The People Who Pose

Whenever I go out to make photos I try my best to not draw too much attention to myself, as a news director told me once “ You want to cover the story, not be the story…”. While i am not hiding in the bushes trying to obscure what I am doing, I am also not trying to stick the lens in peoples’ faces while they are out just living life. Something that is surprising (that really shouldn’t be) is on occasion is the people who will pose for a photo just because you are out with a camera. They don’t know who I am, what this is for, or even if it will ever be used. Everyone pictured here was very excited to have their picture taken.

The most common reaction when someone notices you taking a picture is they stop before walking in front of you trying not to get in your way, or do the weird crouch walk ( I am guilty of both of these as well), so when someone stops and poses I am often not as prepared to take their picture. “Then why take their picture?” you may ask, I feel it is part of the experience, also it gives me a chance to get myself out there a little more as well, and getting out there and making these photos is collaborative. Most of the time it is a passive collaboration with the environment, the time of day and the moment.

For these friendly folks, they chose to get more active, and I hope they are as happy today as they seemed when they posed for me randomly in the wild…the wilds of Manhattan, Atlanta, Everett, and Bellingham.

till next time.