Do You Want to Take My Picture?

I started my photography class this week and decided that, instead of taking lovely pictures with my digital camera that I already know how to use, I'd borrow D's fully manual camera that he never ever uses ever. Because he never ever uses it, he has a full roll of film in it - well, that's not true. He took two pictures. I decided that rather than waste the roll (this week's homework assignment has to be on black and white, high sensitvity film), I'd use up his roll to practice.

Walking to work this morning, I had the camera out and was taking pictures of random things like parking lots and cardboard boxes.

I must have looked convincing or competent or something, because tons of people approached me and asked me what I was doing, why I was taking pictures of boxes, if they could be in the picture, and did I want to take their picture?

A surly cowboy said that I should ride with him in his delivery truck and do a project entitled "Idiots on the Road." I decided against it, although fantasized about what a fabulous final project a documented kidnapping would be!

Another man with an unintelligable accent smothered me with enthusiasm until I took his portrait. Then he said "Will you give me the photo?" and I was like "Well, if I ever see you again, I'll give it to you."

Maybe a manual camera with a long lens suggested that I was a professional.

Or maybe it was the red glasses.

Or perhaps midtown people on the west side are culture starved. Or personal-contact starved. Or maybe its because there are no people around my apartment, there's nothing going on, so people there aren't used to people with cameras. Or maybe its some weird cosmic force that causes the only people in the world who WANT their pictures to be taken to aggregate on one city block.

Whatever the reason, I am feeling optimistic about my project now because it won't be difficult. Apparently all I have to do is walk outside and stand there and people will throw themselves at me and present potential subject matter.

I'm sure none of these photos will come out well. They'll be blurry and underexposed and compositionally tragic because I had to take them quickly, but its good experience.

I'm very, very excited.