52 challenge
Couple in love. Stranger Challenge week 8
While walking from my kid’s school today, I spotted a couple in love sitting on the grass. They looked so fresh in love, and that made me curious about their relationship. They also looked like they were way pass the period, I’ll be forever calling, “we’re working on it”. The name comes from my “Sweetest love story. Stranger challenge week 6.”
Today’s couple already had it worked out, it looked like. Don’t you think?
I approached them, and asked them in they would be ok with being part of my project. As you can see, they said yes. To my big surprise I was told they’ve been together about 18 months now. My guess was, well, close to one or two months into the relationship.
Thank you so much for helping me to catch-up with this project, and helping me to overcome my fear of approaching stranger by being so nice!
Following this patter, soon I’ll be approaching a couple in love during their wedding day for my Stranger Challenge. 😂😂😂
Today I realized how awesome this project is. Well, I have this feeling every single time I take a photo of a stranger, but every time for a different reason. Today, I realized, this project allows me to watch people, try to guess who they are, what they do, etc, and then just approach them and ask them about it.
I wouldn’t have the guts to do it without this project. I do go through motions of fear before asking people for allowing me to take their picture. However, Brandon Stanton described it perfectly in “Magic Lessons”, podcast hosted by Elizabeth Gilbert. He said:
“You can learn to be brave. You can learn to be courageous. You can learn to be social. And the way you can do these things is to do something when you scared of doing it. The way to learn courage is to be afraid of something and then do it anyway.”
If you interested the interview with Brandon is in the episode called “Make the Brutal into the Beautiful”.
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Photographing Stranger Challenge part 7 – Valentine’s Day Stranger
This past week my “Photographing Stranger 52 week Challenge” got very sweet. Literally. It’s week 7th of the challenge. I seriously didn’t think I’ll come that far.
As you might know, we are big fans of libraries. Two weeks ago we went to our local library, for their free Valentine’s Day Crafts event. My kids enjoyed it a lot. On Valentine’s Day, we ended up in the library again. While on our way out, my older daughter spotted a sign pointing to the same room as the previous event. It said: Valentine’s Day Cookies Decorating. Oh man! How could we say no to that?
The fun part (or sometimes not really), of having kids who can read is, they no longer depend on the adults telling them what the world around them is all about.
This event was aimed for older kids but we were invited anyway, as most of the participants of this event were my kids’ age anyway.
While my kids were busy making their second set of cookies, I asked the librarian, if I can take a picture of her for my project. She didn’t want to just sit there while I was taking pictures of her, so she started decorating a cookie. She is a big fan of chocolate but not cookies. And because of that, we ended up with an extra cooking leaving the library. A reason for more happiness for my girls.
I love her smile she gave me at the end!
I’m happy that this time photographing stranger didn’t take me an entire week. It was a brief impulse and I went with it. In the past weeks, it took me several “misses”, as I call them. I see someone who I would want to ask but then I’m too scared and I miss the opportunity.
Now go and check out Hailey’s stranger!
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