University. There is an inherent conflict between Atlanta and Furman University; Furman is largely funded by Pepsi Cola, while Atlanta is a Coke town. Matthew said, “Oh, I had to drink Pepsi for a few years, but I was forgiven.” He was born in Atlanta, but has zero southern accent. Katheryn was originally from Jacksonville, and likewise, has no southern dialect. She works for Raymond James, and he works in financial planning for Northwest Mutual Life.

Bob

Kevin (#780) 02-14-15

Kevin was sitting with his two dogs, puppies actually, in front of whole foods. He had no reservations about being photographed, but was no conversationalist.

First the dogs: they were pit bull puppies. I could not get even one to look at me for a picture - definitely not two. One had the thick-faced pit bull look and was named Spike. Sounds good. The other had an unusually thin face for a pit bull, and was named Bambi. Whaaa? Bambi? Brings to mint the old joke:

What has 4 legs and 1 arm?

A pit bull, of course.

Kevin is from Cincinnati and has lived in Sarasota for 18 years. He is an occupational therapist and works at Manor Care, a local Skilled Nursing Facility. Encouraging conversation was a challenge.

“What's the best thing about having pit bulls?”

“Companionship.”

Sigh...

Bob

Austin (#789) 02-13-15

Austin is from Bellingham, WA, and is a left coastie by heart. But he came east to attend New College in Sarasota. As I learned from previous strangers, New College has an eclectic approach to education, in which standard grades are not given. Austin is a senior majoring in economics. Actually, there are a couple of adjectives to his brand of economics, but alas, I did not write them down. :-(

Austin has passed the first two rounds of hurdles on the way to a Fulbright Scholarship. Hopefully, next year he will be studying at Columbia University. If not, he plans to start his own company somewhere on the west coast.

He was intrigued by the 100 Strangers group. Austin asked if I was familiar with Jia Jiang's Rejection Therapy project. I am, and here it is; it is informative and entertaining.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/jia-jiang-rejection-therapy-krispy-kreme-jackie-braun-video_n_2206217.html

Bob

Annie and J.R. (788) 02-12-15

I saw then eating lunch and Annie looked familiar. Fortunately they were happy to be photographed. Annie explained it – she is a dockhand at Marina Jack, at the foot of Main Street. I have seen her tying up boats. When I showed her the pic, she said, “Yep, I knew it. My eyes are asleep. (laugh).”

J.R. was also a laugher – they were having a good time. He lives on a Broward Yacht, at the “T” head of a dock. T heads are reserved for the largest yachts. No wonder they laugh. The first pic that I showed him had his eyes closed (laugh!). The both approved of the images, but neither wanted a copy.

We talked boats for a while and I finally told them what we own.

“Oh, nice!”

“Want to buy it?”

Laugh.

Bob

Terry (#787) 02-11-15

Terry is originally from Kentucky, but spent 10 years all over Florida in the construction industry. He is now disabled and uses a cane. He has back pain that shoots into his legs. The very next day Terry was to have surgery for permanent placement of a 'pain pacemaker.' I asked if he was scared. He was not, because he had a temporary unit for trial, and it worked.

For the trail, a catheter with electrodes was inserted into the spinal canal. He held a device that controlled the frequency of electrical pulses. Sure enough, he was able to find the right frequency, and got great relief. Now a permanent device will give him remote control of the frequency. Living better electronically.

As if that weren't enough, his left pupil is permanently dilated. Terry was “Jumped” by two hoods who stole his bike, and ruined his eye in the process.

I showed Terry his image on the LCD. He liked it!

“Wow, ain't that a handsome dude!”

“Would you like me to e-mail the image to you?”

“Naw, don't have e-mail. I'm a computer turd. Not a nerd, a turd.”

Bob

John (#786) 10-02-15

On a Sunday, I was to meet someone by an indoor mall. With a little time to kill, I brought out the camera. No one was inside, I had to rely on indoor lighting – not my favorite. But I saw John slouched in an easy chair, and when approached, he was happy to comply.

John works at the Sarasota Opera Company, the same place as Howard blog post #782  https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobdeinphoto/16451481831/

When I mentioned Howard John could not place him. But when I mentioned the front office, I got an “Aha!” “Sometimes I forget that there is a business side to opera.” John performs, playing the piano. He lives in New York City nine months a year and Sarasota for three. Nice! In Manhattan he lives waaayy up on the 200 block “It's the only neighborhood that I can afford.” But he LOVES it.

John had seen an eye doctor in the mall (on Sunday, no less), and was waiting for his eyes to adjust to dilation. I looked closely – sure enough, his pupils were huge.

Bob

Krystina (#785) 02-09-15

When driving through a parking lot by a CVS Pharmacy, a young woman got in front of the car and flagged me down. I opened my window and she came along side. “Could you spare a few dollars so I could by some new shoes in CVS?” She easily held her foot up to my height, and almost put it in my window. Her shoe was threadbare, but I was impressed with the athletic, if inappropriate move. This was a first for me, a new take on panhandling. So I made my usual offer, inviting her into the 100 Strangers Project.

“AWESOME!”

After (hopefully) buying sandals in CVS, she plans to travel to Orlando. Krystina has no job, but she does have a house there. I can hang out with my friends. “It's AWESOME!”

I showed her the pics on the LCD and she wanted copies. But she doesn't have e-mail, only Facebook. So I promised to send something in a message.

As we parted, she asked if I could spare some more, so she could buy the shoes right away. I said no, that she had done pretty well already. Then I got a huge smile:

“Yeah, that was f***ing AWESOME.”

Thank you, Krystina, for allowing me to photograph you for the 100 Strangers Flickr group. It was, well, never mind.

Bob

James (#784) 02-08-15

James was sitting alone at the outdoor bar, Smokin' Joe's. I always check that place, as the light is almost always good. He was affable and happy to be included in the project. Also I quickly realized that James had been at the bar for a while.

He lives in Sarasota, but has moved around. He attended school in Englewood, very close to where I used to live. But his family moved west, and he graduated from High School in the Tetons. James Hated it; the population was 200, and he is a city boy. For a photographer, hating the Tetons seems like heresy - some of the most beautiful country on earth.

James works as a cook at a seafood restaurant called Bryans. His comment, “Don't go there. They won't let me use spices. Can you imagine vegetables steamed?” Well, I said that I occasionally eat steamed vegetables. “Really? Just steamed, without spice?” Becoming defensive, I began to equivocate. James continued, “I clean the fish, weigh the fillets, and broil. No spice. Clean, weigh, broil. Clean, weigh, broil.”

I guess I won't go there.

Bob

Orn (#783) 02-07-15

When Orn approached, I had no idea how she would respond to my request. She is from Thailand, and has been in the U.S. For only three years. One aunt is here, but the rest of her family is in Thailand. Orn loves it here, “It is so quiet!”

She was shy, but obviously interested in 100 Strangers. There was not so much a language barrier as a cultural barrier. She was smiling, but had difficulty understanding what I was up to. Orn preferred the smiley image. I had showed her my photostream on the phone and she wanted to see it later, so I gave her a card. And she wanted a copy of the images and gave me her e-mail address. I felt good about that, as she might have considered that an invasion of privacy. But, she didn't.

Looking at the images enlarged on the computer, I think that I can see contact lenses. I had never thought of that before.

Bob