Shooting: 100 Strangers

With the exception of today, the humidity has been very low the past few days. The temperature has stayed in the high 70’s/low 80’s. A perfect opportunity to start my 100 Strangers project. If your index finger is too lazy to hit the preceding link, I’ll just sum it up: 100 Strangers is a photography assignment. The rules are simple. Take pictures of a hundred people you don’t know, with their permission. The idea is to become more comfortable with photographing people because of the forced verbal interaction. In the process you learn something about yourself.

Yesterday I left my house around noon with my Nikon D300 and my 50mm f1.4 lens, and headed to “the city” (otherwise known as the borough of Manhattan for all you out-of-towners) with the sole intention of starting this project. I took the subway because I knew I had to be on foot most of the time.

My journey started on Lexington Avenue and 86th Street. As I re-emerged back into the daylight from the 6 train station, I became immediately aware that I was now “on the clock” and I had to start confronting strangers. The streets were not that crowded, and the few locals I saw were walking very quickly so I couldn’t pull the trigger. Why were they in such a hurry? It was a Saturday. I decided to walk towards 5th Avenue and north a couple blocks to the Guggenheim Museum. I figured there would be hoards of layed-back tourists and artsy types in the vicinity that I could easily coax into my viewfinder. To my surprise, a block before reaching the museum, I was approached by an Asian gal about my age. She was trying to sell her tickets to the museum because she couldn’t attend for whatever reason. “…Ten bucks and its yours. They cost eighteen inside and you wont have to wait on that long line…” Done deal. I hadn’t been to the Guggenheim in eons and I knew about the line.

(I might add that as New Yorkers, we get excited at the prospect of skipping lines, getting discounts and backstage passes at someone Else’s expense, getting VIP treatments, etc, etc.)

As she looked in her purse to find a $10 in exchange for my $20, I made small talk to break the ice. This could be my first victim…

Me: So how did you know I was going to the Museum? (coy smile)
Her: Well I saw your camera.
Me: Oh, haha! … I’m not a tourist though…
Her: Oh… ok. (like I care) Here ya go. Thanks again.
Me: No problem, thank you… Oh, would you mind if I asked you for a small favor now? (coy smile)
Her: Sure…?
Me: So I’m doing this assignment for school….blah blah blah….would you mind if I took your picture?
Her: Sure. Wait you’re not going to put it all over the internet right?
Me: Nooooo. Its just for school. (I would never do that)

Bang! One down. 99 to go. What you don’t see in this picture is her left hand waving at me. Why do people do that? I think it made her more comfortable for whatever reason. I had to crop it out though, along with a hot spot on her head from the sun.

The museum had a very elaborate Frank Lloyd Wright exhibit. I had heard about it a while back, and I was glad to have made it. I’m a Wright whore. I sweat him. If He were still alive I would be his groupie. A couple shots from the museum he built right before he died…

So the museum visit was a nice procrastination, but it was back to business now. I walked back towards Lexington Avenue looking for a quick bite to eat before continuing the photo hunt. I stopped in a Pizza shop and had a couple slices. There was a European looking, 45ish year old man sitting at the table across mine by himself, not eating anything. He was gazing out the Shop’s window seemingly concentrating on something magical in the distance. Maybe it was all the available parking spaces on Lexington. The cool ambient light from the window and the warm incandescents from the Shop were hitting his face so nicely. I thought this could be number 2, but for some reason, I couldn’t muster the cohones to ask him. That and I had pepperoni juice all over my hands, so grabbing my precious camera was a no-no. Shortly after conceding personal defeat, I noticed the man put his hands on his head like the world had just ended, so I told myself it was probably better that I didn’t bother him. Maybe he saw someone take the parking spaces?

After leaving the Pizza shop on Lexington and 90th, I headed north a few blocks to 96th so I can catch the 6 train downtown. There was an Indian (or Pakistani) man with a fruit stand on the corner. I asked to take his picture and he quickly refused while shaking his head “no” with a kool-aid smile. Wham! my first rejection. I knew this moment would come, but I didn’t know it would be so soon. My success rate was now at a miserable 50%. I was so disappointed for about two minutes, that I briefly considered going home.

I paced up 96th street replaying the brief conversation in my head, searching for faults in my pitch. Was I not confident enough? Am I too intimidating? Is it my lack of breasts? After a few minutes I decided that I just need to push forward and play the numbers game. I started walking back over to the Lexington subway entrance when I noticed a lonely-looking older gentleman leaning on a wall. I asked him for his permission politely and he agreed, albeit a little hesitantly. You can see the angst in his face.

The 6 train took forever to come. About twenty minutes. While I was waiting on the platform, I was scanning for new subjects. There was one lady who was eating popcorn. After every few bites she would shake the bag as if it made the popcorn fresher or something. Very OCD. I thought about asking her for a shot, as well as another young girl who was toting around a Canon 1D with a lens the size of a whale’s penis, but I started thinking about the implications of our relationship. We were all waiting for the same train, and after potentially shooting them, it would be awkward if we spent time in the same car together and didn’t talk anymore. Besides, the fluorescent lighting was horrible in the station, and I didn’t want to have to kick up ISOs so early in the game. In other words, I chickened out again.

I transfered to the N at 59th street for some more elbow room. Got out at 8th street figuring I’d head towards Cooper Union and St. Marks Place, you know, where all the crazies are. Sure enough, I quickly found victim number 3. This colorful man was an over-the-hill, rocker sitting in front of a record store on St. Marks Place. I put on my tourist charm and politely asked him to take his picture. He happily agreed, despite the intimidating expression.

Rod Stewart meets Billy Idol with a Brooklyn accent.

I slowly snaked my way up to union square, zig-zagging through streets in search of other subjects. Nothing that exciting except for this guy who was sleeping in a storefront on Second Avenue as part of either an art installation or some marketing campaign.

Union Square was loud and lively as usual, so new subjects would be abundant. As I walked through the park, I started tallying up my shots and realized I should be aware of the male to female ratio. Not that there is a rule stating so, but I like variety and I’d also like to practice approaching both sexes. I told myself I needed another female for the next shot.

I spotted a charming young girl sitting alone, having a sandwich next to a tree in one of the more remote parts of the park. Now as a dude, I like pretty girls. Natural, right? As a photographer I like taking pictures of pretty girls. Also understandable, but here’s where it get complicated. The strange part is when I confuse the two. I found myself approaching this girl with the sincere intent of only taking her picture, but with the stomach butterflies of a 17 year old asking his crush to the prom. In the back of my head, there’s also another thought: “Do I come across as ‘creepy guy’ taking pictures of girls for masturbation purposes?” Regardless, she was so cute, I had to try. I walked up to her and asked to take her picture for a “school” project. I briefly explained the details while she still had half a bite in her mouth and she agreed with a nod, a grunt and a shy smile. She was careful to stop chewing as I composed the shot. I thanked her and apologized for interrupting her meal. She smiled and said “no problem”. I remember a great surge of confidence sweeping through me. When I was out of her sight, I quickly ducked into my LCD screen to admire her again for a few seconds. I felt like I was going to the prom with the hottest girl in school.

Half a block up on 17th street, I passed a well known cosmetics store. There was a young black girl outside with blond hair and the reddest lipstick I’d seen in a long time. She was giving out free samples out front as a promotion for some new product. She was so bubbly and colorful I had to shoot her. It was only five minutes after the previous girl and I was still riding the confidence wave. I smoothly asked to take her picture and she got camera-shy right away. She waved her hands nervously and asked “well, what do you want me to do?”, with a schoolgirl giggle. I took that as the “Ok” so I raised my camera to my eye and reassuringly said, “You can smile, or you can not smile, whatever you like”. She giggled as I snapped the shot, and this is where I got cocky: “What’s this for?”, she asked. “Its my job to take pictures of interesting and good-looking people like yourself”, I replied. I think I may have even winked at her. “Oh, you’re cute”, she said. Giggle.

I started walking uptown on Broadway and then 5th avenue. I was somewhere in the 30’s when I spotted victim number 6. A bicycle cabbie, taking a break on the sidewalk. In order to attract new tourist clientele, he dresses up humorously. I played the tourist card again here and told him I liked his hat. I contemplated using a foreign accent to entertain myself but I would have laughed half way through the sentence. I asked if I could take his picture and he agreed. He even spun the propeller for me but my camera was on shutter priority at 1/200 so it looks still.

All in all it was a fun, productive day. I got six solid portraits of people I didn’t know and I grew a little more comfortable with interacting. 94 to go.