100 strangers

1/100
A lovely woman who is proud of her house, especially the flowers at the left of the photo. Her family lives nearby so they can take care of her needs. She was friendly and invited to come back!
2/100
When Jordan told me the dog's name is Oatmeal, I said, "What a perfect name!" He said that his daughter thought up the name when she was seven. Jordan asked me about the 100 Strangers Project, if it was for a class I'm taking. I said it's for Flickr, and he said, "Cool."
3/100
Rhiannon and Kahlil--obviously the loveliest and most photogenic couple in the world!--were getting ready for a Black Lives Matter fundraising event. When I told them about the 100 Strangers project, they said it sounded like a great way to connect with people during the pandemic. I wanted to take their photo when I saw Kahlil's orange hat from a distance!
4/100
Liz is a lighting designer. I saw a pink-accented figure from a distance, and I kind of ran and shouted after her, "Miss, can I take your picture?" She was so friendly and obliging. Being a lighting designer and uber-cool fashionista, she must understand the theatrical and social aspects of photography, and so doesn't mind being caught on camera.
5/100
Lori is--can you guess?--a professional photographer! Though she's masked, her expressiveness and friendliness come through, I believe, in this pic. Being a professional photographer, she noted from a distance what kind of camera I have! I was fumbling a bit getting ready to shoot--I'm always nervous with strangers, let alone when I am trying to shoot an accomplished photographer. I apologized, but she was so patient and said, "You're fine."
9/100
I was looking at the shadows on the white tent and thinking what a good background it would make, when Susan and Mike walked by and generously agreed to pose.
8/100
Bruce owns this bike shop. I told him a little about my cycling hobby, when I was young, how I rode a "century" once--a 100-mile bike ride.
7/100
All I learned about Chris, besides his name, is the obvious: he's a loving dad.
6/100
Isabel and Dave are neighbors. They said that they couldn't hug to pose for a photo, so they did a socially distanced elbow-bump instead.
10/100: 100 strangers
Louise was gardening and kindly let me take her picture. When I told her that I'm trying to photograph 100 strangers, she laughed and said that if we spoke, we wouldn't be strangers anymore! But honestly, it was hard to communicate through masks at a safe distance.
11/100
Nasimeh has a brief conversation with you, to find out your interests and ideas, and then she writes you a marvelous, bespoke poem on her OG manual typewriter. She's a true artist--soulful, engaging, and delightful!
12/100
Katharine and Logan were so friendly! Logan is a rescue dog, five years old. Katharine feels privileged to have been living in her lovely home for many years.
14/100
Lisa and Banjo graciously posed for me, but as soon as I snapped this pic, Banjo started barking loudly at me (probably to let me know my exposure was wrong). So the two of them had to go and we couldn't really chat beyond my catching their names.
13/100
Melvina is sitting at the bus stop in front of the senior-citizen apartment building where she's lived for 18 years. She also works at the front desk, so she knows everyone in the building!
15/100
Adam and Jeff could only pause for a moment, to pose and tell me their names. This is the 15th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
16/100
Karen and I talked about the local co-op's weekly food-giveaway, which was happening not far from where I took this picture.
18/100
When I saw Ayana's super cool pants, I asked if I could take a photo. And I was lucky that her handsome son Michael Charles joined in to complete the picture!
17/100
Jennifer is a professional photographer. It always makes me nervous to shoot someone who knows so much more than me about photography! But of course she was very gracious and nice to chat with.
19/100
Jacques was hunting down a special kind of sparrow (so far he had only seen common ones) with his Canon 600 mm lens. He was so patient and kind to let me stand there and take photos!
20/100
Cameron is the coolest, most talented busker you'll ever meet!
21/100
Kay was so sweet to let me take her picture! She was pushing the most adorable little girl in a stroller, but when the girl saw me, she started to scream. Kay, however, graciously posed for me. Some people are so photogenic and lovely, even behind a mask!
22/100: 100 strangers
Clockwise from bottom left: Woodrow, Michael, Kathy, Jake. Jake seems bored. We chatted about what types of birds could be found in the woods thereabout. I also learned that the two dogs love each other like brothers, which means there is some amount of squabbling.
24/100
Nancy was painting a mural for a client and talked to me at length about being a working artist.
23/100
Whenever Zooey takes Miller to the hardware store, the salespeople give him treats. This was taken right outside, so he was in a good mood!
25/100: 100 strangers
Ron's cats are named Reba and Miranda, after the country music superstars (Miranda is at Ron's feet in this photo). Ron is a musician himself, as evidenced by his keyboard cap--he plays the viola and sings doo-wop! This is the 25th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
26/100
Camelia. I didn't find out anything about her, but her hair and her eyes say it all: the coolest person on the planet!
27/100
I wanted to photograph Elizabeth because of her colorful outfit. She was out for a walk in her neighborhood. She gave me her email address so I could send her the photo. She said that her family hadn't seen her full-length in months--just closeup on Zoom, because of the pandemic.
28/100
Marcie and Che were walking on a freezing Christmas morning, but were kind enough to stop, have their photo taken, and wish me happy holidays.
29/100
There's a historic house and garden that the town has set aside as a small public park. It's quiet and peaceful. Nate kindly let me interrupt his contemplative time to take his picture. This is the 29th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
30/100
Patrick was strolling through this park *and* picking up trash on the way. What a nice guy! Chatted with him a little: he plays acoustic and pedal-steel guitar and records his own original music. This is the 30th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
32/100
Ben was outside with his two cats. I wanted to take a photo of them all together, but as soon as I spoke to Ben, the cats scattered. Ben obligingly remained and had his portrait taken.
31/100
Kate carrying Ben. I asked her why he likes to be carried, and she said that he doesn't like it, so they were practicing. They were in a hurry to be on their way, so that's all I found out. Except that Ben is the cutest Corgi in the world!
33/100
Meet Helen! Earlier on this photowalk, I had stopped in front of a house to photograph an artistically decorated tree. Later, this nice lady said hello to me, and she told me that she had taken a picture of me taking a picture of her tree! She had snapped me from an upstairs window. I asked if I could take a picture of her, and we chatted for a bit. Helen is super nice and her tree decoration is fabulously creative!
34/100
Two or three years ago (before I took up photography), I had the habit of walking through this park, and I would see this man and his dog once in a while. Then I got out of the habit of taking that walk, and I stopped seeing them. Now, during the pandemic, when I saw them again, I was so happy that I said Hi, it's good to see you! I found out their names--Victor and Yuko. Victor had volunteered for the Democrats in the Pennsylvania campaign, and I thanked him heartily for doing that work and helping Biden/Harris win! This is the 34th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
35/100
He was picturesque on a freezing day, completely bundled up in black and yellow. I gestured to him and to my camera, and he gave me permission, with a thumbs up, to take his photo. Unfortunately, I couldn't get his name, though I asked in two languages. Communication at pandemic distance, with surrounding noises, was just too hard. But his friendliness was evident, and I admire him for performing a very difficult job. This is the 35th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
36/100
Adelle saw me with my camera and joked, "I'm ready for my closeup!" Then she was so friendly when I actually asked her if I could take her picture. Her dogs are Cupcake and Gulliver, and it was such a pleasure meeting them!
37/100
Mike and Gareth were practicing Japanese-style fencing (with wooden swords) in the park. They kindly let me photograph their awesome swordplay--I thought I was watching an Akira Kurosawa film! They belong to a local aikido society.
38/100
Beverly has a PhD and taught social work for many years. She's now retired and lives near her daughter. They go for a walk together every day. . . . I love how you can see people's beautiful smiles--in their eyes--even when they're masked!
39/100: 100 strangers
Jeff saw me on my photowalk and asked if I was getting any good shots. He recognized the kind of camera I was using, and we talked a little photography. He seemed like just another casual shutterbug. Later, at home, when I found his website, it turned out that he has done portraits of the likes of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Magic Johnson, and others!!!!!! I've seen him around town again. He's the nicest guy and so humble, for such an accomplished professional photographer!
40/100
I spotted Kim's camera and struck up a conversation. She is currently taking a class and has fun assignments about light, composition, and so on. She and Ron kindly posed for me, and then turned the tables and took a photo of me. I gave her my card, so I hope she emails me and we can stay in touch.
41/100
When this nice young couple takes their dog for a walk, he cleans up litter around the neighborhood. When I saw him and realized what he was doing, I shouted at him, "Are you picking up trash?" He said, "Yeah." I said, "That's the nicest thing I've ever seen!" They graciously agreed to have their photo taken. Please meet Patrick, Benny, and Sheldy. Before encountering them, I was in a foul mood, but just being near their positive vibes cheered me up!
42/100
Calliope is the most adorable pandemic puppy. After I took their photo, they walked to the corner and Louise successfully got Calli to sit. Good dog, Calli!
43/100
Sally is a retired psychologist who lives in the most beautiful Victorian house you could imagine. I asked if she knew the history of her house, and she said yes. It was one of the first built in this town, and the original owner was a woman. The woman had to sign a deed that stipulated there would be no consumption of alcoholic spirits on the premises. In Sally's left hand is a bottle of wine--she was going to a neighbor's birthday party.
44/100
Wayne was sitting on his porch with his mother, Yu-Fung, and his baby. He noticed me photographing a flowering shrub, and he said hi to me. He's a photographer, and he told me that he did a series of "porch portraits" of his neighbors during the pandemic. Such a friendly guy with a lovely family!
45/100
I was photographing a cool motorcycle, and then a cool young woman walked up--it was her bike! Natalie restored this 1980s Yamaha with the help of a friend. It can go 75 mph, but gets a little shaky then, so she doesn't do that very often. She also does film photography!
46/100: 100 strangers
I was walking by Herb's house and we struck up a conversation. He had on a t-shirt that said Dodge Charger 1969, so I asked him if he owned a Charger. He said no, he used to own a Camaro, then he had me wait while he went inside to get a photo. That's him in the photo, driving his totally badass yellow Camaro racing car--"Caribbean Kid," his nickname, is emblazoned on the side. He said, way back then, the car cost him tens of thousands of dollars, and he wished he had that money now. I said nah, the memories and happiness are more important. He also showed me a bump on his head from a racing crash he had. Besides being a race car driver, he was also a semi-professional table-tennis player. To top it all off, the day I took his photo was Herb's birthday! 78 and going strong! This is the 46th photo of my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at: www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
47/100
Not long ago, while riding another bike, Mary was hit by a car. After a lot of physical therapy, she's back in the saddle. She does seem cheerful and indomitable!
48/100
I was admiring this beautiful garden, when Jill walked up and said, "It's lovely, isn't it? Then again, I'm biased." We chatted about how much work it takes for her to maintain a flowering garden, including pulling spiky weeds. But she enjoys the labor! She's also on the building committee of her church, which dates back to the 1920s and is undergoing a lot of maintenance. Jill is a busy, cheerful person!