100 Strangers **Complete** 15th July 2016.

blakester

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Iain
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No sooner have I finished round 1 of 100 strangers, I took myself off to London today and Carnaby Street to kick off round 2.


101:200 Strangers - Alice
by Iain Blake, on Flickr


101:200 Alice
by Iain Blake, on Flickr

Finally managed to get round 2 of my 100 strangers going after a false start in Cambridge at the weekend.

I paid a visit to Carnaby Street in London and saw Alice, particularly her colourful hair and fantastic tattoo.

I introduced myself and my project and Alice happily agreed to be part of the project. I had chosen the background earlier and we walked a short distance to it.

Alice is from the Midlands and was down in London visiting friends. Alice is currently working in electronics but dreams of being a graphic designer.

I asked Alice about her life right now.

"Life is good, I am moving into a new place soon and I am happy!"

"Carpe diem!"

Thank you Alice!
 
Super start. I prefer #1 mainly because it's wider but I also like her pose and the greens.

I suspect it isn't but it seems to be leaning to the right slightly :thinking:

Cheers.

Thanks Andy (y)
#1 is the route i wish to take with this round of strangers, a half body shot or at least posing the hands.
It is leaning slightly right, you're quite correct. I would have corrected this but it would have meant clipping the fingers which are already too close to the bottom of the frame.
I welcome your opinion and critique, I am looking to push my portrait photography on and every little helps as they say. :D
 
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I like the first one as it shows more of the top she is wearing.

I see you are still keeping the subject in the centre and due to the combination of focal length, background and good depth of field it is still working :)

Nice light, is it in a covered arcade?
 
I like the first one as it shows more of the top she is wearing.

I see you are still keeping the subject in the centre and due to the combination of focal length, background and good depth of field it is still working :)

Nice light, is it in a covered arcade?

Thanks Mark,
The centre placed subject is a composition I particularly like but it's not set in stone, I do want to mix things up a little with this 100.
No, it's not a covered arcade, it's a walkway which joins Carnaby Street running along the back of the Liberty's store.
 
I think both of these are gorgeous.
She is an amazing subject.
As for composition etc..Don't change a thing.
 
I think both of these are gorgeous.
She is an amazing subject.
As for composition etc..Don't change a thing.

Thanks Chris.
As for composition, I do enjoy the central positioning, vanishing point look and will probably continue to shoot it but I am also hoping to mix things up a little too.
 
I'm glad you are doing another hundred, I really enjoyed your first set. Fantastic start and couldn't choose between the two, the way the background colours compliment the subject is great.
 
#1 for me, I like the change. (y)

Thanks Brian (y)
#2 is mainly there as the stock head and shoulders shot, #1 is where I want to take the project, half body shots or at least with hands showing.


I'm glad you are doing another hundred, I really enjoyed your first set. Fantastic start and couldn't choose between the two, the way the background colours compliment the subject is great.

Thanks Chris (y)
It was a bit of a slow start to this round but i am glad Alice walked by and agreed to be part of my project.
 
Lovely shots and a great start to part two of your project. Did you know Alice is also an internet model? So she is no stranger to posing that for sure. I instantly recognised her when I saw your photos. Search for Alice Coral - Model.

https://instagram.com/alicecoral/

:)
 
First one works best for me. Great model and super colours.

Thanks Kris (y)

Lovely shots and a great start to part two of your project. Did you know Alice is also an internet model? So she is no stranger to posing that for sure. I instantly recognised her when I saw your photos. Search for Alice Coral - Model.

https://instagram.com/alicecoral/

:)

Thanks Gareth (y)
Yes, I found out that Alice was a model later on.
I did have an inkling at the time, she struck a pose with ease, very comfortable in front of the camera.
 
Great shots, couldn't really pick a fav as i like them both.

Just been through your Flickr and you have captured some great portraits, and there was me thinking my recently acquired 50 1.4 would be to wide for portraits. Do you ever use a reflector and use a 1.4 aperture? Shooting at 50 you must have to get pretty close to your subjects and at 1.4 i would imagine sharp focus difficult, saying that though you are using D4........

I look forward to seeing how the rest of this project unfolds, nice work :)
 
Great shots, couldn't really pick a fav as i like them both.

Just been through your Flickr and you have captured some great portraits, and there was me thinking my recently acquired 50 1.4 would be to wide for portraits. Do you ever use a reflector and use a 1.4 aperture? Shooting at 50 you must have to get pretty close to your subjects and at 1.4 i would imagine sharp focus difficult, saying that though you are using D4........

I look forward to seeing how the rest of this project unfolds, nice work :)

Thanks Dan.
Yes, I regularly use a reflector but very rarely 1.4 aperture, as close as I am to the subjects, the dof would be wafer thin. I like to give myself something of a chance in getting the eyes sharp.
For the head & shoulders shots of the first 100, I have been standing at most 2m away, I prefer to get the composition in camera as opposed to cropping.

Thanks again Dan (y)
 
lovely model, cracking shot and great start to round 2. would love to be able to give something like this a try but being a total wuss when it comes to approaching strangers ( let alone pretty ones ) id probably end up just running away :chicken:
 
lovely model, cracking shot and great start to round 2. would love to be able to give something like this a try but being a total wuss when it comes to approaching strangers ( let alone pretty ones ) id probably end up just running away :chicken:

Thanks Dean (y)
Is Alice pretty? Hadn't really noticed :whistle:
Seriously though, it's about finding an approach that works, finding a little bit of confidence to approach a stranger and ask to make their portrait. Some people on the Flickr 100 strangers group engage the person first, chatting away to them before asking to take their photograph. This I would find so much more difficult than my approach. I introduce the project straight off the bat, then there is no 'hidden' agenda. In that short space of time, people decide. You will be very surprised how people react, the majority are very positive in their response.

I don't like having my photograph taken, I've got a face for radio :D and it constantly surprises me that people say yes to having a complete stranger take their portrait. That's not to say I find the subjects unattractive, more my projecting my aversion to photos onto them or putting myself in their shoes. I have lost count of the number of strangers who said they don't like having their photo taken or they look rough today only to go and let me take it anyway.

Thanks again Dean
 
I love everything about the first shot, very nice.

Thanks Mark, Alice was a lovely stranger, her experience as a model made it all the easier for me to shoot her portrait.
 
Hi Iain

Good start - lucky choice :rolleyes:
I like the comp of #1 and, as a;ways, lovely colours. I wonder whether taking the wider shots is going to give you more difficulty with exposure as in #1 the bottom hand seems to lack the colour of the other one and the arm.
i also wondered when you started the second 100 whether you would have more what i might term 'ordinary' people. Many of the first 100 are very colourful, often young, have tattoos and/or brightly coloured hair. This may well be a result of taking the shots in London which seems to have a broader spectrum of folk.

Interested to see how it develops
(y)
 
@superpippo
Thanks Alan.
I think the darker hand is as a result of my processing and added vignette.
I will take another look when I am back at my computer, it's a very valid observation, I agree.

On the subject of stranger choice, that's another valid point. Not sure if it's a subconscious decision to approach the outwardly more colourful or interesting characters knowing there's a good chance they will say yes.
I obviously have no idea what this next round of 100 strangers will bring subject wise but your observations are certainly food for thought Alan thanks again.
 
lovely model, cracking shot and great start to round 2. would love to be able to give something like this a try but being a total wuss when it comes to approaching strangers ( let alone pretty ones ) id probably end up just running away :chicken:
I am the same Dean and have often thought of giving this a go but then I do lack the confidence/ courage.

Iain I have followed your first 100 stranger project since you have a lot from Cambridge. Have you ever had anyone turn your request for taking a picture down?
You must have met a lot of interesting people during this project.
 
I am the same Dean and have often thought of giving this a go but then I do lack the confidence/ courage.

Iain I have followed your first 100 stranger project since you have a lot from Cambridge. Have you ever had anyone turn your request for taking a picture down?
You must have met a lot of interesting people during this project.

Thanks Jan.
I like Cambridge for strangers shooting, it does have a good vibe about it.
Yes around 15-20 people have declined over the first 100 I would guess. It's no biggie now to be honest Jan, when someone says no, sometimes I try and persuade them otherwise but generally I just thank them for their time and move on.

Again, yes I have met a lot of interesting people over the course of the project.
Some are easier to engage with than others but that's life/people really.
It is daunting at first shooting this project but people will surprise you I'm sure with how amenable, friendly and genuinely interested in the project to take part.
 

102/200 Strangers - Mai
by Iain Blake, on Flickr

I paid a visit to St Albans and had a wander around the city.

I had noticed Mai earlier in my walk around but missed the opportunity to ask if I could make her portrait for my project.

A little later, I had found a background where i wished to take a stranger portrait and decided to wait a while. I again noticed Mai and her partner walking towards me and thought I mustn't miss this second opportunity to make her portrait.

Happily Mai agreed to be part of my project. Mai and her partner live in St Albans and were on their way to lunch so were a little pushed for time. I didn't wish to delay them, so never managed to get more than a headshot of Mai.

I asked Mai what her happiest moment in life had been. This question was met with laughter from Mai and her partner, to which Mai said.

"I don't think I can say!"

Whatever that moment was Mai, it was clearly very happy!

Thank you Mai.
 
I like the central framing and the background was a good choice. I also like the overall tone of the image, the bluey/green darks in the background and the stripes on her top compliment each other i think.

Good stuff :)

When you use a reflector do you hand hold it yourself, so camera in one hand, reflector in the other? and if so is it one of those triangular ones?
 
@doublemint76
Thanks Dan.
Reflector use? I generally hand hold it, maybe asking the subject to catch the end of it and I can position it height wise from my end.
I have also enlisted the help of the subjects friend.
With the head and shoulders shots this is easily doable as I am standing about a reflectors width away from them. I have yet to use a reflector for the half body shots, that may prove a little more problematic if I can't ask the subjects friend to hold it though.
 
Iain, great work on both projects overall.

I did something similar a year back.. but never got round to finishing it... and it's nowhere near the quality of yours! https://www.flickr.com/photos/joe_0_1/sets/72157635134742253

I am curious though.. when you say you start by telling them about the project.. what is it you say?

When I asked for a photo and said it was for a project... I felt like a bit of a fool calling it a 'project'... because really I just wanted to use my camera.
 
@^Joe
Thanks Joe,
I tell them exactly that!
I am doing a street photography project called 100 strangers and wondered could I make your portrait.
Some people ask why, and I tell them I wanted to shoot more people photography. I also tell them it will be posted on Facebook and flickr.
I would generally pay them a compliment or the reason I wish to make their portrait, although most of the time they know why, be it colourful hair, tattoos, piercings etc.
Of the 100, I had about 15-20 people decline, so not too bad success rate.
I would urge you to get back into your project, I love shooting strangers.
 
@^Joe
Thanks Joe,
I tell them exactly that!
I am doing a street photography project called 100 strangers and wondered could I make your portrait.
Some people ask why, and I tell them I wanted to shoot more people photography. I also tell them it will be posted on Facebook and flickr.
I would generally pay them a compliment or the reason I wish to make their portrait, although most of the time they know why, be it colourful hair, tattoos, piercings etc.
Of the 100, I had about 15-20 people decline, so not too bad success rate.
I would urge you to get back into your project, I love shooting strangers.

Great stuff - thanks for that. I shall get back out there, I did enjoy it, although Derby is a small city, I need to mix it up slightly.

I had 2 decline from 14 or so... so a similar rate I guess.
 
Great stuff - thanks for that. I shall get back out there, I did enjoy it, although Derby is a small city, I need to mix it up slightly.

I had 2 decline from 14 or so... so a similar rate I guess.


I can understand your point about Derby being a small city. Mine have mainly been shot in London with some exceptions.
It is difficult at times in smaller places, I agree.
 
I paid a visit up to London again today, one can't beat a Busman's Holiday to continue with my 100 Strangers project. A successful day I feel, results are posted below.
 

103:200 Strangers - Trino
by Iain Blake, on Flickr


Trino
by Iain Blake, on Flickr


Trino Diaz
by Iain Blake, on Flickr


Once again I had found a background that I wished to use and decided to wait a while until a suitable stranger came along.

I hadn't been waiting long when I noticed Trino walking towards me. In particular it was his style that first caught my eye.

Happily Trino agreed to be part of my project and was keen to pose.

Trino is from Venezuela but has been in London for around 7 years. Trino is a French and Spanish languages teacher. Trina told me that he has been an actor in films as an extra.

"It's difficult to get a break into acting, you need connections in the film industry otherwise you will be an extra for the rest of your life" Trino told me.

"Look after your body and it will keep you looking young!"

I was very surprised when Trino told me he is 57. He certainly practices what he preaches!

Thank you Trino!
 

104:200 Strangers - Mansooreh
by Iain Blake, on Flickr


Mansooreh
by Iain Blake, on Flickr

Again, I found a background I wished to use and waited for someone to walk along.

I noticed Mansooreh walking along, approached and asked if she would be part of my project. Mansooreh happily agreed and we crossed the road towards my chosen background.

Mansooreh lives in London and is studying for a Masters degree in Fashion to hopefully become a fashion designer.

"I am more of an illustrator but I wish to collaborate with other designers and eventually have my own design company!"

"My ultimate ambition is to have my own thing!"

"My happiest moment was getting CSM"

I had to ask Mansooreh what CSM was.

"It's Central Saint Martins!" Mansooreh told me.

CSM is a world leading centre for art and design at University of the Arts London.

Mansooreh and I spoke a little about my 100 strangers project, she thought it such a cool project and told me I should definitely do a book on it.

Mansooreh said, "the people who are in it will look back in 10 years time at it and be really pleased they were part of it!"

Thank you Mansooreh and good luck in "Having your own thing!"
 
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