Stranger-A-Day Project
(Information About This Project)

* Click on a thumbnail to see full-sized image. Click on the location name to see a map.
Take a Google Earth Tour of the places each pictures was taken.
Are you a risk taker?
Rules

Photo	Date	Bio	Location
	1 05.13.07	Katie is was out running and exercising on a very warm late spring day. She is athletic and training for her high school basketball team.	Maidu
	2 05.14.07	Bob is a friendly, outgoing person I met in the California State Garden park area. Before taking Bob's picture I asked a woman standing at the same pond and she refused so Bob gets day two's picture slot!	Capital Park
	3 05.15.07	Shannon is a friendly, outgoing Tae-Bo instructor at a local health club. I was in a rush for a picture today and she looked like she would say yes - and she did!	JRRC
	4 05.16.07	I met Ghazal at the checkout line at Fry's - she was my cashier. A super-friendly smile - an easy person to ask for a picture!	Fry's
	5 05.17.07	I met Marty at my local health club. I needed a male to keep balance here! I was reluctant to approach him because he looked very serious (my impressions). Once I struck up a conversation he was very outgoing and friendly.	JRRC
	6 05.18.07	I met Kendra at my son's field trip in Roseville. Kendra is passionate about the Roseville eco system near the High School where she teaches science.	RAC
	7 05.19.07	Lucky 7!! I met Marty while hiking with my family on the top of Angel Island. There is a romantic story around our meeting. Read more here!!!	Angel Island
	8 05.20.07	I met Glenn and Kathey at a Jazz concert near downtown Roseville. We were all watching a rough pick-up game of basketball and commented that we were glad we were watching.	Royer Park
	9 05.21.07	I met Jerry in my cycling class at the health club. I told him what I was up to and he was more than willing to participate. After the third picture (because of poor lighting) he started to wonder about me and his choice to say yes.	JRRC
	10 05.22.07	Bob was watching his grandchild practice for swim team at the local health club when I asked for his picture.	JRRC
	11 05.23.07	Mike was looking over pictures from his job when I asked to take his picture at Borders. I learned something from him about roofing.	Borders
	12 05.24.07	Diana saved me today - I had just plain given up after trying at the local Safeway and not feeling comfortable. I was at my sons' back to school night when I met Diana at the Art Sale. She was effervescent and picture-willing! Why is this picture in color? Because Diana has that colorful hat and the background is also colorful (click on her image).	Sargeant
	13 05.25.07	I met Ivy while paying for my lunch today. She was reluctant, especially when I told her I would put her picture on the internet. I kept talking to her and told her that no, her friends could not see her unless she gave out the URL. My wife was with me so I broke at least two of my own rules.	Folsom
	14 05.26.07	I met David on a hike. He was acting in the role of of a 19th century landowner and giving us all a history lesson of the area where we were hiking.	Deer Creek
	15 05.27.07	Manny was hammering the demo PS/3 at Fry's when I walked by. Fortunately he let me take his picture because it was getting late and I did **NOT** want to hang out at Starbuck's (that is my place of last-refuge that I still have not had to use yet).	Fry's
	16 05.28.07	As my wife and I were walking out of Fry's (are you seeing a pattern here yet with me and Fry's?) we saw this easy-going guy (Greg) getting ready to leave on his hawg. I figured it was an easy yes to get a picture of him and it was. But then we looked around and saw his significant-other Sandy standing nearby getting ready to get on her hawg! Looking a bit more closely at her bike we noticed an interesting ornament - look at her large picture to get a good laugh!	Fry's
	17 05.29.07	Laurie asked me about my bike shoes while we were in line at Raley's. What better chance than that to get the picture of the day! Thanks, Laurie!	Raley's
	18 05.30.07	Tom was doing the same gig I was at the kid's school today - helping with Field Day - water, fun and sun. At least for the kids!	Sargeant
	19 05.31.07	It got late and I was riding my bike for the proverbial Starbucks visit to hang out and beg for a picture when, as I was riding by my kid's school I saw someone sitting in the dark on the fire hydrant. I rode past him, and thought "Well, if I want to make this tough, I may as well turn around and take a chance". I struck up a conversation with Brian who works at the school as a night janitor. Thanks, Brian from saving me from begging at Starbucks!	Sargeant
	20 06.01.07	Rich was watching a Shakespeare play in the park and my family and I were there too. I struck up a conversation with Rich during the intermission. Rich is very outgoing and loves to talk about his adventures, including a part in a not so well known movie. He also has an interesting business detailing cars.	Royer Park
	21 06.02.07	Helen was working as a volunteer at a 5K race I went to with my family. She was friendly and outgoing so I asked for her picture.	Fiddyment Farms
	22 06.03.07	I was riding my 28-mile bike loop from home when I saw Brent stopped along side the American River Bike Trail and I asked if he needed help. He had a broken rear spoke that I helped him take out so he could limp home 5 miles away.	Lake Natomas

Each day I take a picture of a complete stranger. I post the photos here along with information about the photo.
Why am I doing this?

• I get out and take at least one picture a day.
• I force myself to meet someone I would not normally talk with. I take risk.
• We get to see a collection of different people being themselves.
• People get to see themselves on the web with other kindred souls.
  
  Contact me

Commentary:

• 05.15.07: It's very tempting to approach people who a have a smile on their face and who look outgoing. I have to push myself to approach people who look more difficult. I did this once on day 2 and had my first rejection. After my first rejection I kept talking to the person and wondered if I talked with her long enough would I gain her trust and would she then allow me to take her picture. I decided that I would not ask again but rather let her offer if she felt comfortable; she never did offer. After someone says no, it's hard to continue the conversation - sort of like "will you go out on a date with me - no". It's an awkward situation and it's hard to then get out of small-talk mode.
  
  
• 05.21.07: I have had 3 rejections so far (never more than one per day). They are still very hard. Yesterday I had a very awkward situation with a person who wasn't quite stable (I didn't know this until after I asked for a picture). After that encounter, I wondered, "What the Hell am I doing?" I decided that was the exact feeling I needed to persevere through and keep going. I still feel anxious right before I approach people. I wonder if it will get any easier...

• 05.23.07: Rejections are still tough. Had another today - middle age woman. Score so far: women 4, men 0. What is it about our culture that makes some women so wary (OK, I can probably think of many of the reasons myself). Still, the places and situations are pretty tame. People are just not willing to step out of the box at all (at least in my hometown). People always ask me why I am doing this. It's hard to put into words and sometimes I flounder. I usually tell them that I am learning to take risk - to step out of my comfort zone and that someday I want to be a professional photographer and that to do that I will have to be comfortable with approaching strangers for their photos (at least for some types of photography). Still, it is always awkward to describe why I am doing this - even to myself. Many people ask if it's for a class I am taking and I am often very tempted to take the easy route and say yes but I have tried to be truthful.

Rules:

• This stranger-a-day thing is not as straight-forward as it might seem. As I keep doing this, I learn about how I can make this easier or harder on myself. I have come up with a set of rules that define how to make this really tough or really easy. To be truly brave, one would approach each picture from the toughest of the rules:
  • First, to really be fair, a person you approach must be someone you would not normally approach for any reason. You have to approach them for one reason only - to ask them for their picture. There are many ways to "cheat" at this. For example, on May 25 ("Ivy"), my subject was working as the cashier where I had lunch with my wife. OK, so the cashier is a stranger to me but I am in a special relationship with her - she expects me to talk with her as I pay and my wife is present - thereby disarming her somewhat (OK, a lot). Had I met this same person in a different situation, walked up and asked point blank for her picture, the odds that she would say yes are much less.
  • You can't be part of a group activity and ask one of the people in the group. Again, it's too easy to have a reason to talk with them and they are way less wary of you.
  • Forget asking a friend's friend you just met -- too much implied trust there and an easy gift.
  • You can't have your kids, dog or wife (husband) with you (in that order?). Having any or all of these present with you when you approach a stranger says you are much safer to talk with than without.
  • Want to make it really tough - go and ask the stranger that you just no won't say yes - the middle-age woman in a dark deserted street. I dare you! Hold your breath for the pepper spray burst to follow!
  • You can't claim you are doing this for a school, work or any other bogusly easy excuse. You have to be honest and say you are doing this for - well, you don't actually know why you are doing this. If you figure it out, email me and let me know. Maybe I can use your excuse too!