The Project That Never Was

It wasn't a case of nerves, this time.

It wasn't a case of laziness, though I'm sure that there was, perhaps, a little of that.

It came down to the pandemic and my overwhelming reluctance to get close to people, particularly the people I don't know.

My project was a bust, but I look at the success—my ability to keep the virus from spreading through my encounters with total strangers. Though the risk was low, it wasn't zero. And if COVID-19 is going to spread through low-risk interaction with strangers, I wasn't going to be responsible.

I wanted to get outside and photograph another 100 strangers, a pandemic version of my project from a few years ago. But the more I thought of it, the more it dawned on me that it wasn't a good idea. This year, the only time I've taken my camera outdoors, I've made an effort to ensure that I kept my distance. With the exception of a photo shoot that I did in the summer, I have avoided group photo meetups.

There was that time that I was approached by strangers while I photographed the Rideau Falls, but I made sure those strangers kept at least three metres away.

Today, I had originally planned to show my photos of the 100 people that I had approached, identified myself, and requested a photograph. Instead, I'm wasting your time, telling you of the project that never came to be. I'm postponing my 100-stranger project for when I can approach people without the fear of catching something from one person and spreading it on to many more.

If you're looking for photographs, I'll be sharing my favorite photos of 2020. I promise.