Paris (Stranger #58/100), Watford

Paris (Stranger #58/100), Watford

Looking to keep the momentum strong on my 100 Strangers Project, I headed out in Watford yesterday late afternoon. I'd been out in Watford for a couple of hours before without any success, but buoyed up by breaking a similar hoodoo in Blackpool last Sunday, thought I'd give it a shot. Watford High Street features a (not entirely beautiful, but very useful) two lane overpass, offering limited shade and some short stretches of textured concrete I thought would work as backgrounds. With all the smokey grey blur ready, I just needed a stranger with enough impact to stand out against it and lift the image. Meet Paris. She and friend Kane were strolling along with an ice cream, and with her dark, definite make up, monotone outfit and vibrant sweep of hair all looked like they could take command of the scene I had in mind. Chatting, she was instantly happy to get involved. She's a second year photography student. As often when I hear someone shoots, I got carried away suggesting she check out the page and start a project of her own. I wish I'd asked more about her current work! Sorry! Learning from my shot with Chloe (#57) where the larger reflector was uncomfortable to pose with, Paris held the smaller sunfire reflector just out of shot, whilst Kane held the larger gold reflector camera left. When we shared the pictures on the LCD, Paris gave a whoop of happy surprise, which was kind of awesome - yet, unexpected as she posed so powerfully and naturally. Paris - thanks again for stopping, and I hope the full image her lives up to your expectation from the LCD. If you got a second to send me a link to your Flickr that would be ace - I'd love to see what you shoot and share your work here. Have a fantastic week in any event! This is portrait #58 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved. Catching up now after another weekend travelling and shooting!

Chloe (Stranger #57/100), Blackpool

Chloe (Stranger #57/100), Blackpool

Chloe and her friend Emma had just finished a Sunday afternoon's work and were headed into town, when they agreed to an interruption to their schedule. Chloe agreed only on condition she would look bold in the finished image. I hope we've achieved that! It'd been Chloe's awesome Marilyn Monroe t-shirt that had first caught my eye, and I wanted a background that would let it stand out, without becoming a distraction from Chloe. A simple grey silver along a shop front was just wide enough to offer that. Once again I tried the two reflectors together - Chloe holding the larger gold one, whilst her friend Emma stood as close as possible to the camera left, with the sunfire reflector vertical to Chloe's face. I really like the light it created, yet think next time around I'm going to swap them around, so that the subject isn't burdened with the larger, much wider reflector - which can be a little hard to hold and pose with. As we shot I chatted more with her friend Emma who shoots portraits of visitors to the Sealife Centre just around the corner. As well as that, she creates video projects of her own including one which Chloe fiercely endorsed about the Kray twins. Send me a link guys! Thanks for stopping and I hope you like the outcome. This is portrait #57 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved.

Robbie (Stranger #56/100), Blackpool

Robbie (Stranger #56/100), Blackpool

This is portrait #56 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved.

Alternate Take - Robbie (Stranger #56/100), Blackpool

Alternate Take - Robbie (Stranger #56/100), Blackpool

Please see main post for details.

Jean (Stranger #55/100), City Of London

Jean (Stranger #55/100), City Of London

Out shooting with Bomvu during England's second World Cup match, I met Jean on Moorgate in the City of London, juggling a phone with my photo request, searching for friends she was meant to be meeting. Taking a moment to stop, her boldly contrasting shirt and striking hair seemed perfect for a chalky stone backdrop along the side of an old bank. We shot four frames, with this superbly direct, almost reproachful, stare, before her friends saw her across the street and we headed off to our respective evening engagements. The shots the first of a few where I'm trying to work with two reflectors to get as smooth a light as possible. It's not a skill I've mastered yet, but hope to show you some progress through the next few portraits. In this one Jean is holding a giant gold reflector, whilst Colin shines a more distant "sunfire" finish reflector in from the camera right. Thanks Jean for stopping - and for being the lucky first recipient of my newly printed contact cards! Hope you like your picture. This is portrait #55 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved. Catching up now!

Andrew (Stranger #54/100), Paris Pont Neuf La Samaritaine

Andrew (Stranger #54/100), Paris Pont Neuf La Samaritaine

My final official posting from my Paris street portraits, delayed by all the wild work that comes with quarter end... and also failed attempts to process out the reflections in Andrew's spectacles. Andrew and Safra were wandering along the dilapidated frontage of the old La Samaritaine department store, where I'd met Lena and Michael. This interesting back alley along its side seemed a worthwhile background with the tall buildings and late afternoon light doing a reasonable job of controlling light levels. The only issue was the huge white building behind me, visible in Andrew's glasses as noted above. At least it looks Parisian I suppose! I'd hailed Andrew for his superbly appealing explosion of hair and beard, plus the cool rainbow-coloured DNA motif of his t-shirt. These things together, I thought, would give him a good central presence for the vanishing point composition of the alleyway I'd chosen as the background. In the comments there's a slightly wider version, and I was tempted to shoot even wider in the style of the fantastic Pete Zelewski, but my project is finding a style of its own which seems to pull in a little tighter. Even in experimenting a little around compositions, I'm keen to keep a consistent look and feel to the series, so this closer cropped version is the one I'm including. Andrew and Safra were an awesome couple - somewhat intellectual, somewhat whimsical, very easy going. They're over in Paris for two weeks, and only checking out Paris - an admirable level of focus, I thought. The t-shirt in this shot was a last minute addition and nearly didn't make the trip. I'm very pleased it did! Andrew and Safra - thank you both for stopping and sharing a moment of your afternoon with me. Safe travels! This is portrait #54 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved.

Lena (Stranger #53/100), Paris Pont Neuf La Samaritaine

Lena (Stranger #53/100), Paris Pont Neuf La Samaritaine

Day two in Paris saw me wandering and shooting some more general street and travel shots. Oddly I find the 100L macro lens rather effective for that - it forces one to select and isolate, it declutters. It's also my stranger project lens (every shot so far has been taken with it, all at f/3.2*), so when an opportunity presents itself I am ready. On this occasion the opportunity came as two backgrounds. Walking down through Les Halles I arrived outside the derelict La Samaritaine. On one side of the road a bold green hoarding offered potential, whilst newly laid concrete, smooth as ice and dusted with a fine, porcelain powder, sat beneath the department stores old canopy. Shaded from above, with the street a vast and flawless reflector it was like a street photographer's ideal studio-perfect beauty lighting setup. After a short wait and a rejection, a couple appeared that matched both. Michael (see comments) had a bold green hat to work with the green hoarding, and I thought Lena's bright skin and eyes would be superb in the even lighting. Like death, taxes and a late opposition equaliser, there comes a time when the 100 Strangers photograph shoots a roller shutter background. With Lena's superb tricolore striped top, that fateful moment had arrived for me. We shot with Lena first, then Michael, each helping with a gold reflector for the other, and a punch of fill from my on camera softbox. The effect is most pleasing on Lena's portrait I think - perhaps I could have found a little more drama in harder light for Michael, who I let down somewhat - given the superb intensity of his stare. We chatted, and it turned out they were Poles, visiting Paris from Norway to top up on sun. Stavanger, it turns out is pretty grim in terms of weather. It felt like a good handing on of the torch - I'm shooting more stranger portraits in Bergen come July, then Poland in August. They were a fantastic couple; bright, friendly, keen to understand and excited to participate. Lena and Michael - thank you so much for taking part, and our energetic chat. Dziękuję This is portrait #53 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved. *In fact there is one I messed up and shot at f/3.5 by mistake... Hope everyone had a great week - catching up now.

Light In Shadow, Paris Jardins De Luxembourg

Light In Shadow, Paris Jardins De Luxembourg

This is the kind of quick random shot that I wouldn't normally post. This one just popped up in my Lightroom reel amidst street portraits and I thought I'd share it. It was just a nice visual note-to-self to "shoot the light, not the land". It's just a walk around shot from Jardins de Luxembourg on the Sunday morning of my weekend shooting street portraits in Paris. On Saturday I'd walked 15 miles or so, so a cool hour beneath the horse chestnut trees was a relaxing start to my second day. Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

Fiona (Stranger #52/100), Paris Elysees-Madeleine

Fiona (Stranger #52/100), Paris Elysees-Madeleine

Having met Jacques I ambled along the Rue Royale towards the Place De La Concorde, passing more super stone-framed doorway backdrops. Though the light had dulled slightly, when I Fiona and Mark overtook me I hailed them. Visiting Paris for the weekend from England, both were superbly sophisticated and friendly, but with Jacques at #51 I thought Fiona would mix things up a little more in terms of variety of sequence. Mark helped with the reflector and we shot a couple of quick frames in front of one of the doors. I have to say I made a couple of mistakes in framing, with the oddly aligned doorway and portal all slightly skewed, and perhaps not the best balance of soft stone and painted door. Nonetheless, Fiona's natural class and charisma justified sharing this one. Or two. I couldn't quite work out which I preferred, so would welcome comments. I did go with this one as the main image, as I think having both shoulders in the frame helps with the scale and anchoring. Thank you Fiona and Mark for stopping and interrupting your late afternoon stroll. I hope you had a superb weekend and like the final images. This is portrait #52 of my 100 Strangers Project - check out the group page and get involved.

Alternate Take - Fiona, Paris Elysees-Madeleine

Alternate Take - Fiona, Paris Elysees-Madeleine

See main shot for notes on this street portrait.