365 Day People Picture Project - Week 18

Week 18 of The 365 Day People Picture Project has concluded with so much fun, it's taken me several hours to calm down and gain enough focus to be able to tell you about the photo's from this week. If you're checking in on this project for the first time, I'm not a photographer.  I've challenged myself to learn photography by taking a picture of a person every day for a year.  The photos in this project are taken fresh daily.  The majority of the subjects have been strangers, but I've also included some friends, family and co-workers.  Now that I'm into this project almost 4 months, I've realized the challenge is actually 4-part:

1) the challenge to find a person who is willing to let me take their picture

2) the challenge to find the nerve and confidence to then approach that person to ask if I can take their picture

3) the challenge to be able to capture a decent picture with my limited experience and knowledge of photography

4) the challenge to repeat steps 1 - 3, every day, for 365 days.

If you would like to follow along daily, I post the pictures to Instagram and my username is @missellanea.

Day 120 - Melissa

Melissa assisted me with my purchase at Sephora on Sunday. She was so friendly and knowledgeable!  Everyone at Sephora is always helpful, but Melissa won my vote for the best Sephora customer service in the history of the universe, because she also took a moment to let me take her picture.

Can you imagine working there and being able to sample so many different products?  I think I would have to go in on my off-days just to experiment with all of that make-up! Melissa confirmed what we've all suspected about working in a place where you love what you sell - it is an exercise in restraint for her not to turn around and give back her hard-earned paycheck.

When I asked Melissa the happiest thing happening in her life, she replied, "I'm going to be getting married in September."  They plan to start a family immediately afterward.  Twins run in her family, so she's hoping for a pair.  Best wishes to you and your lucky fiancé, Melissa!

Day 121 - Man at Plaid Pantry

I would have loved to ask this man if he would take off his cap so that we could see his perfect silver/white hair, but I could tell that I was already lucky that he agreed to let me take his picture, so I didn't push any further.

He was a friendly man, but I got the feeling that I needed to be quick and let him get back to doing what he was doing.   When I asked the happiest thing happening in his life, he said, "I just got out of the hospital last week.  I'm alive and doing well."  With that, he and his friend were on their way.

Day 122 - Matt

This is Matt from Black Label Tattoo.  He works with Donovan, from day 10.  I've always known that Donovan, Matt and the rest of the crew do excellent work, but after having just watched one of the new tattoo TV shows for the first time and then getting to hang out at Black Label, it completely reinforced just how skilled they are.

When I asked Matt about the happiest thing going on in his life, he replied, "tattooing and snowboarding - it's a tie."

Day 123 - "Mr. Bumblebee"

This is "Mr. Bumblebee."  He's a baker.

I had a tough time finding a subject on Wednesday but it was all worth it because it led to "Mr. Bumblebee."  I've mentioned before, the majority of the week-day pictures are taken after I get off work.  Now that it is so dark and so cold, there really aren't a whole lot of subjects to choose from.  I'm not at all selective.  If I have the opportunity to ask someone if they would let me take their picture, I seize it.  Sometimes I've approached people from behind, without having any idea what they're going to look like when they turn around.

The night I bumped into Mr. Bumbleebee, I had just finished cursing at the bus, in my mind, for taking away all the people.  I couldn't catch a break!  I would see people, run to catch up with them, and just then the bus would scoop them up and take them away.  So, I'd walk across the street to try again from the other side and the same thing would happen on that side of the street.  That's the hazard of searching for subjects at the bus stop.

I finally decided that I was just going to go hang out in front of Whole Foods and wait for someone.  As I approached the store, I could make out a tall silhouette with good hair, and the most important thing - he was standing still!  He was talking on his phone so I decided to just wait for him to hang up and then ask if I could take his picture.  This was such a potentially awkward move on my part.  It was so awkward, I was actually annoying myself!  I just tried to stay out of his way, smile, and not look like a salesgirl while I waited for him to finish  his call.

Once he finished with his call, I approached him to ask if I could take his picture. I didn't even have to explain the whole project before "Mr. Bumblebee" was on board with letting me take his picture.  Can you believe, he was as nice as he is beautiful?

We visited while I was snapping away and I learned that he wants to move to Portland, so he had been out looking for work that day.  He was feeling optimistic because one of the bakeries at which he applied, told him that his resume was going to the "short stack" rather than the "tall stack."  I have a feeling he's going to get that job!  (or, at least call-backs from  the places he visited that day.)  The guy is just nice and he gives off a good Portland vibe, even though he's a total transplant.

When I asked him the happiest thing going on in his life, he explained that he has a core group of friends who have made the migration to Portland. They keep running into each other, even though they've all moved around a bit.  I couldn't write fast enough to keep up with everything, but "Bumblebee" explained that they've experienced adversity together, and now it's nice they're here together.

Day 124 - Kyle

Thursday was a funny repeat of Wednesday, in that I really had to work to find a subject. I started out thinking it was going to be an easy night.  I had a hair appointment in NW Portland, so I figured it would be easy to find a subject after my cut.  However, I was in total disbelief that the sidewalks around NW 23rd were fairly empty that evening.  This is one of the best and busiest shopping areas in NW Portland, except at the particular moment that I went out to look for a subject.

I finally spotted Kyle and his dog, Nixon, coming out of a store and I decided I was just going to ask them.  They were across the street so I dashed after them.  Kyle and Nixon were fast. Really fast.  They had already widened the distance between us to at least a block.  I just persisted after them.  Kyle and Nixon may be fast, but my marathon experience came in handy - I knew I could eventually catch up with them.

When I finally reached them, Kyle agreed to let me take his picture, practically before I finished my sentence.  Later, I learned why.  He remarked that he understands how how challenging it is to ask strangers if you can take their picture.  Kyle is a bit of a Street Photographer - but he said it's been a while.

When I asked about the happiest thing going on in his life, he replied, "there's snow on the mountain.".  Nixon also likes the snow.

Wednesday and Thursday may have been challenging - but I ended up meeting two really nice people who were patient and understanding while I tried my best to get a good shot.

Day 125 - Dave

Meet George Clooney's brother, Dave.  I'm just kidding!  But, doesn't he look like he could be a possible relation?

Dave is actually Anne's brother.  Last night, I just dropped in at Anne's hangout, hoping she or Scott would be there.  They've introduced me to enough people, I'm comfortable going there to find a subject, alone, if I need to.  Fridays are my one "easy" day, in that I allow myself to look for a subject in a warm/dry pub, instead of out on the streets.

Before this night, I had only met Dave just briefly, even though we're from the same small hometown in Southern Oregon.  While we were at the pub, 2 other people from our same small town showed up.  What are the odds?  We were having a nice reunion when Anne asked me if I had decided on a subject.  I told her,  "yes, your brother!"  When I told Dave about the project and asked if he would be Day 125, he paused and said he might do it, but only if he could be day 127.   I was a little bit crushed for a minute - I thought he was being serious!

Dave is pretty tall so I had to stand on my tippy-toes so I wouldn't be looking up at Dave.  (or up his noes.)  I learned the hard way, when you're on your tippy-toes, it's a little challenging to hold the camera steady.  Luckily, I've also finally learned that I need to view my pictures before calling it a day.  I'm glad I did.  We had to shoot a few more inside and while we were both seated.

When I asked Dave the happiest thing in his life, he considered the question for a while before responding, "I'm pretty happy with the way my kids turned out."

Day 126 - Jenny & Kim and Kip & Cali

Jenny and Kim asked me if I would take their Christmas card picture.  Yay! Someone asked ME if I could take their picture!  This is a switch from me chasing people down to ask them If I could take their picture.   I was flattered and honored.  I'm not a real photographer, so I felt pretty privileged that they would consider me for the job.

We had plans to meet this morning and this entire week, I had been feeling excited and nervous about our Christmas Card photoshoot.  Although I knew the pictures were simply for friends'  (we're practically family) Christmas Cards, to me, it was the most important portrait session in the entire world.  I felt as though I had been given the assignment to photograph the President of the United States.  No, it goes beyond that.  I felt like I was given a job to photograph Channing Tatum, and the entire internet would be scrubbed of all other previous pictures of Channing and my photos would then be the only pictures in existence, and the only publicity photos he could ever use for the rest of his entire life.  That was the kind of pressure I had placed on myself.

If you've been following along, you know how unsuccessful I've been with photographing people with their dogs.  It seems like I've been regressing instead of improving and all of my failures have resulted in me being quite intimidated by the thought of taking a picture of a person with their dog.  Well, Kim and Jenny's little family includes not one, but two dogs!  It was time I faced my mental block head-on and take some pictures.

I had spent some time researching photos on the internet, looking for inspiration for family portraits with dogs.  I guess this isn't technically a family portrait, is it?  Jenny & Kim's expectations were realistic and they understood my limitations and capabilities. They just wanted a casual setting and a picture they could send to their family and friends.  In my search, I found several amazing photographs which were taken in a studio with proper lighting, backgrounds, and by actual photographers.  The casual and informal images I found online, caused me to fret even more.  I determined that it must be really, really hard to take a picture of a family and their dogs.

So, I had no choice but to go in with an open mind and just let our day unfold.  The only setting I had mentally pre-imagined, was the thought to put Kim, Jenny and the dogs in the back of their SUV.  The reason this was such a strong image in my mind is because I know how much they love to go camping.  Excuse me, make that "glamping." (These ladies bring all of the comforts from home, so camping with them would be like staying in a luxury resort. They know how to do it right.)  Anyway, I  imagine the girls packing up the dogs and getting ready for a weekend of glamping, and in my mind, I could totally see that holiday card hanging on my refrigerator.

We started out shooting a few pictures inside, and basically, they were all terrible.  I'm not skilled enough to compensate for lack of light, and I don't yet have any reflectors or lighting. Most of my limited experience  has been outdoors, so I knew we'd have better luck out in the yard.

Once we all headed outside, we had a blast!   We alternated between slow, intentional, deliberately composed "poses"  and more candid shots where the camera was basically on "burst" and I could quickly snap pictures one-right-after-another.   I wanted to capture Jenny and Kim laughing, because they're always laughing, and I wanted to catch the dogs doing dog things.  (here are a few of the outtakes - in the photo below, Cali looks like she's tired and ready to call it a wrap.)

When I was preparing for this post, I spent a good hour reviewing our pictures and actually laughing out loud at the hilarity.  Yes, we did capture Jenny and Kim laughing and we did capture the dogs doing dog things, and it was all pretty amazing.  It was nothing we could put on a card, but we'll definitely pull out our photo-shoot pictures at the next family gathering and I'm pretty sure it will cause such a laugh, someone could possibly have an accident.  (I have to explain, I had some very random shots - such as the dog peeing on a bush and one in which Jenny, Kim and Cali all looked fabulous, but Kip had darted out of the frame so only his tail was in the picture and it dominated the photo.)

The main reason we were able to get a few usable pictures is because Jenny's Dad and stepmom, Tommy & Pam, were positioned behind me, or beside me and they were able to direct the dogs and tempt them with treats.  If you're trying to take pictures of your pets and your family, it is so helpful to have someone assist you by positioning themselves by/behind the photographer.  The assistant helps to hold the dog's attention.  This allows the photographer to concentrate on taking pictures, and frees the rest of the family from having to direct the dogs while simultaneously presenting themselves for the photo.  The key is to have the assistant placed in the right position so that it appears as though the dogs are also looking at the camera.  I was a little too far to Pam & Tommy's side in several of the shots, but for our first time, we did alright.

I really wish I could share all of the pictures with you so you could see the chaotic process of framing 2 humans and 2 dogs.  No matter how experienced a photographer may be, we learned that it is a pretty hilarious and challenging process.  Here are a few more of the shots from this morning, some showing a little of the chaos. (the picture below is a good example of the majority of the shoot - everyone looking in different directions.)

Jenny and Kim were just awesome! They were so patient and understanding and they were the best possible subjects I could hope for in my first photoshoot.  I don't have aspirations of becoming a professional photographer, but I would love to become someone who my friends and family would look to when they needed informal photos taken.

In all of the excitement, I completely forgot to ask Jenny and Kim the happiest thing going on in their lives…so I'm just going to share with you what I know. They've had a great year filled with several road trips to see Pink in concert, camping, and a great Disney vacation and 2014 is going to start out even better!  Kim just won an all-expenses-paid vacation from her employer.  The only thing more fun and exciting than traveling, is traveling for free!  I think they would also say that they're grateful for their loving family, good friends, and of course their babies, Kip and Cali.

I'm considering the possibility of a separate post with more outtakes from our photoshoot.  We had so much fun and I learned a lot from our session.  I just get nervous about sharing these things because I feel like I'm such an amateur, I have no business telling other people how to do their thing.  But, I would have appreciated seeing someone else's process, even if they were a beginner like I.

I just want to thank you if you've been a subject in this project.  I appreciate the time you gave me, and thank you for opening up to me.  Jenny & Kim, thank you for inviting me to take pictures of you and the dogs. I hope you were having as much fun as I was.  It means so much to me, and I hope you're pleased with your photos, and thank you for letting me share some of the funny outtakes.

Thank you for following along with this project.  I'm pretty close to this and it's sometimes difficult to see the obvious…I would love to hear from you if you have any feedback and if there's anything you'd like to see more of, or maybe if you have any burning questions that you would like me to ask the subjects.

I appreciate your time and hope that you have a great week!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 17

We're finished with week 17 of the 365 Day People Picture Project! This has been one of my favorite weeks so far.  I didn't make any measurable progress in the quality of my pictures, but I met such interesting people!  I've realized this project has become more about meeting new people, and opening up and connecting with others,  than it is about photography.  I have a lot to learn when it comes to improving the quality of the pictures I take, but I'm pleased with the progress I'm making in my ability and desire to open up and connect with others.  I hope this project may have inspired you to put yourself out there and strike up a conversation with a stranger!

Day 113 - Matt

Matt is a bartender at the Hawthorne Theatre, where my neighbor kids' band had a show on Sunday.

I had been hearing  them practice in their garage all summer long, and from down the street, they were sounding pretty good!  Especially for being just kids! When I learned they were playing an actual show, I decided that I had to check them out in person since I had been listening from down the street for months.

It was an all ages show and when I walked into the theatre, I realized I was the oldest person there.  I was a tad early and feeling way too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids.  To pass the time, I left the theatre and headed to the bar where I nursed a diet pepsi with lemons and waited for an interesting person to come in so I could ask to take their picture.

Turns out, Matt was that interesting-looking person!  When I asked him the happiest thing happening in his life, he replied, "I'm writing again and happy to get back into it."  I also asked Matt about his hopes and dreams.  He considered the question for a while and finally answered that he dreams of being able to travel.

Day 114 - Kathryn the Librarian

Kathryn is usually working the desk whenever I go to the library. She always greets people with a friendly smile when they come to her floor.

I've had to ask for her help with one thing or another, but this time, I only asked if she would be willing to help with my picture project.  She agreed.

I asked Kathryn about the happiest thing happening in her life and she replied, "…that my daughter is loving being a freshman in college."  Her daughter's happiness gives her happiness.  I also asked Kathryn what she dreams of.  She said, "I'm living the dream."  She explained that she actually switched careers to become a librarian.  That would explain why she's always happy and friendly!

Day 115 - Tyson Kelly and George Krikes, of the band, King Washington

At the recommendation of my new blogger friend, Kathy Rasmussen, I decided to check out Crash Kings and the band who opened for them, King Washington. They played a show at the White Eagle on Tuesday and they didn't disappoint!

Both bands put on a great show!  Although it wasn't as heavily attended as I was expecting, it only added to the positive vibe.  I have a feeling this was both the first and last opportunity that I'll ever have to catch either band in such an intimate setting.

My intention that night was to just ask a show-goer to be the person of the day, but after listening and watching King Washington, they felt more like friends than touring rock stars. They were just so funny and personable!  After King Washington played and before Crash Kings started,  I headed to the merch table to buy a CD and ask one of the guys if they'd be willing to let me take their picture for this project.  Both Tyson and George agreed to let me take their picture.

I could just tell you that I haven't stopped listening to the CDs since that night and leave this post just like it is.  I've been debating all week on whether or not to tell you the rest because it's just so ridiculous.  But, you've been with me this far, I figure I may as well tell you the rest of the ridiculous story. Please keep in mind, this could have been absolutely nothing more than my imagination or the fact that I'm way past due for an eye exam.  Or, it could have been a really freaky experience. I'll just let you decide.  Oh, and just to clarify things - I don't drink, so what happened is in no way related to having had "tii many martoonis."

Here goes…wait. No. I'm not going to tell you this.  Ok…for reals this time.  Here goes…

So, just as I was trying to fit both Tyson and George in the frame and about to take the picture, a figure appeared next to Tyson. I figured it must have been a fan or another band member who popped into the photo.  I was a little stressed because it's a big struggle for me to get a good picture of two people, so I knew a third person was really going to make me blow my picture. When I looked up from the viewfinder, I couldn't figure out who could have been the photo-bomb culprit.  I quickly snapped another picture and it happened again!  I could see a figure, but there wasn't anybody there! My mind was racing to try to problem-solve.  This was all happening so quickly but the thought popped into my head that I had messed up some of the camera settings when I was experimenting earlier with taking no-flash pictures in a concert setting. (Taking pictures of my bedroom curtain with the lights off.)  Then another thought popped into my head…the White Eagle is famous for being haunted! Perhaps the figure was a "ghost"?  With that thought, I was able to relax knowing that I hadn't completely messed up my camera and I snapped one final picture - the one you see here.

I was so curious to get home and check out the images on the computer to see if the camera captured any of the figure that was trying to photo-bomb our picture…but of course, there was nothing.

I told my friend about my ghost story and she asked if I had said anything to the guys as I was taking their picture. I told her, "no way! I didn't want them to think I'm crazy!" We then laughed and joked about what I could have said, "oh, I need to take another picture because there's a ghost leaning over your shoulder."

See, I told you I didn't want to tell you this.  I think I should probably make an appointment for my eye exam now, but it's also kind of fun to believe that a "ghost" tried to photo-bomb my little project.

If you get a chance, do check out both bands!  (Their tour together will be ending soon.)

Day 116 - Kelly

Kelly and I were next to each other in the very long line at the mall Starbucks.  She looked like she would be a nice person so I turned around and asked if she would let me take her picture.  I called it right! She was super nice and agreed to be day 116.

I asked Kelly the happiest thing going on in her life right now and she responded, "my family is all happy and healthy."

Day 117 - Al

This is Al.  Big Al.  Al doesn't say much, but he doesn't have to.  You can just tell he's sort of a gentle giant and a big teddy bear.

When I asked Al the happiest thing going on in his life, he replied, "I'm breathing. I'm alive."  Good answer, Al!  It really is as simple as that.

Al was actually my second subject for the day.  Earlier, I had met a man on the street named Dave.  He was so nice and it was absolutely freezing when he stopped to let me take his picture.  We knew he was blinking when the flash would go off, but I thought I had a picture that could pass for a cute "wink".  After looking at it again, I was just too worried it was unflattering and more like a blink than a wink, so I opted to find a back-up subject which was Al.  Dave, if you happen to read this, I'm sorry I didn't get a good picture. Thank you for taking the time with me and good luck with your new job!

Day 118 - Kelly (two Kelly's in one week!)

Kelly is another one of those people who just brightens up the place!  She reminds me of a movie star but she's actually an electrician!  I guess you could say that she literally brightens up the place!

When I asked Kelly about the happiest thing going on in her life, she replied, "happy?"  After thinking about it for a while, she said, "let's just say that I'm fascinated with Chicago."

Sometimes, I struggle with how much to share of my interactions with the people in this project. I explain to people that I'm going to instagram their picture and then post it to the blog with a recap, but I don't want to share too many personal details out of respect for the people who have agreed to let me take their picture.

I will just share that during a terribly sad experience, Kelly also had a very positive thing happen when she had to return to Chicago to attend her father's funeral.  It can be so confusing and ironic how life can give us sorrow at the very same time it gives us love and joy.

Day 119 - Lynn of Mod Haus

Lynn is a fascinating woman and the owner of the new boutique in Downtown Vancouver, called Mod Haus.

I was heading down to the park to find a subject but I knew my chance of finding someone was going to be slim because of the freezing temperature.  I lucked out and happened to park right next to Mod Haus.  When I looked in the window and saw Lynn, she was just impossible to pass by!

I went into the shop, explained the project and asked if she would be willing to let me take her picture. Lynn agreed.  I absolutely love her style!  From head to toe, Lynn is amazing. Her clothing was vintage but she accessorized with both new and vintage jewelry.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lynn has done some modeling in her past, because she was completely comfortable with having her picture taken.  I'm pretty disappointed in myself though.  Lynn is a beautiful woman, we were in her beautiful shop, and she gave me all the time in the world.  I should have done better!  That's ok, it's all the more reason for you to go check out Mod Haus personally!

Mod Haus is part vintage and part new apparel at discounted prices.  Seriously, the prices are incredible!  Even better than the price - is Lynn's personal service.  I can just imagine women going in to the shop looking "normal" and after Lynn is through styling them, they come out looking fabulous and with a newly defined personal style of their very own.

Lynn comes from a family of artists and to me, the thought with which she puts herself together could also be considered art.  She told me about her previous shop in the Seattle area and her move here to Vancouver. I could have visited with her for hours.  When I asked about the happiest thing happening in her life, Lynn replied, "living close to family."  Her move to Vancouver has her now in closer proximity to the rest of her family.

I snapped a few pictures of the shop but I'm not happy with the quality, so I'm just going to encourage you to visit the boutique for yourself.  The prices are incredible and Lynn is amazing.  She has a great mix of new and vintage and you'll walk out of there looking like a million bucks and feeling even better because of how little you had to spend to get your new look. Mod Haus is right across from Ester Short Park and around the corner from Starbucks.  I hope you'll go in to meet Lynn for yourself and find some treasures. I know I'm definitely going back!

If you have been a subject this week, or any week, thank you!  I appreciate you and feel privileged that you let me take your picture.

Thank you for following along with the project!  I anticipate that next week could possibly be 7 pictures of people bundled up in scarves and beanies!  I hope you're staying warm and cozy wherever you are!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 16

Week 16 of the 365 Day People Picture Project is now behind us! If you remember from last week, I had the intention to instruct this week's subjects to try Peter Hurley's "squinch" technique.  Circumstances were such that I was only able to introduce the "squinch" to one subject this week. However, that one subject was nearly perfect!  I think even Peter Hurley would be pleased!

Day 106 - Runner with Dog

I  had just finished an easy 7 mile walk when I ran into this guy and his dog.  I could tell he was in a hurry but I couldn't tell if he was starting his run or just about to drive away, so I asked, "are you coming or going?"  He replied that he was going for a run, so then I asked if I could take his picture for my picture project.  He agreed and said, "my wife is a photographer. I understand."  I'm always so happy when people "get it" and don't think it's weird for a complete stranger to ask them for their picture.

After I explained the project, he shared that his wife also did her own Project 365.  He said she missed a few days here and there, but she did it for an entire year. Her project wasn't limited to just pictures of people.  I'm amazed that I've already encountered a few people who've done their own 365 Day Project, or are close to someone who has. It's encouraging and inspiring.  It makes me feel like I can make it!

You know by now that I have a really hard time with people-with-dog pictures.  Well, I missed this one too.  The guy was doing his best to direct his dog and being that his wife has probably taken hundreds of pictures of the two of them, he successfully "posed" the dog.  I was so focused on watching for the perfect moment to catch the dog, I didn't even notice that it wasn't a flattering picture of the guy.  This was a first - the dog nailed it, but I blew the shot of the human! It's usually the other way around.

I didn't want to delay him any more than I already had, so I didn't ask him the "what's the happiest thing going on in your life" question.

Day 107 - Peter

One of my Instagram friends summed it up perfectly when she commented, "those eyes!"

Peter had just put on his helmet and was unlocking his bike when I approached him outside of a grocery store.  After explaining the project, he agreed to let me take his picture.  I could have totally mis-read him, but I have a feeling that Peter is a fairly shy guy, so it makes me appreciate him even more, knowing that it was probably a bit of an effort for him to allow me to take his picture.

When I asked him  the happiest thing in his life, I could tell he was giving it some serious thought.  I wanted to alleviate some pressure, so I told him it could be simple and that one guy said "doughnuts."  We laughed and then he was able to tell me his answer…"cats."

Day 108 - John

I had to make a quick trip to my mechanic on Tuesday. It was near closing time so I was the only customer there. When they finished with my car, I asked if one of them would be willing to let me take their picture for my project and they all pretty much pointed to one another, saying "he'll do it" and then everyone scattered except for one guy.  I asked the one remaining mechanic if he'd let me take his picture and he jokingly said it would blow his cover with the witness protection program. He then walked away and came back a few moments later with John who following right behind.

Turns out…John is the new guy!  I just love my mechanic.  Not only are they great to work with, but they even "volunteer" the new guy to help me with my project!

When I asked John about the happiest thing going on in his life, he replied "working here and skateboarding."

Day 109 - Zach

Zach is another co-worker.  You met his cousin, Griffin,  back on day 79.  Until that day, the day his cousin was a subject, we probably hadn't said more than a dozen words to one another.  Zach is always working hard and when we do happen to pass one another on the production floor, we usually just exchange a polite hello.

Again, I could have been completely misreading him but I always thought he must be shy, so it means a lot that he agreed to let me take his picture.

I've noticed that I can get extremely nervous when I take the picture of a friend or acquaintance.  There have been a few times where I've felt more nervous and uncomfortable taking pictures of friends, than I have felt when taking the picture of a complete stranger.

I started to get a little nervous when we started shooting, but I decided to tell Zach about the "squinch" and asked if he could try it. I gave him the instructions just like Peter Hurley explains in his video.  I was put at ease when Zach simply did exactly what I was trying to explain.  It wasn't weird for him, and unlike with my girlfriends, it didn't turn into a huge giggle-fest.  He just did it. And, he totally nailed it!  Zach looks like he could be a model!

My nervousness and insecurity disappeared and his shyness disappeared and the result was a great picture with the perfect amount of "squinch."  (technically speaking, I'm sure I've done a hundred things wrong in this photo but overall - I'm pleased with Zach's picture.)

When I asked Zach about the happiest thing in his life, he replied, "skateboarding."  I told him that was the same answer given by the person the day before.  He also said that he's happy that he moved into a new house.  (Zach also sent out a little code message  - "SRP")

Day 110 - Mark

I was so happy when I woke up bright and early on Thanksgiving morning.  I knew if I hurried, I would be able to get ready and leave the house in time to get to my favorite trail in time for "golden hour."

I was nearly to the trail when I spotted Mark pulled off the side of the road.  He had his tripod set up and he was taking pictures of the sun, rising over Mt. Hood.  I pulled over and asked if I could take pictures of him taking pictures!  I explained the project and he agreed to let me take his picture.

Mark is just now getting back into photography after having taken a break for many years. He took 3 years of photography in high school and loved it and was re-introduced when he got a new camera for Christmas last year.

I enjoyed visiting with him and hearing about his accomplishments.  He won 3 awards last year in the Clark County Fair and he encouraged me to look into making a submission.  (I'm not ready for that, but I appreciated his advice and encouragement.)  I felt bad that I may have been interrupting Mark's time and space, but he seemed pretty welcoming and even gave me a few pointers.

When I asked Mark the happiest thing going on in his life right now, he didn't hesitate when he replied, "photography."  He's enjoying it after being away for a while.

I was going to share a picture of Mt. Hood and the sunrise that we were watching/shooting, but my photos were not worthy of sharing with you.

I did get this shot just a few miles down the road from where I met Mark and I think it's worthy of sharing with you.  My favorite little trail is the 7 miles (3.5 mile out-and-back) along this beautiful lake. Several of the subjects in this project have been runners whom I've met at the trail head.

The next day, I headed down the same road where I found Mark on Thanksgiving morning and there he was again, shooting Mt. Hood and the beautiful sunrise. It made me happy knowing that he was doing something that made him happy.

Day 111 - Vera

After seeing Mark on the side of the road again, I continued on down the road to my second favorite lake trail which is where I found Vera.  It was an absolutely beautiful morning and Vera was fishing.  I observed her cast her line and  the way the light hit her, I could only make out a silhouette.  I was on my way to do another loop around the lake when I thought that I should ask if she would be day 111. I was hesitant to interrupt her because she looked so peaceful, and also because my camera was back at my car.  My grandma was a fisherwoman and I think she often fished alone when she was alive.  I thought, for my Grandma, I really needed to ask Vera if I could take her picture.

When I approached Vera and gave her my spiel, she told me that I'd have to slow down. She explained she's Russian and her English isn't so good. It took us some time, but she agreed to let me take her picture.

When I asked Vera the happiest thing happening in her life, again, she reminded me that I needed to go a little slower. So, I simplified the question and just asked her, "what makes you happy?" Vera replied, "my children" and "the natural," as she gestured to the beauty around us. I know she meant that she liked spending time in nature.

Vera hadn't yet caught anything that morning.   After we had taken the pictures, she decided to pack up and head to a different spot around the lake.  I don't know if she caught anything later, but I vote her the best-dressed fisherwoman in the entire state!

Day 111 Bonus - Alice

I ran into Alice as I was leaving the park.  We stopped and visited for a while.  She told me about her walking group, which I tried to invite myself to join, but she said it was for seniors. (but anyone is welcome!) Sounds like a very impressive group of seniors!  They walk every morning and 4 of their members are in their 90's!

After talking a few minutes, I explained the picture project to Alice and that I had just taken a picture of Vera, but asked if she would be willing to be my bonus for the day. Alice agreed.

Alice is retired but she was a librarian for many years.  I asked how many books she's read.  She's read so many that she's lost count but she has averaged about a book a week for several years.

Between walking and reading, Alice is about as sharp as it gets!  She asked more about the project and I explained that I post the pictures once a week on my blog.  She asked the name of the blog. Having forgotten my cards, I explained that it is a play on the word miscellanea, but with 2 S's.  She immediately said, "oh, it's "Miss Ellanea!"  I was impressed! I think it takes people a few moments for miscellanea to register as "Miss Ellanea," but she caught on in an instant!

I asked Alice the happiest thing in her life, she replied, "my grandkids and my walking group."  Alice has 14 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I enjoyed meeting both Vera and Alice and hope to run into them again some day.

Day 112 - Jenavieve

I didn't get to meet my friend Anne tonight, but instead, I met Scott, from day 83.  Between the two of them, I no longer have to worry when it starts to get late in the evening and I still haven't found a subject for the day. They both help me out when I find myself in a bind.

I had messaged Scott to find out his location and when he responded back, he told me he had already found someone…a birthday girl.

When I arrived, Jenavieve was outside and we struck up a conversation instantly.  I hadn't realized that she was the person Scott had already lined up, and she didn't realize I was the person who Scott had told her about.  I guess it was just meant for Jenavieve to be day 112, even without Scott's assist.

When I asked Jenavieve the happiest thing going on in her life, she replied "family and friends."  I really needed a recorder to accurately quote everything else. I couldn't take notes fast enough to keep up with all of her great insight.  Jenavieve also feels blessed that the right people have been placed in her life, right when she needs them the most.  She went on to say that "you never know when you're going to meet someone who could change your life."  I agreed, as I've become well aware of this in the 112 days I've been doing this project.

Jenavieve is right-on in her thinking.  The people I've met through this project have changed my life and we're not even half-way through yet.  It has been a pleasure and an honor to be allowed into people's lives and to then be able to share that experience with you.

If you've been a subject in this project, thank you for letting me take your picture.  I feel indebted to you.

Thank you for following along so far.  It's been a fun journey and I'm glad you're joining me.  Every morning, I wake up wondering who I'm going to meet & shoot that day.  A few friends have shared with me that they also look forward to seeing who I'm going to meet. Hearing that others are sharing in the curiosity is just about the greatest feedback and encouragement that I could ever hope for.

Thank you!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 15

Week 15 of the 365 Day Picture Project is now complete! If you're just checking in for the first time, this project is just a challenge I've given myself.  I'm not a photographer.  This is all very new to me and I'm just learning as I go along.

The challenge is to take a picture of a person, every day, for a year.  Each picture is taken fresh daily.  I'm not stockpiling pictures.  The majority of the subjects have been strangers but also included are co-workers, friends and family.

I post the pictures daily to Instagram and if you'd like to follow along, my username is @missellanea and the project is tagged #365daypeoplepictureproject.

Day 99 - Jessica

I found the person of the day fairly early on Sunday but I hadn't sat down to Instagram the picture until I was nearly ready for bed. Once I looked at the pictures, I was shocked at how badly I had blown it!  I had to change back out of my jammies in order to go back out into the world to find another subject.

I ventured as far as the convenience store down the street.  I was so happy when I pulled into the parking lot and could make out an interesting-looking person working at the counter.  I approached the register, told Jessica about the project, and she agreed to be day 99.

When I asked Jessica about the happiest thing going on in her life right now,  she replied, "hmmm, what's the date today?"  I thought it was cute that she had taken the question so seriously.  After determining the date, she then said, "today is my 4 month anniversary."  She and her husband were married exactly 4 moths earlier.

Day 100 - Malcolm

 

We hit triple digits on Monday!  This felt like a huge milestone for me, even though we still have a long way to go to get 365 days. I wanted an extra special picture to mark 100 days.  I left early that morning so that I could take my time and find a subject before work.  Traffic derailed my good intentions, so I was going to have to look for a subject after work, in the dark.

When I left work that evening, I was trying to think where I could go to find someone, when suddenly, Malcolm comes walking down the sidewalk.  Yay!  There isn't a ton of foot traffic around my work so I was so happy to see someone and I'm glad that someone was Malcolm.

He was wearing headphones, so again, I had to work hard to get his attention.  I think I startled him!  I explained the project and he agreed without hesitation.

I asked Malcolm the best thing happening in his life right now and he replied, "music." Malcolm is a musician and he had just had a show that weekend.  He's happy whenever he gets to make music and since he's busy making music, he's happy. Keep an eye and an ear out for Wamba and 1000 Fuegos.  Malcolm is involved with both bands.

Day 101 - Curt

I was driving down the street, looking for a subject, when I looked over and saw Curt unlocking his bike on the sidewalk.  As fate would have it, he was very close to a parking space that was long enough for me to land in.  (yes, I've had to miss out on a few subjects because I'm such a terrible parallel-parker!)

When I approached Curt to be day 101, he agreed but then hesitated, asking if his picture would be on a site that he would be "ashamed of."  My poor feelings were crushed for a split second as I was thinking that my blog has beginner written all over it,  but I wouldn't say it was anything to be "ashamed of." My initial reaction to his question was was that he would check out the blog and call me out on needing  to spruce things up a bit with a graphic designer/web designer and that he would be ashamed of being on my work-in-progress blog. I laughed and was relieved when I realized that he meant that he didn't want to be on some sort of "People of Walmart" site where they're actually making fun of you and if your picture ends up on that site, you've basically been shamed.

When I asked Curt the best think happening in his life right now, he replied "finding his girlfriend."  They've been together 6 months and she's treating him well.  I loved to watch him talk about his girlfriend because I could see the sparkle in his eyes and I could just see the happiness on his face.  He's also happy because he has his first solo art show coming up.

Did you notice…NO GLASSES GLARE!!!  Progress!

Day 102 - Brandy

Brandy and I work in the same neighborhood. We've known each other for about 10 years.

I stopped by her work to ask if she would be in the project. I could tell she really wanted to say no, but she's just too nice! I think she and I are of the same mindset.  If a friend asked if they could take my picture, I'd really want to help them, but I'd be so conflicted because of how intensely I dislike having my picture taken.  I'm glad Brandy let me take her picture.

Brandy and I were giggling so much because I had just watched Peter Hurley's new "It's all about the Squinch" video and I was excited to implement this new technique.  Our attempt at the "squinch" was more blink meets scrunch, but at least we were having fun!

I forgot to ask Brandy the question!  I'm just going to have to do my best to give you the answer I think she would give.  Brandy has a great group of friends. She's always out camping or having a fabulous home-cooked dinner with her friends.

Day 103 - Guy #1, Mysterious Shadow, Guy #3, and Dave

I bumped into these guys on the sidewalk and asked if they would be in my project.  They were all in!  As soon as I asked, I realized I may be in over my head. I've only taken "group photos" one other time and it wasn't pretty.

These guys were a blast!  They had me cracking up the whole time! I made some mistakes but given that I don't know how to take a good group picture and I was laughing and having too much fun, we did okay.

I will learn from my mistakes and will know better next time.  I was so concerned with making sure that Dave fit in the frame, that I nearly cut out Guy #1 on several of the shots.  I could have filled the frame a little better, but I'll know next time.

The best thing happening in their lives right now:

Guy #1 - I'm just going to paraphrase and say that he's traveling.  We had a complicated conversation that can be simplified by saying that he's happy about traveling.

Dark Shadow - He was happy they were on their way to get something to eat!

Guy 3 - "Being on the West Coast."  I should have asked where these guys were from, but I was cracking up and forgot to do my job properly!

Dave - "Getting engaged."  Dave had just recently proposed to his fiancé!

Day 104 - Julie

I made arrangements with Anne to meet up again on Friday.  When I arrived, she wasn't there but I ran into Scott from day 83.  I think Scott was working to take Anne's place as my friday night Talent Scout assistant.  Within minutes, he had found 3 or 4 subjects for me to choose from.

I decided the week needed another woman, so Scott then asked his friend Julie to be in the project.   Gosh!  This was an "easy" day!  Scott did all of the work for me!

Julie dreams of owning her own restaurant someday.  When I asked about the best thing happening in her life right now, she replied, "being single" and her "two kids."

Julie was a natural.  I ended up with a couple pictures that looked more like ads in a magazine!  I opted to show you this picture instead, because the others were a little too posed.

Day 105 - Debbie

Debbie is one of my dearest friends.  It was her birthday last night and we all went out to celebrate.

We've known each other over half our lives and she was a huge influence on my life.  I learned the meaning of work ethic from Debbie and my Mom.  Debbie has been working since the day I met her. I don't think it was my parents who told me in high school that I needed to go out and get a job - I'm pretty sure it was Debbie!

It was also Debbie who taught me to do your best, work hard, then once you're finished with work, go out and do your best to play hard too!

Debbie  has turned into quite the cook!  So much so, that I keep encouraging her (borderline obnoxiously pushing her) to start her own cooking blog some day.  She already has the domain name and everything, it's just a matter of time. (Which I can completely understand.)  I recently had to send her an urgent text because I had misplaced the recipe she had given me for her perfect Alfredo sauce.  It had been so long since I made it, I had forgotten the proper amount of ingredients and the order in which to cook them.  Debbie gave me the quick instructions and then gave explicit direction to "love the sauce."  That's why she's such an excellent cook!  She really does add love to her meals, and then she feeds it to us. That explains why I always leave her place with a full belly and a full heart.

We really had to work hard to get a picture.  I wanted to get a perfect picture for her birthday and Debbie had also given me the expectation that she wanted me to take the very best picture that had ever been taken of her in her entire life.  No pressure or anything!!  I think we were both demanding a lot from ourselves and it resulted in a lot of laughs, a little bit of the scoldings that you can only say to a best friend, and the best picture ever taken of our other friend Becki, Debbie's step sister Jenny, and just about anyone else there, except for Debbie!  I'm just kidding, we did actually end up with a few nice pictures.  My favorite picture that I've ever taken (below) is actually one of Debbie and Becki together. My two best friends, together, laughing. It was a perfect day.

Part of the reason that Debbie and I were having so much difficulty in getting a picture last night, is that not only did I want her to work the "sqinch", but I also wanted her to give me the "slightly curious turtle" which is the name I've given for Peter Hurley's other technique that I picked up from his video, "It's all about the Jawline."  

We were "squinching" and "slightly curious turtling" and laughing and laughing!  I was basically using my poor dear friend as practice on how to direct future subjects. We do much better together when I'm just getting candids rather than giving her any direction. In our relationship, I'm not the director and Debbie isn't the follow-the-directionser.  It is the opposite!

In the midst of all of our silliness, I remembered to ask Debbie about the happiest thing going on in her life right now. Her response, "this…this right now is what makes me happy."  She was surrounded by friends and family and we all love her!  If someone would have asked me that same question at that moment, my response would have been the very same thing.

Moving into next week, I'm going to continue practicing the "squinch."  Peter Hurley is amazing and he presents things in such a way that it makes you believe you could actually learn to take nice pictures.  He's dynamic and energetic and I get a huge boost of enthusiasm just watching his videos. Here's his newest video. Even if you're not interested in learning how to take better pictures of others, this video is an excellent tip on how to "give" better pictures!  Plus, you'll be able to spot the "squinch" in future subjects and in other photos you see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff7nltdBCHs

Thank you for continuing to follow along!  I know your time is valuable and it is an honor that you've shared a little bit of that time with me and this project.

If you've been a subject in this project, thank you.  Thank you for your time, thank you for being you, and thank you for sharing your beautiful self with us.

Have a great week!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 14

Week 14 of the 365 Day People Picture Project feels like it flew by in a flash, even though my goal was to spend more time with each subject in the hopes of learning a glimpse of their lives and sharing it with you. The same friend who had given me the suggestion last week to write more about each person, followed up with me this week with an idea on how to actually implement this. Having reached the same conclusion myself, I knew we were both on the right track.  Randy suggested that I should think of a few go-to questions and have them in my mind and at the ready.  I told him that I was thinking the same thing and the question that I was going to use for the week would be, "what is the happiest/best thing happening in your life right now?"

I started the week eager to learn about the best thing happening in the lives of the next 6 people in this project. (I didn't get to ask this question of Sunday's subject because, well, you'll see in a moment.) Having a canned question may seem artificial but it's quite the contrary.  Being prepared with a question has the potential to lead to a very organic interaction.

Some of the interactions this week were still quite brief, even with my "canned question," but I'm going to continue with this idea as it seems the only logical way to smooth over the interaction I have with each subject. It gives me a little more confidence to be able to interact with each person and because I'm prepared and confident, each subject will also feel confident and more at ease in the conversation.  Although the question is "canned," each interaction will be organic and unique to each person.

Day 92 - Dr. Tram

I love that my Dentist is open on evenings and weekends!  Knowing I would be seeing the dentist over the weekend, I had been envisioning this picture in my mind since the day I made the appointment.  My normal Dentist had the day off and this was my first time seeing Dr. Tram, but she was still cool and paused long enough to let me take her picture.

The shiny, blurry thing in the right corner is a mirror.  I'll tell ya…this shot was a lot more difficult in real life than I envisioned it being in my mind!  And, for obvious reasons, Dr. Tram and I didn't get to visit much about anything other than the business at hand.

Day 93 - Troy

This is Troy from Kansas.  Troy is a new co-worker.  I noticed he was at work well after he normally gets off his shift.  He was working on some personal things and it gave me the perfect opportunity to learn a little about the new guy.  (I think I've mentioned before, we're pretty good about keeping on-task at work so unless we spend time outside of work, we don't always learn a whole lot about each other.)

Troy is a graphic designer.  He wanted to move to Portland because of the skateboard and snowboard scene which Portland is well known for.  He googled "screen printers in Portland" and then basically began to stalk us!  I love his persistence and determination!  With so many people looking for work, it is easy for your resume to get lost among hundreds of other applicants.

Troy was persistent, followed up several times and eventually caught the attention of the owner and production manager and he's now part of our team!  (Although, not in the art department.) That's the awesome thing about Troy…he wanted to move to Portland and work with us, so he took the one job available which was in the screen reclaim department.  Although it is critical to the function of the entire company, it is not a glamorous job and it's one of the most difficult jobs in the entire process of screen printing.  But it was a start and it enabled him to make the move.

He's since moved into the Ink Department where he helps mixes the colors for every single job that gets printed.  Although he's not yet utilizing his skill as a designer, all of this experience will make him a better and stronger designer in the future.  I just love that he was willing to do whatever it took in order to move to Portland.  When I asked him the best thing happening right now, he replied "I got a car, a new job, and I'm enjoying Portland!"

Day 94 - "Like a Fox"

This was an off-day. "Like a Fox" was a great subject and he saved the night because he was actually a "plan b."  I had been rejected 2 times before finding a great subject.  We were seriously on-the-go when I took his picture because he was running late for a dinner appointment. After he left, I realized that every picture I had taken was unflattering.  I managed to catch him blinking in every single picture.  We laughed because I knew a few of the pictures were mid-blink and he even told me he blinks a lot!  I thought I captured a good one, but I was mistaken.

So, I went back on the hunt again.  I got my third rejection for the night and was feeling defeated and that's when I found "Like a Fox."  He happily agreed to let me take his picture as he was waiting for his bus.

When I asked him the best thing happening right now, he replied, "I just paid off my pre-order for the new Xbox One."  (which are due out on November 22nd.)  His "Like a Fox" name is actually his online name.  I told him I had just heard in the news that due to an error, some people had already been shipped the new Xbox and maybe he was one of those people.  I don't think you're supposed to give a gamer that sort of false hope. For a split second, I could tell that he was processing the possibility of whether or not he could be one of those lucky people who received their shipment early.

When I got home, I realized that all of "Like a Fox's" pictures were showing a little glasses glare.  I was so bummed!  I had one picture which had the potential to be among my favorites so far, except for the darn glare!  I don't know how to edit the photo to fix the glare and I'm learning that glasses glare is  a big challenge that I need to learn how to compensate for.  This was the least problematic picture I had taken. (I really wish I could have shared the other one with you.)

In spite of the glare, I hope you can get a feel for how nice "Like a Fox" comes across. He may be "Like a Fox" in online gaming, but in real life, he's more "like a puppy."

Day 95 - Taylor and John

 

I have to admit, this was one of the days where I felt like abandoning the project.  Training for, and completing, 4 marathons has taught me one thing…I know how to quiet the negative thoughts of self-doubt and when those thoughts tell me that I should stop, I've learned how to push myself to keep going.  So, somehow I found myself out on the street and looking for a subject even though I was ready to call it quits.

This was another interaction that was simply meant to be.  As it would turn out, Taylor is a real photographer!  She's even done her own 365 Day Project!  She was full of helpful tips and encouragement and meeting her and John was perfect! They were also waiting for a bus so our time was brief but in that short amount of time, Taylor was so helpful and she gave me the boost I needed. I loved watching her talk about photography.  I could see the flicker in her eye as she spoke…it's something she's truly passionate about.  And, I appreciated that she didn't think less of me, or dismiss me, for being such an amateur.

When I asked Taylor and John the best thing happening in their lives, Taylor replied that she had had a great day because she spent it in the darkroom.  John's reply, "doughnuts!"  I like John's thinking!

Day 96 - Tony

This is Tony.  He was waiting for the MAX train to arrive.  This is one of my favorite pictures so far, and if I had snapped it just a fraction of a second later - the lights from the train would have been closer and I would have been able to better capture the "impending" and "temporary" feeling that we were experiencing.

Tony was  the second time this week that had to resort to "plan B".  After another two rejections, I had found a great subject who was on his way to band rehearsal at his church.  Luckily, I checked the pictures after he hopped on his train. I had failed.  This time, it was a combination of glasses-glare + blinking failure.  Dang, glasses are tough!  (Glasses and hats!)

After failing the first subject, I wandered around the MAX and bus stop in search of the next person.  I spotted Tony.  When I approached him, he was wearing ear phones so I had to work to get his attention to explain the project.   He agreed to let me take his picture so I started snapping away.

Knowing that I had to be quick, I asked him questions as I was taking his picture.  I was eagerly anticipating his answers to the  "what's the best thing happening in your life" question, but first I asked his name and if there's anything I could promote.  Just as soon as the words came out of my mouth, I could see the light from the train approaching us.  I interrupted my own question and asked if it was his train.  He confirmed that it was.

I knew I had a usable picture so I put the camera down and awaited his response as the train pulled into the station.  He was still giving me his attention as he slowly started to walk away to board the MAX, when he said, "peace, love and happiness…that's what I want to promote." And with that, he was gone and I was sad. I wanted more time. I wanted to learn the best thing happening in his life right now.

Day 97 - Makenzie

I'm starting to look forward to my Friday routine of meeting my friend Anne at Charlie's. It's still challenging to get a subject, but at least I know I'll be in someplace dry and warm and I'll have a friend close by to be with me as long as it takes to find someone.

As soon as I walked in, I spotted Makenzie.  She's another girl who's pretty impossible to miss.  I was torn if I should ask her because she was at a table with several friends and right behind her was a table of  a few of my favorite subjects - scruffy bearded guys who make for a great black & white. I know I need to push myself beyond my go-to black & white picture of scruffy bearded guy, and I also wanted to have one more girl for this week, so I decided that I would ask Makenzie to be day 97.

I interrupted her table, which is always awkward, and quickly gave my spiel. She agreed to be day 97 and among her friends, I could have several more subjects!  We laughed as we tried to decide if she was going to get her picture alone, or with one of her friends.

Makenzie has her own business and it's quite interesting. She's an esthetician and provides in-home waxing service!  I should have guessed this as she and her friends are the best-browed group of people in all of Vancouver.  (Even her guy friends!)  She obviously does great work!

When I asked about the best thing happening for her right now, she replied "working and waxing."  She went on to explain that she had just experienced a break-up that very same day, so concentrating on her work is helping her to be happy.  Gosh, you just never know what people are dealing with.  Makenzie put on a happy face and beautiful smile, surrounded herself with her great friends and was trying to make the best of things, even though she was probably feeling broken-hearted.  I loved her style, but I truly admire her attitude and approach to dealing with a sad time for her.  She still managed to light up the room, even though she was feeling down.

Makenzie is a class act and a beautiful girl  I didn't even do her justice in this picture.

Day 98 - Tim

My friends and I, all 8 of us, made a coffee stop at Brewed this afternoon.  Having basically slammed them them with all of our orders, I used the wait as an opportunity to find a subject.  I found Tim in the corner of the coffee shop. He was working away on something that looked extremely complex. Even without my glasses, I was able to glance down and see that the paper in front of him had some sort of hand-drawn diagram and complicated notes and possibly even math formulas.  Tim said he was in the coffee shop, catching up on some work.

When I asked Tim about the happiest thing going on in his life, his response was quick and certain, "my 1-year-old kid."  I don't know what Tim was working on, but he also wanted to promote the importance of supporting local businesses.

That's it for week 14!  We're going to hit the triple digits next week!  Woohoo!  I now often use a marathon as my yardstick for many other things in life.  When I compare the progress of the 365 Day People Picture Project to distance of a marathon, basically, we're almost to mile 8.  Still a long ways to go, but we've already covered some respectable distance.

If you remember last week, I was pretty touched by Nancy and Stephen.  Part of the "risk" of making a connection with someone is that when you do, they leave a little mark on your head and your heart and once you make that connection, it's impossible to sever. This has all been a little heavy for me to process.  Making a connection is work…opening up, letting someone in, them letting me in, taking a picture, and then trying to let go.   Even though I may never see these people again, I now still wonder about them, and wish them health and happiness.

I'm gong to continue to use the "what's the best thing happening in your life right now," question for this upcoming week.  I want to learn about good things happening for people,  Even if it is something as simple as doughnuts and Xboxes.  I love hearing about people and the ability to find happiness even in simple joys.  Can you think of any questions that would be great to add to the list of questions for potential subjects? What are you wanting to learn about them?

Thank you for spending this time with me and sharing in this project!  Have you started a project of your own?

If you have been a subject, thank you.  Thank you for being you and for letting me take your picture. You've touched my heart. Forever.

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 13

Can you believe it?  We're three months into the 365 Day People Picture Project!  Week 13 was feeling a little hollow as I was mentally preparing the summary that I wanted to share with you, but it ended on both a happy and heavy note. My co-worker and friend, Randy, remarked that he likes it when I share more information about each subject.  I agree with him!  I explained to him that I don't always learn a whole lot about the subjects in this project. Some of the interactions have been so brief, they're mere seconds.  It is for this reason that week 13 was feeling a little incomplete.  I didn't do a nice job of really connecting with each person and the majority of the interactions with this week's subjects were quite short.   That lack of a connection not only makes for a short read, but it also has a huge impact on whether or not I can truly catch someone's sparkle.

When I'm trying to take a picture, it is my responsibility to temporarily suspend anything that is on my mind so that my single focus is on the person before me.  Over time and with a lot of hard work,  I will eventually learn the technical skills of photography.  The skill that is critical for my progress right now, is the ability to let go of everything else and engage with each subject.  We have to connect.

Day 85 - Jeffery and his nephew, Matt

Jeffery and Matt were walking down the street when I chased them down to ask if they would let me take their picture.  I know they look like tough guys but they were both soft-spoken and quite gentlemanly.

Day 86 - Virgil

The Broadway Cigar Company is near my work and I've often wondered what it's like inside. I've also been thinking it could be a great resource for potential subjects.  I decided Monday would be the day that I explore the shop and introduce myself to ask if I could come back in the future.  When I walked in, Virgil raised his eyebrows in surprise…I don't think they get very many women visitors.

I explained that I wasn't there for cigars, but rather to ask a favor. I explained the project to Virgil and he obliged my request to be day 86.  He gave me the names of the owners, so I might just be back in touch. I just know the shop must get all kinds of interesting customers who would be great subjects!  I felt a little like I was intruding on a secret men's club - so I would definitely want to get permission before a return visit.

Day 87 - David 

David is the 3rd Plaid Pantry person in this project.  Plaid Pantry is a chain of convenience stores in Portland and I don't think I've ever met a Plaid Pantry worker that I didn't like. The employees are always pretty cool people.  The challenge with each of the three, is that I've had to work quickly to get the picture before any customers are ready to check out.

Day 88 - Tim

It was a dark and stormy night.  I mean, it really was a dark and stormy night!  I started my commute home and was really starting to stress about finding a subject in the rain. I didn't want to hit the mall but I just couldn't think of anyplace else to find a subject.  As I was sitting in traffic, I realized I was right next to a Les Schwab Tire Center.  Les Schwab is known for their amazing customer service. When you pull into a Les Schwab, they come running out to your car to help you!  I'm not making this up - they actually run to you! (ok, so it's technically more like a trot.)

It couldn't have been more perfect - all I would have to do is pull into the parking lot and my subject would come running out to greet me!  It felt a little like cheating but I decided to give it a try since there were no cars in the lot and it was shortly before closing time.  Sure enough, the moment I pulled in, Tim came running/trotting out to help me! I explained I was actually stopping by for a strange favor and Tim was happy to help with the project.

Day 89 - Natasha

Natasha is the new owner of the Nectar Cafe, in the Hollywood District.   She makes a perfect Americano!  I stopped by for the caffeine but left having also found a great subject for the day.  This coffee shop is so cozy, I just wanted to hang out and be still for a while.

Day 90 - Matt

I maintained the new Friday routine of meeting my friend Anne to hunt for a subject at Charlie's.   I was having trouble finding just the right person and then I discovered Matt. He was playing pool with his friends.  I approached Matt's table and asked if he would be willing to help me with my picture project.  Matt was bashful but his friend wasn't!  His friend told me, "yes, he'll do it!"

Matt asked a few questions about the project and seemed genuinely interested in how it came about and how it was moving along.  Although he was bashful at first, it quickly felt like Matt was just a friend I hadn't met yet.  I was enjoying our talk because he's just the kind of person you'd want to hang out with.  Although Matt was one person who I was afforded the time to actually connect with, we were still having problems getting the shot.

Even though we were having a nice conversation, when it came time to take the picture…we were both nervous!  He's as nervous to have his picture taken as I am when I ask someone if I can take their picture!  He wanted direction from me, but I still lack the confidence and skill to direct someone on how to "give" the picture that I'd like to take.

There's so much to learn!  In addition to the technical skills of photography, I also need to learn how to put people at ease.   I need to gain confidence and learn how to "direct" a subject on how to move if they're feeling uncomfortable or unsure of what to do.  Once we're both comfortable and confident, then we will end up with a picture we both love.  I want people to look at their picture and feel good about themselves.

Day 91 - Nancy and her dog, Patty

I spotted Nancy and Patty in the park, just as Patty bolted away from Nancy and gave chase to a squirrel.  I wasn't going to ask Nancy to be a subject because she looked like she had her hands full with her little squirrel hunter but after walking around the park for a while, I decided they were meant to be day 91.

Nancy happily agreed to a picture before I even finished my spiel.  The first thing she said was, "I'm not very photogenic but Patty is!"  Nancy turned out to be quite photogenic, but there wasn't a thing I could do to win Patty's attention away from the squirrel.

After I've taken a person's picture, I often ask them if there's anything they would like me to promote on my blog. (such as their business, band, art, their own blog, etc.) Nancy responded, "I want to promote peace, love, forgiveness, tolerance, and to be kind to animals."     She then went on to say that "as you get older, you realize that nothing else really matters. When you reach the end of your life, the only thing you really have is the relationships you had with others."  Nancy's sister died a few years ago.  Near the end of her sister's life, they had to move her from her beautiful home and into a care facility.  When her sister moved into the facility, the belongings she had accumulated over her entire lifetime had to be pared down to just one box.  The experience caused Nancy to realize the importance of relationships over any material possessions.

I thanked Nancy and was on my way, but my mind was still deep in thought about everything Nancy had said.  I've been feeling the same way for several years now.  I think we can't help but reach that realization as we reach the age when we have more years behind us than we, potentially, have in front of us.  I was holding back tears once again.  I was touched and impacted not only by the content of Nancy's words, but also because of our interaction…our connection.  Another woman I had just met, opened up and shared a difficult experience and the weight of everything she said just hit me all at once.

And then…

Day 91 Bonus - Stephen and BeBee Baby

I  was still writing down notes from my conversation with Nancy as I was waiting for the crosswalk signal to change and when I looked up, there was Stephen. He asked what I was reading and I said that I was just taking notes.  He wanted to know what kind of notes, so I explained the project.  I asked if he would be my "bonus" for today and he agreed, saying, "I love to have my picture taken!"

Stephen was just a character! He said he lived in Hollywood many years ago and he's been in a few movies, as an extra.  He then told me that he was related to "Lewis."  Having just talked about Hollywood, I thought he meant Jerry Lewis but he corrected me that it was "Meriwether Lewis, you know, Lewis and Clark."  I believe Stephen.

Stephen and BeBee Baby had just come from the grocery store and PetCo.  I looked in the basket and could see that BeBee Baby was sitting on top of a few groceries.  Unless there's a PetCo that I don't know about, the closest store is a few miles away so the two of them had quite the ride!  Stephen assured me that BeBee Baby was secured in her basket.

Stephen and I visited a while longer before saying good-bye.  I had already been holding back the tears from my interaction with Nancy and after saying good-bye to Stephen, I couldn't hold them back any longer.  I hoped Stephen and BeBee Baby would be ok.  I hoped they are having a nice life.  I hoped that Stephen has relationships with still-living family and friends.  And then I thought, what matters most to Stephen may not even take up an entire box - perhaps what matters most to Stephen was right there in the basket in front of me. His Be Bee Baby.

Thank you for following along with me and this challenge.  These 91 people, and Stephen the bonus, are changing my life and I can't wait to see what the next 9 months bring.  I hope that you're enjoying this as much as much as I.  I'll work harder at trying to get to know people a little better and then I'll do my best to report that back to you.

If you've been a subject in this project - thank you. Thank you for your time, and thank you for your kindness.

Have a great week!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 12

Week 12 of the 365 Day People Picture Project ended on a high note - I achieved one small goal. (More about that in a bit.)   Although I'm pleased that I made a tiny bit of progress, I'm also feeling nervous that I may be in over my head. We "fall back" tonight and with the time change, I will lose the daylight hours after work when I normally walk the stairs at the park, both for fitness and also to find subjects for this project.  I want to succeed.  I didn't challenge myself to an 84-day-project or an until-it-gets-too-difficult-to-find-subjects project.  I want all 365 days!  I said I was going to do something, and I want to finish what I've challenged myself to do.

I should explain to you why I'm so nervous because you may be reading this and wondering why I'm making such a big deal of things.  I leave for work between 6:45 - 7:15 am and work till 5:03 pm, or later.  My commute to work is a lot of freeway, and then about 3 miles of Sandy Blvd. in Portland.  The only people on Sandy Blvd at that time of morning are people who are waiting for the bus, or people who wouldn't appreciate being approached by someone who wants to talk their picture.  My work is in an area of Portland that, although densely populated with residences and businesses, doesn't get a lot of foot traffic.  There are areas in Portland that are rich with interesting people and at any moment of the day, the sidewalks are filled with potential subjects.  Our office is not in one of those places.

The reason I'm nervous is that I'm now going to have to work hard to seek out those interesting places in town and I'll have to do it in the dark and cold. People aren't as happy and willing to pause to let a complete stranger take their picture when it's dark and miserable outside.  Now, the real challenge begins.

Day 78 - Dion

Dion just finished his mountain bike ride when I arrived at the trail. It was raining and he was trying to shed his outer layer of wet clothes when I approached him to be day 78.

Day 79 - Griffin

Griffin is the cousin of one of my co-workers.  I spotted a group of guys walking down the sidewalk as I was driving and knew that was my opportunity to find a subject for the day.  As I was debating on whether or not to turn around, I realized that I knew one of them - we're co-workers! I turned my car around and stopped them at the store.  I approached my co-worker, who I never get to talk to at work, and explained the project.  He volunteered his cousin to be day 79.  (I wanted to save my co-worker for a rainy day. Literally.)

Day 80 - Anonymous Guy at the Park (with a dog, but I failed again.)

Are you keeping track?  How many person-with-dog pictures have I failed?  I think we're now at number 7!  The last two have been so awful that I haven't even had anything to show you!  It's ok, we're just getting started.  Maybe by the end of this project, I will know exactly how to direct a dog and its person to be picture perfect, and then I will have learned how to take the damn picture!

I missed the picture but I had a nice chat with this guy and learned a lot about the breed of his dog and the origin of the Labradoodle.

Day 81 - Lee

It's been a while since I've been in to see Lee but she is one of the team of people that it takes to keep me looking somewhat-presentable.  She works magic on my brows.  I don't know how she does it, but she manages to make my 4 thin little eyebrow hairs look like I have normal brows.

Day 82 - "The Dude"  (Seth)

I knew Seth would be in to pick up his order on Halloween and I was hoping that he would be in costume.  I anticipated that he would be dressed as Bigfoot because he's about 6'5" (maybe even 6'7") and Bigfoot is sort of the mascot of his company, but he did not disappoint when he showed up as "The Dude."

Day 83 - Scott

I reached a small goal with Scott.  Earlier this week, I had reviewed all of the #365daypeoplepictureproject photos on my Instagram. I was pretty disappointed in myself.  Other than just a few, I didn't feel like I had taken any truly nice pictures.  As I evaluated the pictures, I thought that they weren't even good enough for the majority of the subjects to even use as their Facebook profile picture.  (if given the opportunity.)  There were a few that I could imagine my subjects using as a Facebook profile picture, but for the most part - my pictures weren't nice.  I have beautiful sparkly subjects and I wasn't capturing it.

Since starting this project, I've taken on my own independent study of photography.  There are thousands of amazing photographers who share their knowledge online.  I study their blogs and their online videos and although I'm beginning to learn a few things, it has also been very discouraging. These people are just amazing. I am not.  I've questioned that maybe I'm just not "artistic." I will never be as good as the people I'm studying.  I think I've been taking in so much information that I was beginning to feel overwhelmed and defeated.

I decided to break it down all simple-like.  I need to take what I'm learning and do my best to process that information and in order not to become too overwhelmed, I simply set a tiny little objective to capture a picture that so nice that my subject would like it enough to make it their Facebook profile picture.  I don't think it could be any more simple than this.  I want to capture a person's sparkle and I want for them to like the image that I've captured.

Friday night, I decided that I was just going to plan on meeting Anne to find a subject instead of sending her an unplanned SOS text telling her I needed someone to take a picture of!   She was way ahead of me.  She had already volunteered Scott and briefed him that he was going to be in my little project.

Scott was a stranger to me but I got to know him a little by eavesdropping on his conversation with his friend.  Scott was showing his friend some camera-phone pictures of actual paintings that Scott had done in a painting class.  His friend was so encouraging and supportive of his work but Scott dismissed it, basically saying that he wasn't a painter.  I asked if I could look at his work and I was blown away!  Scott is an amazing artist!  I was inspired by Scott and his desire to learn painting technique. He's quite good!  I thought, there's hope for me yet.  I just need to work on it.  Just like Scott is taking classes to learn technique, I also need to take classes to learn technique.

When I got home to prepare Scott's picture to be Instagrammed, I realized - it's one of my favorites!  Scott was a great subject and I didn't screw it up!  I got a good picture!  I texted Anne the picture and told her I loved how it turned out.  She liked it as well.  I didn't realize that Anne was still with Scott.   A little while later, I looked down on my phone and saw that I had a Facebook friend request notification.  You know how exciting that is!  I quickly opened Facebook to see who wanted to be "friends" and I immediately recognized the profile picture of the requestor as the photo I had just taken! It was Scott!!!  He used the picture I had taken of him as his profile picture.  I know this is so silly, but it made my week!   All I want is to be able to take a picture of a person and for them to like it. I did it!

Day 84 - Erin

I was on a mission in the mall this morning when Erin and her coworker passed by me.  I quickly turned around and chased after them.  I'm still cracking up at how I must look as I chase down potential subjects. It's obvious why I had to chase her down though…just look at her! She's great! I love everything about her style and on top of it, she was as sweet as could be!

Erin is a hairstylist at the JCP Salon in the Vancouver Mall.  She asked if I already had a stylist and I explained that I'm loyal to my stylist and she's now practically like a sister.  When I said that to Erin, she gave me a funny little look but I didn't think much of it at the time.

Later, after taking Erin's picture, I spotted myself in the mirror and I was mortified.  I had completely forgotten about the little hack-job I did on my own bangs this morning.  I still  had a few little cut hairs on my nose and cheeks!   I intended to cut just one little rebel bang and then it turned into two little rebels.  Then two turned into a few and before I realized the damage I was doing, I had totally messed myself up!  I felt so horrible. Poor Erin!  I'm sure she could tell I had just cut my own damn bangs and she probably thought I was giving her a polite brush-off and then she was still nice enough to let me take her picture!  So, if you're looking for a stylist in Vancouver - please give Erin a try.  And do tell her I was an idiot!  I really am loyal to my girl but if i didn't have Chandra, I would definitely go see Erin.

Thank you for following along with this week's adventures!  Are you ready? We're really going to have to dig down and get to work these next few months.  It won't be easy - but we can do it!

If you've been a subject for this project - thank you for being you!  Thank you for letting me take your picture and for helping me with this challenge.  I appreciate you!

Thank you!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 11

Week 11 of the 365 Day People Picture Project ended with me crying and hugging a stranger I had just met.  

Day 71 - Runner on the Heritage Trail

When I explain the project to potential subjects, I explain to them that I will Instagram their photograph that day and then do a little recap at the end of the week, here on the blog.  I ask if they'd like to share their name, give a fake name, or just remain anonymous.

I didn't learn a whole lot about this anonymous subject but one of my Instagram friends is convinced he's a baseball player and now when I look at his picture, all I can see is a baseball player! I think she called it right.

Day 72 - DJ

 

This young man is DJ.  When I approached DJ, with camera in hand, I barely got out 3 words before he was on-board with letting me take his photograph.  Hmmm, for some reason, I think he may be used to having his picture taken!

DJ and his friends were tossing around a football when I spotted them.  They were sporting neon clothes and  bright shoes and they were impossible to miss! I felt like I had just stumbled onto commercial video shoot for Nike.  After learning more about DJ, I realized I wasn't just picking up on their sense of style from their appearance, their style was an accurate projection of their real lives!  DJ is currently rehabbing an injury sustained in a car accident but he'll return to play college football next year.  In the meantime, DJ and his partner are the entrepreneurs behind Flight Skool Shoes.

I know we often describe women as stunningly beautiful, but is it ok to describe a man as stunningly handsome?  There's no other way around it. DJ is stunningly handsome.  Handsome, athletic, and entrepreneurial, and to top it off, he was a real gentleman.   DJ presented himself with the professionalism and maturity of a man at least twice his age.

OK, so we've covered DJ's good looks but do you see the several mistakes I made in the picture?   No matter how perfect the subject, you still need to check for distractions in the background.  Ugggg, it pains me to look at the picture because of the stupid recycle bins and street post sign.  Now you see it too, don't you?  This was another very good reminder to me. Even when your subject is stunningly beautiful or stunningly handsome, you still have to do the work. You still have to check for background noise and distractions and then position yourself or the subject away from the noise.

I'm such an inexperienced photographer that I'm just shooting in auto and some of the preset "scene" modes.  I like to think of this phase of the learning process as having training wheels.  Because I'm shooting in auto, it should free me up mentally to learn and implement the fundamentals of composition.  While I'm relying on my "training wheels," I can learn to pay better attention to horrible distractions.  This is a critical step in learning to take better pictures.  A misplaced recycling bin can ruin a picture, even when your subject is as handsome as DJ.

Day 73 - Oscar

I found Oscar at the top of Mt. Tabor Park.  While dozens of other people were gathering at the look-out area to take pictures of the setting sun, I was at the center of the park, taking pictures of Oscar.  I could tell he was gathering his things to go but he allowed me time to take his picture before leaving.  This Oscar was not a grouch…this Oscar was a real nice guy.

Day 74 - My Father-in-Law

We had a little family get-together to celebrate my Father-in-Law's birthday.  It's funny that my own Father-in-Law has been one of the most challenging subjects.  He's usually the one taking the photographs, so it was a little stressful for him to be the subject for once.  I'm actually glad it took us over a dozen pictures to get one that was usable because we all shared a lot of laughs during the process.

Day 75 - Man in the Park

 

I failed another person-with-dog photo.  If I were successful, the title of this picture would have been: Man with "Spuds MacKenzie."  He was walking a playful little Bull Terrier when I met the two of them in the park.  Actually, we didn't just "meet,"  I had to chase them down.  (I laugh at myself when I imagine what I must have looked like.)

I nearly made the same mistake with this subject as I had done with DJ, but this man actually pointed out that our background was a "dumpster."  As we re-positioned him, he then purposely placed himself in the spot with the best lighting.   It became obvious to me that he was an experienced photographer.  He helped to correct me with the lighting and by eliminating the background distraction, but I appreciate that he let me fumble through my mistakes.  And, because I fumbled through my mistakes, I didn't capture a good shot of both him and his dog.   They're another candidate for a do-over, should I ever meet them again.

Day 76 - Wendy

Friday, I sent out another SOS text to my friend Anne, letting her know that I was still looking for a subject and asking if she happened to be out on the town.  Not only was she happy to meet me, but she volunteered her friend, Wendy, to be day 76.  Luckily, Wendy agreed! I like this picture in black & white, but I love Wendy's new hair color more, so I decided to share this one with you.

Day 77 - Tammy

Tammy was a complete stranger to me this morning, but within a matter of minutes - we were crying and hugging.  Well, she managed to dam her tears but my tears definitely spilled onto my cheeks.

I arrived at my favorite trail this morning and immediately spotted Tammy.  I don't know why, but it has always been my preference to look for subjects after I finish my walk.  The minute I saw her, I thought she would make a great subject but it just didn't feel right to break my routine of walking first, taking pictures after.  Something compelled me.  I got my camera and journal and walked over to Tammy's car.  In the short time I had been debating on whether or not to ask her, she had gotten back into her car which made me even more apprehensive about asking her.  I don't like to approach someone while they're sitting in their car. It just feels too bold and intrusive. But, again, I was compelled.

I gave Tammy my spiel about the picture project but I couldn't quite get a read on if she was going to agree or not.   She then responded, "You should wait for my daughter. I have a beautiful daughter."  I replied back, "I don't know, you're pretty beautiful yourself."  She asked a few more questions about the project and about my blog so I explained how it all came about…that I started a blog but quickly realized I have a boring life which means I have no content to sustain a blog!  As a solution, I decided to finally learn photography and challenge myself to take a picture of a person every day for a year.

I wasn't prepared for what came next.  Tammy told me that I was  inspiring her.  She said it a few times and then she opened up.  She explained to me that she's going through a divorce after having been married for 25 years.  She explained how she's wanting to re-invent herself and running has been one of the ways in which she was planning to do so.  She told me a little more about her situation and I was heartbroken for her.  I felt the weight of the sadness she must be feeling and I just couldn't hold back the tears.  (Tammy gave me permission to tell the story of our encounter this morning but I don't want to share too many details.)

I was so touched that my little project could have a positive influence on another person, especially someone who was hurting.  There we were, two strangers, having a conversation as meaningful as those shared by the best of friends.   Tammy and I concluded that we were meant to be placed in each others lives at that moment. She was able to draw some inspiration from the challenge I have given myself, and I received kindness and encouragement from her.

While on my walk, I continued to think about Tammy and the process of her re-invention.  Although I feel empathy for the painful experience she's going through now, I'm excited for her as she starts the process of self-discovery and re-discovery.

Tammy, if you happen to read this - I hope when you look at this picture, you will see the same beautiful woman that I saw this morning.

Thank you for checking in on week 11.  I'm starting to accumulate a little bit of information and soon, I will have enough to report back to you and share the things I've learned so far. I think I'm learning a little more about people than I am about photography.

Remember, If you'd like to follow along daily, my Instagram and Twitter username is:  @missellanea.  I've temporarily turned off the comments here on the blog while I combat comment-spammers.  It's a fairly easy fix and comments will be turned on again soon. In the meantime, you can always e-mail me, or message me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

If you are a subject in this project,  thank you for your time and for letting me take your picture.  You have touched my life in ways which are impossible for me to articulate. Thank you.

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 10

Week 10 of the 365 Day People Picture Project was a nice slide back into reality after the thrill and excitement of week 9.   There are no famous rock stars or well-known authors this week… just 7 nice people who were kind enough to let me take their picture.  To me, they're all rock stars. If you're just checking in for the first time, I've challenged myself to take a picture of a person every day for an entire year.  I post each picture to my Instagram, daily, and then do a recap of the week's photos here on the blog.

The majority of my subjects have been random strangers, but my friends, family, and co-workers are also helping me out as well.

I'm not a photographer, but I have a desire to learn. This project is forcing me outside of my comfort zone. I'm now signing up for a few photography classes and I spend a little time each day studying online resources.   Someone asked me why I didn't first take a few classes and then start the project.  Hmmm, that seems like it should have been the logical progression.  It's ok. I don't regret that I dove into this thing head first and in doing so, I've realized just how much I don't know and just how much there is to learn. I also think I may have never started the project had I first had real instruction.  Learning my deficiencies (which are plenty)  in these first few weeks and months will help me know how to ask for proper instruction and training.

Day 64 - Jill the Runner

I had just wrapped up my 7 mile walk and Jill was half-way through her 7 mile out-and-back when I stopped to ask if she would let me take her picture.  She looked so fresh-faced and strong, I thought she was just warming up! Jill happily agreed to let me take her picture and we visited a little about our shared love of that trail and being out in nature.

Jill has a few marathons under her belt, but now she's running just for the love of it.  She will continue to run half-marathons but she's not so sure about full marathons.  She has a quote hanging on her bulletin board that keeps her moving.  She couldn't remember it exactly, but it's something like…"the run isn't the distance, it's the journey."

Day 65 - Two Skaters at Tabor

I approached these two as they were about to start their ascent up the stairs of Mt. Tabor.  They were cool with me taking their picture but it was on the condition that I be quick about it because they were in a hurry to skate!  I was so quick that I blew the shot of them with their boards and failed this picture as well.  Among other troubles,  the guy on the right isn't in focus.  I have to learn to nail it the first time, and nail it quickly!

Throughout this project, I've had an average of about 1 minute to get the picture after quickly explaining the project and asking the subject for permission to take their photo.   I've had one subject in which my spiel and photo took a total of 45 seconds, or less!

In addition to being a complete beginner, rather, a beginning-beginner, I sometimes get nervous with certain subjects. Knowing these guys were in a hurry made me stressed. In reality, I had no less time with them than I do with the majority of my subjects, but I didn't want to inconvenience them and by worrying about the time pressure, I blew it.   They're still cute skater boys and no matter how badly I blew the picture, you can still see that for yourself!

Day 66 Dog Walker at the Park

I debated which picture to share with you.  I ended up with a lovely picture of just the woman alone. I'm more pleased with her "portrait" but decided to share this one instead. I think it more accurately conveys the experience.

I had an ah-ha moment in week 9 and inadvertently realized why I've had so many problems taking pictures of dogs with their humans.   Actually, Roger (from day 61) showed me the error of my ways.  Although I struggled with the conditions, Roger made me realize the key to taking a picture of a human and a dog, is that I need to close the distance between the two. Roger did the work for me. He crouched down close to Hana and they became one compact little unit.

When I spotted these two in the park, they were already a compact unit because the woman is so petite.  I thought, for once, I'd be able to get a decent full-length shot of a person with their dog.  Again, I was mistaken and I blew it.

The dog kept lunging at me…she was lunging for lovins!  I could tell that the owner was working with the dog on this but I was just too irresistible.  Well, most likely it was the fact that she could smell my own dog so she just really wanted to get to know me a little closer.  The owner explained that her dog loves cameras!  She was actually quite the ham and she loved the click of the camera. However, she would get so excited that I didn't get a good shot of just the dog either.   Had we taken more time, I'm sure we would have all settled down and the results would have been different but I had fun with the two of them.

The  owner gave me a suggestion and I can't believe I hadn't thought of it. She said I should carry doggie-treats with me! Don't be surprised if I catch these two again someday. I'd love a do-over.  Hey,  I never made a rule against using the same subjects twice and I  think it might be pretty interesting to do so.

Day 67 - Jonathan

 

Jonathan works at one of the best pizza places in town - Blind Onion Pizza.  Jonathan, (as is everyone who works there) was so friendly and nice.  I figured the odds were in my favor if I were to ask him if he'd let me take his picture for the project.  He agreed and as soon as he did, he got a rush of customers.

I took this picture after things had settled a little.  Poor guy…I snapped 4 pictures so quickly that he rubbed his eyes after I finished because I had just "flashed" him in rapid-fire succession.  I felt kind of bad for temporarily blinding the Blind Onion guy.

Day 68 - Edgar

Edgar is another co-worker.  He has onehellofa hard job.  He's our production manager.  We've worked together for 13 years but in that time, we only ever talk t-shirts.  Edgar's job is stressful. In trying to think of what to tell you about him, I had the realization that Edgar is always in control.  No matter how tense things can be or how much stress we're under, he handles it.  We're in a deadline-driven industry and the pressure can sometimes be overwhelming, but Edgar is always mister cool.  I appreciate that about him…he keeps us level.

We car-pooled on Thursday because his car was being worked on so that gave us a chance to visit.  We sat in traffic for so long, I was able to convince him to be Day 68 because he saw first-hand that there wasn't one other subject available between work and our neighborhood. Lucky for me, he was willing to fill the void!

Day 69 - Ryan

 

I sent out a frantic text to a few of my friends on Friday night, hoping they'd be out and about.  I hadn't found a subject for the day so I knew my only hope at that point was to hit up a bar.  Luckily, my friend Anne agreed to meet me. It was a great excuse for us to catch up!

Anne and I had dinner while we were scoping the place for potential subjects. I searched the entire place but  kept going back to the same person, Ryan.   After looking through my pictures, I've realized my mind sort of favors furry bearded guys as subjects and my preference is for a black and white photo.  Color is great too, but I've determined that a man's beard makes for great texture in a black and white picture.

Ryan was out having a great time with his friends when I approached him to ask if I could take his picture. I think they were just about to dive into their potato skins when I interrupted them. As awkward as it must have been, he agreed to let me take his picture.

With winter and daylight savings time approaching, I suspect I'll have to start searching for subjects at happy hour.  Luckily, my friends have a much more active social life than I!  Anne now knows that it might be a frequent occurrence for me to text her to ask her whereabouts so that we can meet up and I can get my picture for the day. It's a win-win!  I'll get to see more of my friends and I also have some help in finding a subject.

Day 70 - Lorri

I've known Lorri for 27 years.  She is the sister of my dear friend, Debbie.  Because of my friendship with Debbie, Lorri is practically like my own big sister.

Their entire family came to town to celebrate Lorri's 50th Birthday.  We had such a beautiful night!  I laughed and cried and laughed some more.  I knew I wanted Lorri to be day 70 but there was just one problem…we didn't stop laughing the whole first 4 hours of the party!  I didn't even take any pictures because I was having so much fun enjoying everyone.

We took turns telling Lorri stories and I don't think I've laughed so hard since the last time I was around this bunch. This is one special woman and some of my very best memories are of times spent with her and her family.

Lorri's daughter-in-law and future daughter-in-law both gave such loving tributes to Lorri and they summed her up perfectly.  Lorri is the kind of person who welcomes you into her family with open arms and she makes you feel comfortable from the moment you meet her.  She's always been a welcoming, loving and accepting person…she welcomed me into their lives 27 years ago.

Happy Birthday, Lorri. I love you!

Thank you for following along on week 10!  If you were a subject this week, thank you!  The only reason this project is even alive is because of you.  I appreciate your time and thank you for letting me take your picture.

If you'd like to follow me on Instagram, my username is @missellanea. I'd like to follow you back!

Have a great week!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 9

Week 9 of the 365 Day People Picture Project is now complete. This week has been one of the best weeks in my entirefnlife! I finished my fourth Marathon on Sunday - the Portland Marathon.  I'll share a separate post later this week.  It was actually my slowest time yet, but in a strange way, I'm more pleased with my accomplishment this year, than I have been in the last 3 years. I know this doesn't make sense, but I'll try to explain in a separate marathon race report, later.

When I started this challenge, 62 days ago, I knew there would be a few really tough days - days that were going to be so challenging that even something as simple as taking a picture, might prove to be impossible and the challenge would be over.

Marathon day was one of my big concerns.  After I finished my first marathon, I actually had some sort of incident afterward. I don't know what you call it…I guess I fainted. (or, half-fainted since I didn't actually hit the ground, but only because all of my friends caught me before I went splat.)  The next 2 years, I spent all of my mental and physical effort to remain conscious and upright after crossing the finish line. It worked, but as soon as I would get home, I would hit the couch and remain there for hours.  I couldn't imagine finding the strength to do something as simple as pushing the shutter button.  So, I was concerned for very good reason.

It all worked out ok. After crossing the finish line this year, I still managed to have the capacity to get a shot for the project. For weeks, I had to prep myself that I needed be able to take a picture after I finished. I think my subject actually helped me to tap into a little energy reserve because she looked so strong and tough, like she had simply gone for a little stroll in the park.

Day 57 - Corinne

This is Corinne and this was her first marathon!  Her cute lemon-wedge smile matched her spunky personality and I'm pretty sure she could have done at least another 5 miles or so.  Corinne is actually a friend of Becki's (day 43) sister - they were in the Army together.  I guess when you're army-tough, a lil' ol' marathon really is just a Sunday stroll in the park.  Corinne is now totally hooked on marathons.  She said she was going to register for 2014 just as soon as she got home!  Best of luck, Corinne!

One of the reasons why this is one of the very best weeks of my life is that after the marathon, I then went to see my favorite band in the entire universe - Lucero.  Yes, I somehow rallied and pulled myself together and went to the show that night.  When I arrived, I found the lead singer, Ben Nichols, got a big ol' rock star hug, gave him some t-shirts, and then made arrangements to catch him after the show so that I could take his picture. (It had to be after midnight so that he could be day 58.)  Well, shit happened. It just didn't work out that night but if I have to fly to Tennessee before this project is over, I'm going to do it.  I will get Ben Nichols, or I will keep shooting until I do!

Day 58 - Richard

This is another co-worker, Richard.  When we're at work, we really don't have time to visit, so I don't know a lot about Richard. He's just one of those guys who is instantly likable, even without knowing much about him.  He's an excellent printer, so that's even a bonus!

When Richard first started, he had sort of a hippie-metal look happening. He had super long hair and a totally bushy beard. He was Portland. (even though he's not even a native.) Then one day he came in clean-shaven and hairs-cut.  The transformation was so drastic, I didn't even recognize him.    I felt like telling him, "golf course is down the street, buddy!"  I wish I had taken a before-and-after photo!  Now, he's somewhere between the two looks.  I don't care what look he goes with, we just love that he's part of our team.

Day 59 - Ronni

Two days after the marathon, I decided that I needed to get my legs moving again. However, my body wasn't in-line with the ambitions of my mind, so I compromised with a trip to the mall. Hey, it's walking!

Ronni was so sweet and helpful.  The stubborn inventory-control-tags wouldn't come off from the skirts I wanted to purchase, but she persisted and fought the little suckers to their deaths.  As if that wasn't helpful enough, she then let me take her picture for the project.

I really wanted to capture Ronni's beautiful eyes and enviable brows.

Day 60 - Corrie and her little friend

I was driving down the street and spotted two people wearing brightly-colored monster beanies, hanging out on a sunny partio.  I knew I could find a subject amongst that happy hour crowd.

Day 61 - Roger and Hana

Roger was walking this little beauty, Hana, just as it was starting to get dark and rainy.  Roger agreed to be a part of the project and when he did, I was having an internal battle happening because I realized, I don't know how to shoot this!!  My skills are limited, non-existent, actually,  and my camera can only do so much. I have to learn to get better!  I have to learn how to shoot in these conditions so that I'm not terrified to the point where I'm paralyzed.

Roger seemed like a nice guy and I was worried this could take a while so I just came out with it.  I told Roger that I'm new and inexperienced and that I was struggling to shoot in the rain and limited light.  He was patient with me.  I didn't want to take too much of his time so I did the best I could, as quickly as I could.

Roger was a gem.  I think these conditions may be difficult for even an experienced photographer, so I'm going to cut myself a little slack here and I just look forward to joining a photography class.

When I posted this to Instagram, one of my cyclist friends commented that they actually know Roger through racing.  I've wondered how the "6 degrees of separation" may play out in this project, so it was pretty cool that one of my "random" subjects actually turned out to be a friend of a friend. Tis a small world, after all.

Day 62 - Sarah

This is the Badass Mother Runner herself,  Sarah Bowen Shea.  Sarah is co-author of two books and half of the duo behind the Another Mother Runner blog.  I'm honored that she is part of my little project.

Sarah and her collaborator, Dimity, provide inspiration and support to thousands of women.  "Mother Runners" who are followers of the Another Mother Runner blog and Run Like a Mother Facebook Page are more than just fans, they have become a family, a tribe.

Although I'm not a mother, and I'm just a walker - my greatest source of training information, advice, and inspiration comes from Another Mother Runner.  Sarah and Dimity, and their tribe of mother runners, will be your greatest training partners if you decide you'd ever like to do a half or full marathon.  Even if you run or walk, just for fun - I encourage you to check them out! Wait, I'm not just encouraging you, I'm flat out suggesting that you do yourself the best favor possible and "like them" on Facebook and follow their blog.

Sarah is a client of the shop where I work. We print their t-shirt line.  Since day one, Sarah has been one of the nicest customers I've ever worked with.  I know she must have a crazy schedule with running/training, being a mom and wife, writing, traveling, and pod-casting, but she always makes the time to visit with me and my co-workers.  She makes it a point to learn people's names and she connects with each of us. How does she even do it?  She has thousands and thousands of fans and enormous pressures, yet she still makes time for us. She amazes me and inspires me. She inspires me not only to keep active, but to keep writing and to keep connecting with others, even when I feel like I'm too tapped out to do so.

One of the reasons I love working with Sarah is that she has a sharp eye for color and she's a little on the experimental side.  The Another Mother Runner T-shirt line consists primarily of  slogans/text, so Sarah keeps the line creative by experimenting with unexpected color-combinations and it always works!  She's an athlete, writer, and artist - all in one little 6 foot package! The woman does it all!

Not only is Sarah a writer, artist and athlete, she's first and foremost - a mother.  She's the Mom to three very special little ones and they're growing up to be just as awesome as their mother.

I feel like I should go on, but I admire Sarah so much - I can't even find the right words.  You'll see what I mean when you become a part of the Another Mother Runner tribe.

Day 63 - LANGHORNE SLIM!!

This is "Langhorne Slim" of the band, Langhorne Slim and the Law!!!!

I first heard of Langhorne Slim and the Law just a few months ago when they opened for Lucero. (of course.)  They put on the very best show I've ever seen!  The experience of Lucero and Langhorne Slim in one night had to be the best concert I've ever been to.  Any more energy, and I would have exploded with excitement!

This week has been an extended version of that show a few months ago. I caught Lucero on Sunday, after the marathon, and then Langhorne was last night.  This 42 year old body has danced more in one week, than I did throughout the entire 90's.

You should stop reading this right now, get out your phone, download the "Bands in Town" ap, (if you don't already have it) and follow "Langhorne Slim and the Law." Stalk them until they play a show near you, then prepare yourself for one of the best shows you'll ever see! You may think that you're not into that style of music (roots/folk/alt-country) but you will leave that show having had one of the best nights of your life, and you'll leave there a fan forever.

After the show last night, I headed to the merch table to buy another CD to replace the one which was stolen from my car a few months ago.  I was able to get the CD autographed and Langhorne let me take his picture for the project. Although, I was so excited, I'm pretty sure I was only able to mumble something like…"ummm, can I take your picture, for my, umm, picture project, ummm, please?"  Ok, I wasn't quite that annoying but pretty close.  I did actually tell him that "I feel like I should give you back your heart and soul, because I'm pretty sure you just gave it to us." He laughed, and said, "it's ok, I'll get it back."  I got my picture and a handshake and the end to a perfect week.  (Marathon, Lucero, and Langhorne Slim - perfection!)

You're probably familiar with Langhorne Slim but you might not realize it.  Check this out:

http://vimeo.com/42584484

If you were a subject this week, or if you're just reading this, thank you for sharing in such a special week for me.

I'm working on improving myself and my pictures for you.  Well, you know what I mean - I'm doing it for me, but sharing with you helps me push myself to improve and grow.  With the marathon in my rear-view, I'll now have a little more time to take some photography classes and be better disciplined about my posting schedule.

Thank you again, and I'm wishing you a perfect week of your own!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 8

It is the eve of the Portland Marathon and if I weren't buttoning up week 8 of the 365 Day People Picture Project for you, I would be a nervous wreck.  Instead, I'm having fun reviewing the photos from the past 7 days.   Looking at the smiles on the faces of the subjects from this week, actually brings a smile to my face! Day 50 - Sarah

I attended a blogging workshop on Sunday and I spotted a girl who either seemed familiar to me, or she seemed like someone I just really wanted to know!  I approached her and explained that she was familiar to me but I hadn't yet figured out from where we knew each other.  I asked if she had ever ordered t-shirts before and then we both realized, we worked together several years ago!   It was so great to see Sarah and I love her blog, New Wave Domesticity.

Day 51 - Tabor Man and his Sidekick Nic

These guys actually introduced themselves to me as "Timm with two m's" and "Nic with no k."  They were like a comedy duo with Nic picking up right where Timm left off.  Timm also declared himself to be "Tabor Man," thus the super hero stance.

I've seen Timm and Nic several times before, but until that day, I've always just been in my own little world and too bashful to say hello.  This project is truly forcing me out of my shell and into interactions with others.  I noticed the logo on Timm's work truck and we were able to determine that the company where he works is a client of the company where I work.  I also learned that Nic's company, Essential Wholesale, is a girl's dream come true!  That is, if you've ever dreamed of developing your own line of cosmetics or skin care products.

Day 52 - Mischief and his Human

This was such a difficult shot, I felt like I was being punked.   Poor Mischief…he was just trying to do his business in the park but I was following him, and his human, like a paparazzi.   I did have a nice picture of just his human but I decided to share this instead, even though I didn't get a good shot.  If you can take a good shot of a human and an animal together, then you are skilled and you should be quite proud of yourself!  I'm 0 for 3.  I have learned a few things though, and we'll see if I can get a better shot on the next opportunity.

Day 53 - Alyssa

Alyssa looked so pretty, she seemed like she was glowing!  Now that the Salted Carmel Mochas are back at Starbucks, I'm going to see a lot more of this face!

Day 54 - Steve

Steve was a huge help this day!  I had 3 other failed subjects and had to head out in the middle of the night (ok, it was almost 9pm) to find another subject.  Steve said that he doesn't like having his picture taken but I think he understood my predicament and was interested enough in the project to let me take his picture.  For a guy who doesn't like having his picture taken, I'd say he's quite photogenic!  I love his smile!

Day 55 - Molly and Shannon

Molly and Shannon are two very special ladies and also dear friends. We've known each other  since Jr. High.  I  haven't seen Molly in over 14 years, since our 10 year class reunion.  Shannon lives in Portland so we've been able to meet up a few times since reconnecting several years ago, but the three of us reuniting last night was a very much anticipated and celebrated mini-reunion!   We met at the Portland Marathon expo to pick up our race packets and then catch up over dinner.

Molly has been a runner nearly all of her life.  I remember talking with her at our 10 year class reunion and she had just completed her first marathon.  I  loved hearing about her accomplishment and hearing her talk about the marathon planted the seed for me to get serious about my goal of finishing a marathon someday.  This will mark Molly's 10th marathon! Wow! Talk about impressive!

Shannon has now also added "Triathlete" to her sporty spice resume! Shannon has become quite the fierce competitor since school.  Shannon's spunk  and enthusiasm is so contagious, I think it's impossible to be in her presence and not find yourself fired up and ready to GO DO SOMETHING!!!

Shannon recently did the most thoughtful thing for one of her friends and training buddies. One of her friends was competing in Ironman Canada and Shannon had custom team shirts made for the family and friends of the girl who was competing in Ironman.  Her friend must have been blown away by the kind gesture!

I had such a lovely evening with these two ladies!  I left the restaurant with a full belly and a full heart.  I'm so impressed and inspired by Shannon and Molly's accomplishments in running, but I'm even more touched by who they've become. They're both excellent moms and I loved hearing stories about their children.  When you're a marathon mom, it's not unheard of to run as early as 4am in order not to disrupt the family schedule.  Molly and Shannon are among those amazing marathon moms who manage to work, train, care for their families, and they still have enough time left over to be awesome!

I know all of their hard work is going to pay off tomorrow. I have a sense they're both going to have an excellent marathon and set new Personal Records!

Day 56 - Jordyn

Even though I had just gone to the Portland Marathon Expo, which has everything a runner or walker could possibly ever need or want,  I still had to make a quick trip to my favorite Running and Walking Store  - Fit Right Northwest.

Jordyn set me up with my last minute needs and paused to let me take her picture!  They always have the greatest customer service!

If you were one of my subjects, thank you for taking the time to let me take your picture.  I can't thank you enough, and I appreciate your willingness to share yourself with us!

If you're reading this, thank you for taking the time out of your day to check in on my little project!

I'm going to keep it short this week so that I can finish preparing for the Marathon tomorrow.

Thank you again for following along!

365 Day Picture Project - Week 7

Week 7 of the 365 Day Picture Project is finished and it was a sampling of the challenges that are to come this winter.  The important thing is - the project survived the week! I thought I would have a few more weeks to consult with a real photographer and learn how to shoot in the rain.  I was mistaken! The rain is coming down so fiercely, even native Portlanders are using umbrellas!  Normally, diehard Portlanders will not use an umbrella. If you use an umbrella, you're considered a dainty flower, or, you're not from around here.

I'm just going to have to get resourceful a little earlier than I had expected and search for more indoor subjects.

If you're new to the project - these photos are taken "fresh daily."  I'm not stockpiling photos for use at a later time.  I've been taking a picture of a person each day and will continue to do so for an entire year.  I post the pictures each day to Instagram, and post a re-cap of the week's photos, here on the blog.

 Day 43 - Rebecca

Becki is one of my dearest friends and she is one of the kindest human beings on this planet.  We've known each other since Junior High School. I've never met a more thoughtful or giving person.  I'm so lucky to have her as a friend!

We got together Sunday to celebrate her birthday a few days early.  We didn't plan it this way, but Becki, our other friend Debbie, and I, all ended up settling in the same town.  Being so close to such good friends is a blessing.   It's sometimes quite difficult being away from my family but Becki and Debbie are my second family.

I'm amazed by everything Becki manages to accomplish. She's raising two busy and successful kids, she's an excellent wife and mother, she works, and she still has the time to support all of us in our endeavors.  She is Supermom, Superwife, and Superfriend!  I love her!

Day 44 - Matt

I work with some really cool people and Matt is one of them.  Matt has always been a bit of a dichotomy.  He's got a street style vibe, but with a sprinkling of preppy.  At first glance, one could possibly think he's a badass, but he's an absolute teddybear who works in the embroidery department and loves to sew and cook. He's also our acting on-site mechanic and whenever a co-worker has car troubles at work, Matt manages to get them going again. (at least until they can get to a shop.)  There really isn't anything he can't do!

Day 45 - Jason

When I went into the store that day, it was unusually quite and I was the only customer there at the time.  I explained the project and just as Jason agreed to let me take his picture, he got slammed! I didn't want to hold up the line or delay any customers so I was only able to get a couple super quick snaps and they were not well composed.

I was a little upset with myself afterward.  I want each picture to be better than the one the day before.  I can be hard on myself for making mistakes. But, I've finally learned that  if you spend too much time beating yourself up over mistakes you've made, you're inviting more mistakes to happen because you're so busy focusing on what's behind you that you can't concentrate on what is right before you!

I would have loved to get an unobstructed shot of Jason, but I didn't and that's ok.  He was working hard and serving customers and he didn't miss a beat while I snapped this picture.  That's part of what makes him awesome!  He can have a store full of customers and he's always friendly, efficient, and he never misses a beat!

Day 46 - Jamila and Princess

These two cuties were spending "quality cousin time" together with a walk in the park. Actually, it was more like a walk all over Portland!  These two girls put in some serious miles before they even arrived at the park!

Day 47 - Two Guys Running Stairs 

David from day 35, who is obviously a huge Ducks fan, thinks this should be titled "Two Guys Hanging Out and One of them has on a Killer Shirt!"

This was a super quick shot as they were about to begin their workout.

Day 48 - John 

John is another one of my awesome co-workers.  There have been numerous times that I've gone home at night thinking how glad I was that John works with us!  When we need shipping miracles, he makes them happen!

John is actually an imported Hoosier, but with the love he has for Portland, you'd think he was born and raised here!

Day 49 - Michael from Curly's Lock and Key

This is the rescuer who AAA sent to save me from my myself!  I locked my keys and purse in my trunk.  At least I had my phone on me, so I was able to phone AAA.

My car was parked outside of a residential facility which I believe was a program for people with mental or physical disabilities.   It was pouring down rain but a few of the residents came out to keep me company during the wait. I appreciated their kindness and visiting with them made the wait seem like just a matter of minutes.

It should have been a fairly easy "pop-a-lock".  The plan was to unlock the cabin so I could then release the trunk latch and get my purse and keys out of the trunk. Easy, right?  It only took Michael a few minutes to unlock the door to the cabin part of the car but once inside,  we discovered the car thought it was being violated so it went into lock-down mode.  Nothing worked! The trunk-release latch didn't release the locked trunk and the power locks wouldn't unlock the doors or the trunk.   No problem - I'll just flip the back seats down and crawl through to the trunk.  Well, it was my old car that had flip-down seats which enabled trunk access.  This car is a fortress! Nothing was going to get us through to that trunk!

It turned out, I had two rescuers yesterday!   Michael and I were feeling defeated when I decided to call Jim Fisher Volvo to see if they could help us.  I didn't purchase my car there and I figured they wouldn't have time to mess around with some woman who locked her keys in her trunk, but they turned out to be the absolute epitome of customer service!  (and I'm technically not even a customer.) I talked with Cory in their service department and he was able to walk us through the trick which enabled us to penetrate the trunk.   He was patient and helpful on the phone, even though it must have been a stressful call with all of the background traffic noise and the noise from my blaring car alarm!

After all of Michael's help with my car situation, he was then sweet enough to let me take his picture.  What a nice guy!

Up until now, this project has been more rewarding than challenging.  There have been a few tough days but overall, this has been a blast!  Lately, I've been having nightmares that I wake up in the middle of the night to realize that I had forgotten to take a picture that day and the project is ruined.  Or, that I've been unable to take a picture and the project is ruined.

The project has now reached the "challenge" stage due to the rain and shorter daylight hours.  I've been telling myself that it's just like the Marathon!  If it were easy, it wouldn't be an accomplishment!

SELF-CRITIQUE:

I was just about to publish this post when I did a preview and noticed that instead of making progress, I'm making some mistakes even more pronounced.  I'm going to add this little self-critique section to share with you some of my process in learning how to take a better pictures. If a real photographer were critiquing me, this list list would be 10 paragraphs long.  If I tore myself apart that critically, I'd abandon the whole damn project! So instead, I'm just going to concentrate on one or two areas which need improvement and I'll share with you as I work through these issues.  I think the process of "writing" these faults out and sharing with you, will also help me to concentrate on these areas and conciously strive toward making improvements.

Starting with the very first picture I snapped when I first got my camera, I noticed that I had a tendency to accidentally chop off the tops of people's heads.  This is a horrible habit and quite the beginner mistake.  Instead of improving on this tendency, the project has caused me to get worse!  It's just like my dad and my shot put coach used to tell me when I would practice throwing the shot put...we practice to improve good form, not to reinforce our mistakes.  If we half-ass our way through practice, we won't improve but instead, we strengthen our bad habits.

I've been reinforcing my bad habits!  Shooting under awkward circumstances and under extremely pressured time constraints (and the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing)  has exposed all of my flaws and mistakes. Moving forward, I'm going to make the conscious effort to improve in the area of not cropping off people's heads!  Let's see if I can make that improvement in week 8!

Thank you so much for being a part of this project and following along!  I'm exited as I enter this next stage.  I'll soon join a photography class or take private lessons and I hope to be able to show you everything I learn as I being to gain actual skills and improve the quality of my pictures.

Thank you!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 6

Week 6 of the 365 Day People Picture Project was filled with 9 beautiful people!  Day 36 - Chip and Marcello

Chip and Marcello are Hammerwise Construction and they were working, on a Sunday evening, on the new Doppelgänger Boutique which is scheduled to open in Downtown Vancouver on September 30th.

I spotted them out of the corner of my eye as I was about to drive away. They were standing just as they are in this photo, already "posed"!  I threw my car in reverse, hopped out of my car and quickly blurted out the nature of this project and asked if they would be day 36.  They asked what they would have to do and I told them they just needed to do exactly what they were doing…"just look cute!"  I don't think  construction workers really want to be instructed to "just look cute," but they did a great job at it!

 Day 37 - Cezanne

Wow!

Cezanne works at a convenience store where I sometimes stop on my way home from work.  She's as friendly as she is beautiful. Between Cezanne and Kristen from Day 38, I think we could call Tyra and tell her we've got two potential candidates for America's Next Top Model!

Day 38 - Kristen

I spotted Kristen snuggled up in a scarf and beanie and reading a book in the park.  I almost didn't approach her because she looked so perfectly content and peaceful!  I sat down at the picnic table with her and we visited for a few moments after I snapped this picture.  Again, I had stumbled upon another girl who is  just as sweet and lovely as she is beautiful.

 Day 39 - Gordon

Gordon was starting the trek up the stairs at Mt. Tabor Park when I stopped to ask him if he would be day 39.  On Wednesdays, Mt. Tabor closes the park to cars so the park fills with downhill longboard skaters.  I'm blown away by their fearlessness.  The hills are steep and not only do they FLY down the hills, but they also have to navigate a few turns as well.  It takes a special kind of nerve to be brave enough to do what they do!  It might be too late in the season now, but I'd love to catch Gordon again sometime when he's actually skating down the hill. I'll be sure to share it when I do.

 Day 40 - Casper & Rose

Rose and Casper were in one of my favorite spots in the entire city of Portland…sitting on a park bench at the top of  (you guessed it) Mt. Tabor Park and waiting for the sun to set.  Rose was visiting from out of town. Casper is a musician and you can check him out on SoundCloud.

I actually have a sightly "better" picture, but even though the quality is better, I decided to show you this picture because I just love Rose's expression as she's looking at Casper.  They both have a fun energy and I think this picture conveys it.

Day 41 - Joseph

If you've ever been to the Costco near the Portland Airport, you'll recognize Joseph!  He's pretty unforgettable! Joseph doesn't just whistle while he works, he full on sings!  When he's working the greeter/card check-in position, he welcomes you with a song and a smile.  I just love it when he's working!

Joseph belts out songs with the confidence of a Grammy-winning artist, but I'm pretty certain he actually started to get a little bashful as I was taking pictures. The other pictures I took just didn't capture his true nature. This was the very first snap, before he had the opportunity to get camera-shy, and it was taken mid-song. I caught him doing what he loves…singing!

Day 42 - Aaron

Aaron was another project-saver!   Just as I was heading out to shoot this afternoon, the rain started to pour.  Not having much daylight left, I just took off driving toward the bluest skies.  I had one last errand to run and I could tell that the blue skies were near the shopping center I needed to go to.   As I was heading into one of the shops, I spotted a cute young man sitting on the sidewalk, obviously on his break from work, and beside him was a giant barrel-sized container of orange cheese puffs.  It was a pretty funny and  unexpected "prop." He agreed to let me take his picture. I quickly composed my shot and then realized…no memory card!  AAGGG!!! I'm such an amateur!  I didn't even have a spare!

The sky was looking like it would start leaking again at any moment, so after saying goodbye to the cheese-puff guy, I proceeded to go purchase another memory card.

When I returned to my car, I saw Aaron parked right next to me and he was assembling a brand new baby-seat.  It was actually looking like an intense project and I was reluctant to interrupt, thinking that Mom and baby would be out any minute and baby needed someplace to sit!

When Aaron agreed to let me take his picture, he had no idea just how much pressure he had lifted from me.  I was really concerned I wasn't going to find a subject before it started to rain again.

Mom and baby (who was actually a toddler) came out just as I was taking Aaron's picture. We visited for just a few minutes and was able to learn that he has just started his own business, Apprize Demolition.

This has been another fun week and I've actually started to follow a few of my subjects on Instagram. It's odd, but so rewarding, to close a week with a few more friendly acquaintances than what I started with.  I'm seeing glimpses of them and their lives via what they share on Instagram and now my heart is a little more full.

I'm nervous heading into fall, not only because of the rain but because of the limited daylight hours. People just don't hang out in the rain! If you have any ideas on how to keep up with the project, I would love to hear from you!  Right now, my thought is to dedicate a week to a certain business. I might go hang out at a particular coffee shop or other business, and for an entire week, all pictures will be of people who were in that particular establishment.   I'm determined to meet this challenge!

If you were a subject this week, or any week, I'd like to give you my sincere thanks.  I can't thank you enough for helping me to make this happen.

If you'd like to see these pictures daily, you can follow me on Instagram. My username on both Twitter and Instagram is: missellanea.  I'd love to follow you, too!

Thank you for checking in on week 6!

Word Wednesday - Seminal Moment

Ok, get your mind out of the gutter…this isn't naughty!

Everyone knows the definition of "moment" so there's no need to define that part of today's Word Wednesday phrase.  Here is the actual definition of "seminal."

sem·i·nal

adjective

1. pertaining to, containing, or consisting of semen.

2. Botany. of or pertaining to seed.

3. having possibilities of future development.

4. highly original and influencing the development of future events: a seminal artist; seminal ideas.

A seminal moment is that brief lapse of time in which something happens that is potentially life changing, or changes the course of things. It is that instant when the seed is planted to develop into something bigger! We experience seminal moments every day but often, we're simply not aware that the seemingly insignificant experience is about to change the course of our entire lives.

My co-worker and I were just discussing one such event.  Several years ago, well over a decade, a customer called me to ask if we could help them with a rush order.  It was a super hot rush and if we were going to make it happen, we had to act quickly.  I called our supplier in California to see if they would be able to turn the job that quickly but our sales rep wasn't yet in the office. Given that it was such a hot rush, I was pretty persistent and asked if there was anyone else who could help me. I was transferred to Trudy,  a sales rep for a different territory.

Trudy (pictured above) wasn't even our sales rep for Oregon but she was a huge help and we worked it out that her company would be able to help us with our rush order.  At the time, this just seemed like another typical situation which we both experienced on a daily basis.  It didn't seem too significant at the time, but that phone call, that seminal moment, changed the course of our lives forever.

After I had placed our order and we buttoned up all of the details, we were able to spend a moment on the phone just visiting.  Trudy casually mentioned how much she loved Portland and somewhat-jokingly asked if we were hiring. That phone call, those few brief words, were the beginning to a pretty awesome change for us both.

Trudy flew into Portland to interview with our company. Given her quick and friendly response to our urgent needs, we already knew she was going to be fabulous.  Within just a few weeks, she moved to Portland and joined our team and has made a huge difference to the company where we work.  Since moving to Portland, she's married her husband and had many other awesome life changes.

Neither of us knew at that moment, the significance of that one single phone call. We both laughed today wondering what would have happened if I had been a little more patient and waited for our Oregon Sales Rep to call me back?  Because of that rush order and my need for a prompt answer,  Trudy's life and all of our lives,  have been forever changed.

It isn't always this easy to identify that single life-changing, seminal moment.  Seemingly insignificant events or interactions with others can actually have a huge impact on our lives. The smallest actions or decisions could actually set our lives on a completely different course.  This…this is what makes me happy and excited to be alive.  In nearly everything we do, we're planting seeds for the future and I'm just so excited to see what grows!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 5

Week 5  of the 365 Day People Picture Project - finished! One benefit of this project is that it is forcing me to break out of my rigid routine and play tourist, even if it's for only a few moments at a time.  Venturing outside of my comfortable little bubble has left me feeling re-charged and like I've had a little mini-vacation.

 Day 29 - Juno and her Human

I ran into Juno and her human on one such mini-vacation.   They were strolling along the walkway on the Columbia River.  Juno had just gone for a swim when she and her human stopped to be day 29.  Check out how intently Juno is staring at her human mama!

It was such a beautiful afternoon/evening, so I decided to stay a little longer and take a walk on the beach.  This picture is looking at the I5 Bridge which crosses from Vancouver, WA, and into Portland, OR.

Day 30 - "Guy on Bench"

This guy has the bluest eyes I've ever seen!  He was hanging out in the park, waiting to meet someone for dinner.

 Day 31 - "Guy Walking by my Work"

Our interaction was short and sweet!  He also had a friend with him but she was a little camera shy.

 Day 32 - Garza

Garza and I were both picking up our cars from the mechanic at the same time.   The shop had parked our cars next to each other.  I was ready to leave, but my car was blocked so I had the perfect opportunity to ask Garza if he'd be day 32.  He agreed, but I had to "work" for it.

Garza heads the NEU Soccer Club so he had a car full of soccer balls, gear, and empty boxes that once contained soccer gear.  He had to transfer the gear from one car to another and in return for him being the subject for day 32, he asked if I could help him move a big box.  I would happily help all of my subjects move boxes!  I feel so indebted to each of them for allowing me to take their picture and share it with you!

Day 33 - Steve the Swan and Mike

I first saw Steve the Swan about a month ago as I was driving down a fairly busy street in Portland.  I thought he was in distress and in need of rescuing!  After slamming on my brakes and inching past, I realized he was "stuffed".  I was so relieved after I realized that he was taxidermy.  I'm getting quite proficient at rescuing lost dogs and I can now fashion a leash out of pretty much anything, but I didn't know how in the world I was going to rescue a swan!

Since that day, I've learned that Steve is quite the party animal.  I drive by his house nearly every day.  Steve, Mike and the other roommates are often hanging outside in the sun. Steve the Swan is an attention-grabber and people often stop by to visit with the bunch.  Mike and his roommates have met a lot of new friends because of Steve the Swan. Talk about a wingman!

Mike told me the story of Steve.  Steve, when he was alive, was actually the pet of their neighbor-lady across the street.  Poor Steve was killed in a car accident and his owner had him taxidermied.  She gave the taxidermied Steve to Mike and the other roommates and Steve now looks over the neighborhood and across the street to his previous human mama.

Steve the Swan is so popular, don't be surprised if someday he has his very own beer named after him!

In the short time that I was hanging out with Mike and Steve, another woman stopped by and asked to take her picture with Steve.  The guys living at the house welcome all of the visitors and new friends!  I guess you can't set out a nearly 4 foot tall taxidermy swan in your front yard and not expect to meet new friends.

Mike was such a nice guy and encouraging of my project.  Mike wants to be a photographer. I explained that I'm not a photographer, but he was pretty insistent that if someone takes a picture every day for a year, then they are a photographer.  Maybe not a skilled photographer, but they are indeed a photographer.  We both laughed, as that's the category I fall into!  With Steve the Swan as his buddy, Mike would have no problem finding subjects.

Day 34 - RV

I ventured to a little park near my house and was surprised to see there were three volleyball games happening!  I LOVE VOLLEYBALL!  What I was most surprised to see, was that all of the players were men! I stopped at one of the courts, where RV was the referee, and asked if women could play. He assured me that women were welcome.  He actually invited me to play right then and there, but I was wearing a dress and heels. Although I wasn't able to play that day, RV was nice enough to be day 34.   I'm not sure if I'll make it back this season, but I'm definitely going back next summer!

Day 35 - David and Meghaan

I was having a bit of an off day today and unable to find any subjects.  My day was so off, I didn't even find a subject at Portland Saturday Market.  If you've ever been to the Saturday Market, you understand just how unbelievable that is! One would think it impossible to go to Saturday Market and not be able to find at least a couple dozen interesting and/or beautiful subjects.

I decided to head across the river and over to Downtown Vancouver.  I spotted David and Meghaan as soon as I entered the park because of their cute matching Ducks t-shirts.  I wandered the park for a while but got the feeling that my best hope for the day was going to be the cute couple in the Ducks T's.

I approached them to ask if they'd be willing to be day 35 and they agreed.   As I was asking their names and if there's anything I could promote, we discovered that we have a lot in common!

David is a screen printer and owns his own company, Moreland Print.  (I also work for a company that does screen print and embroidery.)  Meghaan works for one of our vendors who sells screen printing supplies, and one of my former co-workers now works with Meghaan!   I enjoyed visiting with them both and now I'm glad I didn't find a subject at Saturday Market because I wouldn't have been able to meet David and Meghaan, who are both just as nice as could be.

I could have easily stayed and talked screen printing with them for hours!  That is the beauty of screen printing…we're all pretty friendly competitors and our shared love of screen printing is an instant connection.

Meghaan and David were such a sweet couple and I wish them lots of luck and success!

Week 5 felt less like a photography project and more like a go-out-and-meet-potential-new-friends-project!

I do have a happy thing to report to you! One of my friends, who is actually a real photographer, has been inspired by my little project and wants to start one of her own!  She's not sure about the specifics yet, but just hearing that I've contributed inspiration to her in some small way, has been a huge compliment and is one of my main objectives with this entire project.

If there's something you want to do - don't wait any longer!  Whether it be a photography project, completing a marathon, or some sort of life change - just take that first step and prepare for great things to happen!  It doesn't matter if conditions aren't perfect when you start, and you may have a long journey ahead, but that's ok!  Take that first step and you'll build momentum as you go along.

Thank you for checking in on week 5.  If you'd like to follow along during the week, I post the pictures daily to my Instagram.  My username is: missellanea and I'd love to follow you too!

Thank you!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 4

Week 4 of the 365 Day People Picture Project is complete! Day 22 - Robert

Robert is my neighbor and he was a lifesaver when he let me take his picture. Ok, "lifesaver" may be a bit dramatic, but he was definitely a project-saver!  I did 24 miles that day.  After finishing, it was my intention to go home, clean-up,  and then go downtown to shoot.  Well, you remember how badly I was hurting after just 21 miles…add 3 more miles of pain on top of that and the result was that I was in no condition to go back out to find a subject.  As luck would have it, my neighbor was outside in his garage when I pulled into my driveway.  I had the strength to hobble across the street, explain the project and my need for a subject, and Robert obliged.

We've lived across the street from Robert for 15 years and sadly, we're still basically strangers.  I do know enough about him to know that he's a pretty awesome guy and we're very lucky to have him as our neighbor.  My husband was seriously injured in a work accident several years ago. He had to miss work for several weeks and he really couldn't do hardly anything in order to recover.   Right before his injury, our lawn-mower died and purchasing a new one just wasn't on the top of the priority list. (But our lawn had gone to hell and it was getting embarrassing!)   We came home one day and Robert had mowed our lawn for us!   That was just about the nicest thing that anyone could have done for us during that tough time.  I feel a little safer knowing Robert is just right across the street.

Day 23 -  My Step-Brother-In-Law

My in-laws hosted a lovely barbecue on Labor Day and although there were over 20 people there,  I didn't have any "volunteers" to be the subject for day 23.  My poor Step-Brother-In-Law let me take his picture for the project, simply because he is just too nice of a guy to say no.

 Day 24 - Richard & Margie

Richard and Margie are from New Jersey and were visiting Mt. Tabor Park.  They asked me how to get to the top and I explained the most direct route was up the 265 stairs, which is a bit of a killer, but the view of Portland from the top of Mt. Tabor Park is worth each step. Watching the sunset from the top of Mt. Tabor is one of my greatest simple pleasures and I hope these two were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

 Day 25 - Ian

Ian was playing tennis with his little daughter.  Ian was injured several years ago and because of his injury, sometimes his back will go out and knock him out of commission for a few days or even weeks.  That day was the first day he had really been active since the 4th of July.  After several trips to a chiropractor, he finally felt well enough to play a little tennis with his daughter.  He explained that it's the good days, like the one he and his daughter were having that day, which help him to get through the not-so-good days.  He does his best to pull himself together so that he and his daughter can enjoy life and have fun together.

 Day 26 - Randy

Randy is a co-worker and friend.  He's also pretty inspiring to me.  In addition to working full time and being a husband and father, he also maintains Skate and Annoy, a skateboard blog, and owns a skateboard company.  I really don't know how he does it all!  Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or like I can't do this, I think about Randy and realize just how much he's juggling and he still maintains his blog and posts almost daily.

Day 27 - Jan 

I met Jan in the parking lot of Costo on Friday evening.  She was pushing her cart to the return area when she offered it to me.  I took it, and took the opportunity to ask her if she'd like to be day #27.  Her personality was just about as bright as the colors in her jacket.  I was so impressed with Jan.  She looked like she may have been in a little pain and maybe had a little trouble walking but she had just conquered shopping at Costco on a Friday night and still managed to be the friendliest person there.

My brief interaction with Jan washed away the worries of my week and set the tone for me to have a very happy weekend.  Imagine if all of our interactions with strangers could be so positive.  We really do have the power to shape our experiences if we just put in a little effort to be a little more kind with one another.  Even if we're not in the best of mood, if we can manage to at least share a smile and a friendly word with a stranger, both people leave the interaction feeling happier.

Day 28 - Arron

I decided to head down to the Vancouver Farmers Market in order to find a fun subject to close week 4.  I had been wandering around the market for a while when I turned around and found Arron's, Absolutely Juicy booth.  We printed t-shirts for Absolutely Juicy, so it was fun to run into a customer there!

Arron is another inspiration in that he turned his passion for eating and living healthy, into a full-time business.  When you're able to work doing that which you love, that is success!  Next time you're at the Vancouver Farmers Market, keep an eye out for Absolutely Juicy and give them a try!

Thank you so much for following along.  I feel I have a lot of work to do, but it would be my hope that somehow, these pictures will touch you in some way. Even better, perhaps these pictures and my experiences will inspire you to open up, a little more than usual, to the people you encounter in a day. Most of these interactions have been quite brief but the impact I've felt will last a lifetime.

I Instagram these pictures daily and if you'd like to follow along, my Instagram and Twitter username is missellanea.

Thank you!

Word Wednesday - Trachle

tra·chle

noun, verb, tra·chled, tra·chling. Scot.

noun

1.  an exhausting effort, especially walking or working.

2.  an exhausted or bedraggled person.

verb (used with object)

1.  to fatigue; tire; wear out.

2.  to bedraggle.

The Portland Marathon is in one month and having just completed a 24 mile walk this past Sunday,  the hardest part of training is behind me and it's now downhill until the trachle of race day.

This will be my 4th marathon, and oddly, training for this marathon has been the most challenging of all.  My time was so slow this past Sunday, if I were to do that same pace come Marathon day, I would be among the very last finishers.  There came a point on Sunday when I thought to myself that I should just back out.  I shouldn't do the Portland Marathon this year. In fact, there were several points along those 24 miles when I thought to myself that there is no possible way I could do the marathon this year and I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to opt out.

That sort of psych-out and mental battle is all part of training for a marathon.  You have to go to war against yourself in training sessions so that come race day, you know you will cross that finish line no matter how loudly your brain tries to convince you otherwise.  Part of the mental war of training is so that you can go into the marathon having been beaten down a few times during training and knowing that you didn't give up!  The battles you fight during training will give you confidence knowing that you can pick yourself back up and drag your own self across that finish line!

Eventually, I made peace with myself.  I'm still going to do the Portland Marathon. I will cross that start line and I will cross that finish line!  I will feel no shame or regret if my time is significantly slower this year as long as I can look back on the race and feel that I had given it my all (mentally, physically, or both) at every mile of the race. It is going to be quite the trachle to cross that finish line - but I'm determined to make it happen!

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 3

Week 3 is a wrap! In case you're checking out the 365 Day People Picture Project for the first time, I've been taking a photograph of a person (or people) every day for the past three weeks.   A few of the pictures are of people I know, but the majority of my subjects have been strangers.  I post the pictures daily on Instagram and will post the weekly recap here on Sundays.  My goal is to take a picture, daily, for an entire year!

Day 15 - Mario

I met Mario on my favorite trail.  He had just run 4 miles and was stretching, and I had just aborted my 14 mile walk - only 3.5 miles into it. I  had been stung by a wasp, and as you can probably guess from this picture, we were caught in a total downpour!

Mario told me that he runs a race nearly every weekend.  It's no wonder he was such a trooper and let me take his picture in the pouring rain.  A few raindrops mean nothing to a person who races nearly every week!

Day 16 - "Creighton"

I didn't realize it until later, but Mario and "Creighton" look like they could be related!  "Creighton" was at the stairs of one of Portland's best "outdoor gyms."  It's not really a gym, it's a park.  The park is so popular with runners, walkers, cyclists and skateboarders, I think we could actually call it a fitness park.  "Creighton" was waiting for the rest of his group to arrive when I approached him to be day #16. I could tell he was a little unsure of me at first, but once he decided to let me take his picture, he went above and beyond the duties of being a subject!  He actually did a stair climb down the stairs.  This takes so much strength that I would be too embarrassed to even try it.  He did it with less effort than it takes me to walk up the stairs on my own two feet.  After taking his picture, my friend and I continued with our workout and ran into him and his group a few more times as they were alternating between running the stairs and doing these brutal climbs.

Day 17 - Christina

Christina is a manager/cashier at the grocery store near my work.  Don't worry, we weren't holding up the express line!  Christina's friendliness is just what I needed, at just the right time.

Although Mario and "Creighton" were both excellent subjects, I had been stressed on both of those days and quite worried about finding subjects.  When it started to pour on Sunday, I was struck with the reality that winter would soon be here and I am such a newbie, I don't even know how to take pictures in the rain. I mean, I'm sure that rain can't be good for a camera.  As I was contemplating the need for a waterproof housing, I then realized that it is going to be extremely challenging to find subjects once we change from daylight savings time.  When I stopped at the grocery store that morning and was met with Christina's cheerful smile, I just knew that everything will work out as long as I don't get too worked up about it.  There are friendly and willing people all over and when it gets dark and rainy, I'll just have to look for them a little harder and indoors.  It's going to be ok.

 Day 18 - Jacob

My co-worker and I were on our way back to the office when we spotted Jacob and his roofing crew, who were just wrapping up their lunch break.  I had to move quickly because the guys were just about to hop in their truck to drive away.  Had Jacob been alone when we approached him, I'm pretty sure he would have declined. Luckily, his co-workers basically ribbed him into being day 18.

Day 19 - Melissa

 

I had just parked my car and was contemplating on whether I should do my workout and then search for a subject, or vice versa, when somebody parked right in front of me.  I waited to see who would get out of the van, thinking maybe this person could be my day 19.  As soon as I saw the person exit the van, I just knew she would be it!  When she exited her van all I could see was this natural beauty carrying a giant bouquet of flowers.  I didn't know if she was making a floral delivery, or perhaps meeting someone for a picnic in the park.

I explained the project and she happily agreed to let me take her picture.  She was so sweet and she thought it was so cool that she was going to "be a part of an art project."  Wow, I hadn't ever thought of it like that!  As we were talking, I asked where she was headed with the flowers and she explained she was on her way to a memorial service in the park. Of course, I was completely shocked to hear she was there for such a sad occasion. I was little choked up as I gave her my condolences, but she assured me it was going to be a big celebration of life.  All the while, she had the most caring and genuine smile on her face.  If the person whose service she was attending had other friends as lovely as Melissa, then I'm certain that person had a wonderful life and was very much loved. And indeed, it was to be a celebration.

Later that evening, I was looking at the Instagram picture I had posted of Melissa and I had tears running down my cheeks. My husband asked if I was ok and what was the matter.  I explained I was fine but that I had been really affected by my subject that day.  I explained how Melissa was so nice and seemed so happy, she flashed the biggest smile, but she was dealing with some really sad stuff and people would never know. It just made me sad to know that every day, people are dealing with sad things and they give us a smile, and we just never know…

 Day 20 - Becky, Gina and Rindy

For the past two years, I've accidentally stumbled upon the Kumoricon Anime Convention in Downtown Vancouver.  Friday was such a beautiful day and I had already made up my mind to find a subject in downtown Vancouver after work.  I was just thinking there would be several people out enjoying one of our last sunny days and the likelihood that I could find a subject in the park would be quite high.   What I quickly realized, (after seeing a group of "vikings") is that I had struck people-watching gold and for the third year in a row, I had managed to be downtown during Kumoricon!

I can't even begin to describe how awesome this event is!  People from all over the country come to this convention and they go all out with their costuming!  Some of the attendees look like they spend the entire year planning their costumes.  The event site is actually the Hilton Hotel but the attendees often spill into the neighboring Esther Short Park.  For three days, you can see just about any anime character you could possibly imagine, just hanging out in the park.

I wandered around searching for just the right person to be day 20.  You're never going to guess who I found?! Waldo! Yep! I found Waldo!  I figured that Waldo had to be day 20!  There was just one problem.  Waldo was surrounded by a ton of people who were all just as excited to have found her as I had been. (This Waldo was actually a girl.)  Although the novelty of having Waldo as day 20 would have been awesome, I started thinking that there were tons of other people there who would also make for a great picture. So, I patiently searched until I found this beautiful Trio!  I could see their parasols and Gina and Rindy's purple locks coming from a mile away.  These young ladies are not actually specific characters, they're just their own beautiful creation.

Day 21 - Jen and Tony

I was on my way back to Downtown Vancouver to capture another Anime character but I decided to take a different exit and head toward the waterfront instead.  After I parked, I asked Tony directions to the walk-way but then decided to ask him if he'd be interested in being day 21.  He agreed and also volunteered his friend, Jen!

They had just run 3 miles in a very hot and humid 90 degrees!  Jen is training for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon and Tony is training for another Tough Mudder race.  Before I snapped this picture, we had just been laughing about the possibility of Tony dressing up as Tinkerbell and joining Jen for the Disney race.  I have a feeling they're both going to do great in their races. It was such a hot day and if they were able to tough it out in this heat, their training will pay off.

It's been another great week, even though it started with a little uncertainty.  I know that as winter approaches, I'll have to strategize to make sure I'll be able to meet the 365 day challenge.  That's good though, right?  It'll force me to get a little creative in order to push through the rainy months ahead.

I think each of these people has left an impression in my mind that is going to last a very long time. I'm grateful to each of them for reminding me just how kind people can be.

Thank you for checking in on week three!

If you'd like to follow along daily, my Instagram username is: missellanea.

365 Day People Picture Project - Week 2

Week 2 of the 365 Day People Picture Project is now complete!  Although I don't feel like I've made significant progress in my photography skills, yet, I've gained a great deal of confidence in my "pitch" and I'm experiencing more unexpected personal improvements. I wasn't  as nervous this week as I was last week when approaching strangers to ask if I could take their picture for the project.  I've also noticed I've become a little more outgoing even when I don't have the camera with me.

I really noticed a change in myself this morning on my walk/run. I'm always courteous on the trail as I pass other runners and walkers and I always give the obligatory "g'mornin," accompanied with a smile or a nod, but I've actually started to become talkative and inviting of conversation. (this is an accomplishment when you're pushing yourself and you're hot, tired and in pain.)  There are several "regulars" who I've been seeing on the trail for the past few years and today, I actually stopped and visited with a few of them. I left the trail this morning having experienced a true sense of "community" that I could have been feeling all along, had I not been so shy. This experience is bringing me out of my shy little shell.

 Day 8 - Mary

I stumbled upon a street faire happening in Downtown Vancouver. The event was winding down but there was one booth that was still quite the party.  There were kids and toys everywhere.  I glanced over and saw Mary. She owns Kazoodles Toys and when I noticed her, she looked like she was having just as much fun as all of the kids who were playing with her toys.

 Day 9 - Dog Walker

The photo that I posted on Instagram for day 9 was a better picture but it was just a headshot.   I couldn't really call her  "dog walker" unless I also showed her dog, Tater.   I don't think either of them really wanted the interruption in their walk but they stopped anyway.  I had to be quick so they could resume walking.  Seeing that Tater's bag was empty, I know that they had to get on their way because Tater needed to take care of his "business".

Day 10 - Donovan

Donovan is an amazing tattoo artist and I've known him for nearly 13 years.  We're both each other's client. He orders t-shirts from me, and he's done 2 of my tattoos.  I guess you could say that we sell ink to one another.  Although we've known each other for over a decade, we talked more (or more in depth) in the few short minutes that I was taking his picture, than we've ever talked before.  My focus these past two weeks has been on learning how to connect with each subject.  With strangers, I have just a few moments to try to make that connection, or to at least get some sort of read on them in order to find and capture their sparkle.  I took a few snaps of Donovan at work about a month ago and those pictures had a completely different feel than this one. Having just shared a few stories with one another, we connected differently than we had in the past and I think this picture was a result. I was able to see a different sparkle.

Day 11 - Charles 

I was stopped at a red light when I saw Charles waiting at the bus stop. I pulled my car over to park and then approached him.  He was clicking away on his cell phone but he didn't seem at all annoyed when I interrupted him to ask if I could take his picture.  When I first noticed him, Charles was concentrating on his phone and probably already thinking about work, but as soon as we started talking, it felt as though I was receiving his full attention.  It was interesting to watch him go from looking a little pre-occupied and possibly even anxious, to looking like he was completely present.  I asked him if he would like to share a quote and he replied, "oh, I'm not very quotable."

Day 12 - Kay (or possibly, Anne)

This was the fastest shot yet!  Again, I spotted Kay (or possibly, Anne) waiting at a bus stop.  I pulled over to the side of the road and got out of my car.  I realized I had just passed the bus a few moments ago so this was going to be tough.  I looked up and the bus was only a couple blocks away. I quickly asked Kay, "is that your bus?"  She confirmed, so I told her, "Ok, I'll be quick…"  I then explained the project and asked if she would be day #12.  I didn't think she would go for it. I could tell she was thinking that there wasn't enough time for this but she agreed so I started snapping away. However, I knew I wasn't getting any nice shots. The bus started moving toward us and all of the sudden, she looked up at me with the sweetest smile in the world, I caught it, thanked her, and then we went on our separate ways.  I think the whole interaction lasted just 45 seconds.  It happened so quickly that didn't even have time to write her name  in my journal. It was a one-syllable name and I thought it would be so easy to remember that I could just write it down as soon as I got to work.  Well, I was mistaken.  Although I slipped up on her name, her smile is totally unforgettable!

Day 13 - April

April is a cashier at a convenience store and she has to be one of the friendliest cashiers in Portland.  Talk about making a connection…you can't go into her store without leaving there in a better mood.  Her personality and fancy make-up makes you feel happy and festive. April explained that she started wearing fancy make-up so that her boss would keep her on the graveyard shift where there are fewer customers.  Her plan backfired.  April's customers love her and her make-up so much, her boss schedules her on one of the busiest shifts  and he all but insists she wear her fancy face.  I mentioned to April that she could have an excellent side business doing make-up and face painting at parties and events.    Talking to April feels like you're talking with an old friend, but the minute I pulled out the camera, I could feel she clammed up. I would do the very same thing if some stranger were taking my picture.  Although I was able to get a pretty shot of her make-up, this picture just doesn't accurately convey her pretty personality.

 Day 14 - Chandra and Alin

Chandra is a hair stylist and she also just started a beauty blog.  She is one of the most talented, passionate, and knowledgable stylists around.  She had just finished cutting my hair and we were visiting when her newlywed Husband, Alin, arrived to pick her up from work.  He didn't know he was walking right into being day 14.

In theory, this should have been the easiest day of the past two weeks. Aside from them each being very beautiful people, Chandra has done quite a bit of modeling and Alin is a professional photographer.  I had all the makings of a perfect photo: no time pressures, two very beautiful people who are also two very lovey newlyweds,  one subject is a model,  the other is a professional photographer, we had their adorable little yorkie terrier, and what I thought was going to make for a cool background which was the salon logo on the front of the window.

Although I had all of the ingredients to make a beautiful picture, I didn't follow the recipe. I was quite disappointed with myself.  I had taken over ten pictures and although I love this picture because of the look in Chandra's attentive eyes, I really expected that I had captured several more beautiful shots.  I learned something extremely important from this little shoot with Chandra and Alin.  It is possible to take less-than-perfect pictures of extremely beautiful people.  I didn't realize it at the time but I half-assed it, thinking I couldn't fail because Chandra and Alin are both very attractive.  With all but a few of the other subjects, I was under a great deal of time pressure and had to work hard to get in, find the right angle, find each subject's sparkle, and then capture that sparkle.  With Chandra and Alin, we had all the time in the world and those two have more sparkle than glitter but just because your subjects are pretty, doesn't mean you can let them do all of the work. You still have to work hard for your shot.  I do love this picture of Chandra and Alin because it touches my heart.  I just want to learn how to touch the hearts of others.   What I thought was going to make for a super cool background, the logo in the window, actually made for a distraction and I should have noticed that when I was taking the pictures.  Alin was so helpful and gave me a few excellent pointers to help with the project.  Afterward, I regretted that I hadn't taken the time and switched out to a different lens. Alin was patient and willing to share as much information as I could soak in.  I should have been a better sponge.  I've seen just a little of Alin's professional work and he's really good.  As it was, I did learn from my mistakes.  Alin and Chandra have so many lovely photographs of themselves, I'm sure they're just as happy that I was able to learn something from this experience than they would have been had I captured the most perfect photo ever.  Chandra and Alin, if you happen to read this - thank you both for being so awesome.

As time goes on, I'm sure my skills will improve. It just takes time and practice.  I'm feeling instant gratification on the changes that are occurring in my own head and heart. Learning how to open up to strangers, and to get them to reciprocate, has been a rewarding experience and I know I'm a better person for it.  I just need to learn how to capture and share that feeling with you.

Thanks for checking in on week 3!  If you'd like to follow along daily, I'm missellanea on Instagram, or you can search for #365daypeoplepictureproject.

Word Wednesday - Vivify

viv·i·fy

verb (used with object), viv·i·fied, viv·i·fy·ing.

1. to give life to; animate; quicken.

2. to enliven; brighten; sharpen.

I've noticed among my friends and acquaintances that we're starting to really feel the urgency to vivify our dreams and goals.

When we're in our twenties and early thirties, it feels like there will always be time to make our dreams a reality.  If you have unfulfilled dreams when you hit 38ish, or if you have dreams you've never even started to chase, the motivation (or pressure) to make those dreams a reality can be overwhelming and thought-consuming.  Go with it! Use that pressure to help fuel you as you begin to make those dreams a reality.

I've started to pursue so many new things in just the past couple of  years and I've caught myself feeling a lot of regret over not having started earlier.  This is not productive, I know.  But I think a teensy-weensy bit of regret has actually been somewhat of a healthy motivator.  It sort of feels like I've wasted all that time, now I just need to go for it and go for it with all I've got.  Of course, we can't sit around wasting time thinking about all the things we could have done. But if you're feeling like you've let the time pass, it is going to continue to pass unless you take action.  Start right now.  Whatever it is that you've been wishing for, or dreaming of, just take that first step!  When you take that first step, the momentum builds and before you know it -  you've accomplished your goals and you're living your dreams!

I  chose this word because I just wanted to share a little encouragement with you. I've been receiving encouragement from so many sources lately and I just wanted to give you a little boost. I hope that you'll believe in yourself and give yourself a chance to pursue your dreams and give them life. I know you can do it. You just have to start. Vivify…