Aesthetic exeperience

Recently I started photographing strangers and called it The Stranger Project. I am challenging myself to meet people I do not know in order to practice my portriture in uncomfortable situations - taking myself out of my element in order to stretch myself as a photographer. The people I've met so far, if only for a few minutes, have impacted me. Especially when stranger #3, better known as Rick, contacted me. The hotel he worked for apparently found me first.
My first thought was "How did this person find me???", my second thought was "what did I say?- ohmygosh, what did I write??"

I don't consider myself a writer. It's very easy to throw down a bunch of words when you think no one is reading it except a few trusted friends. It's entirely different to have the guts to express yourself when you are held accountable for what you say. Luckily for me, Rick is every bit the opposite of my first impression of him. He enjoyed my post and actually found some humor in it.
THANK GOD.
In "scowly me, Stranger #3", as he referred to himself, I found an easy going, intelligent, fellow artist. From our email conversations I learned a little bit more about him. (A photographer, a war-reenactment buff and degree from William & Mary in history) Above all, though, what really gets me, is that this person who only knows me from looking at my photographs and reading my silly blog posts saw this in me:



I spent a lot of time looking at your blog yesterday after I sent the e-mail to you. I was impressed, amused, and often touched on a deep level by what I saw there. You are a good writer as well as a photographer. I loved the poems and other things you shared as they meant something to you. It's all very personal. You said you consider yourself shy, but you are working pretty hard to put yourself out there into the big world. Shy people are by definition "sensitive", and it is this sensitivity that gives you the vision to see what others miss, and to consider the human condition and everything else in a quest to understand, celebrate, sympathize, but never ignore, because while it's often inconvenient and leaves you more vulnerable, you can't. Sometimes you may wish you could do less of this. I sometimes do, but if I could, I would no longer be "me." I often think "ignorance is bliss", at least it seems so for the less perceptive people I know. In looking at your blog, I was reminded of , well, hope you don't mind this..........me. You're just more of a risk taker, and a better writer. You have given me the opportunity to express some ideas that really matter, but that most, including my friends, wouldn't care to discuss, or maybe not even understand. How's that for opening up? Hope this will continue........you started it. Thanks for that.

You have inspired me to put together a collection of my best photos in one collection at to post that on Picasa. I will do that soon. There are others that I want to see it, too. I don't want anyone thinking that I am a one-trick pony. I will do that soon and let you know when it's done. I was planning to do this anyway; you just put a little fire under my butt to get on with it.


That email brought me to tears. It made me proud to be who I am. And although I have friends who fill me with love and praise every day, sometimes it takes a stranger #3 to really make it sink in.