And yes, I do get out of the house but it's not the same. These days, I only go somewhere with a purpose: to the grocery store or somewhere else where I have a goal and don't intend to interact with people. I'll go for fresh air: a kayak paddle or a bicycle ride or a walk around the neighbourhood.
I rarely interact with people.
Sure, sometimes DW and I invite friends or my parents to join us in our backyard, but it's not often that I speak to a total stranger. Last month, I attended a photo shoot with my photography meetup group for the first time since the pandemic lockdown. I knew the meetup organizer but hadn't met the other three photographers or our model until the shoot.
On a solo photo shoot, where I stood on the Mackenzie Bridge and captured the fading light and coming storm, while video recording the whole event, a woman approached me and asked me about my photography. We chatted for about five minutes while I explained what I was doing and she watched me take a few photographs. She was curious about the video I was also shooting but I couldn't show her anything because the camera was still recording.
Damn... and now that camera is pooched.
I actually enjoyed my interaction with that woman. I haven't really talked to strangers in a while. And that thought made me remember my 100 Strangers project from 2015.
I'm going to do it again.
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| Stranger 53 |
Anywhere there's a good chance of encountering a random person.
My approach will be the same but, because of COVID-19, I'll keep my distance, will wear a mask. Throughout the last project, I was always respectful of others' privacy. I will be even more respectful, understanding that many people (like me, actually) don't want to get close to others even in the best of circumstances and are even more cautious during this pandemic.
My challenge to myself is this: capture images of another 100 strangers and how they feel about the pandemic. They can wear a mask, if they wish. They can try to show how they feel during this unprecedented time.
Last time, I only captured a stranger's head and shoulders. If they want to reflect their feelings from head to toe, I'll take that picture. If the stranger is with others and they all want to be photographed together, I'll do that.
Starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to photograph my first stranger. Or strangers. I will have until December 23 to take the 100 photos and I will share the images on December 30.
Wish me luck.
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