100 Strangers

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About 100 Strangers

The idea: The 100 Strangers project is a learning group intended for those wishing to improve both their social and technical skills needed for taking portraits of strangers and telling their stories. The method is to learn by doing. Your participation will require you to share your experiences with the other members of the group. By providing this invaluable knowledge, everyone, beginners and experienced alike will benefit.

The challenge: Take at least 100 photographs of 100 people you don't know. Approach anyone or a group of people, ask for permission to both take a photo of them and to post it to this group. Get to know your stranger/s. Who are they? What is their life like?

Step out of your comfort zone and into a new level of portrait photography. Start by taking 100 portraits of people you don't know, total strangers. We welcome both beginner and advanced photographers. You may be new to photographing strangers or already have experience with this type of photography. Regardless, everyone is encouraged to take up the challenge.

The project is quite enjoyable and will definitely improve your photojournalistic skills. During the process you might just gain a new appreciation for those around you and enrich your everyday experience . You may even gain a few new friends along the way.

As you progress with the project it will be critical to share your experiences with the other members. This may be a story about the stranger you just met or how you felt making the approach. You may have, for example, tried a new approach, used a new photographic technique or equipment. You are learning by doing, so share with us what you’ve learned while taking on the 100 Stranger project.



THE RULES:

1a) NUMBER AND LINK.

The title should contain a number indicating how many strangers you have photographed for the challenge, for example, Stranger 37/100. The description of each photo published in the group pool must indicate that it's a photo taken for this challenge and must contain a link to the 100 strangers group. Why? See the discussion we had on the topic.

You can formulate your own tagline or simply copy the code below and add the correct number:

A link for the group page;

This picture is #XX in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/">100 Strangers Flickr Group page</a>

1b) BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I REACH 100?

This has been a subject debated on more than one occasion and previously the rules stated that there was a strict 100 posting limit on the group. However we are pleased to say this rule has now been changed and photographers who have completed their first 100 Strangers project can continue contributing to the group!

In order that the ethos of the group remains the same, we ask that 100 Stranger veterans commit to another full set of 100 strangers. Taking on the challenge to reach 100 more, setting themselves new challenges and goals and importantly (see rule 2) add a description about the encounter, and what they have learned. The photographs beyond the first 100 may be placed in a new 100 Strangers set, or the established system of numbering may be continued.

2) PROVIDE A DESCRIPTION

When you submit your photo it must contain a description of the encounter. Your participation in the group will require you to share your experiences with the other members of the project. It is strongly recommended that this include things such as, but not limited to:

* What's the name of the person in the picture?
* Who is he/she?
* How did you meet?
* What did you talk about?
* New photography technique?
* Your approach style...
* An observation...

3) NO CANDID SHOTS, NO ARCHIVE SHOTS, NO KIDS and THE OBVIOUS...

Where for the purposes of this group, candid refers specifically to photographs taken of people without their permission. Photographs may appear candid in nature or unposed but the story you post along with the photograph should explain and support the reason for the candid appearance. For example, I was attracted to this person because of what they were doing. After asking for permission, I asked them to continue the activity so I could capture them naturally, rather than asking them to pose. Want to know more? See the discussion board.

Submit only photos that are taken specifically for the project. Do not submit archive pictures taken before starting the 100 strangers project. Submit only pictures of people you do not have prior knowledge of, aka “Strangers” . See the guidelines.

No shots of kids / minors without one of their parents. You wonder why? Learn more here.

And, obviously, no shots of friends, relatives, pets or houseplants.

4) YOU CAN ONLY SUBMIT 1 PHOTO/DAY and 1 PHOTO/STRANGER

The idea of the 100 Strangers project is to challenge you, to learn over time and develop your own style in approaching strangers and taking portraits of them. It is intended that you take the time, patience and effort to develop the skills required. The challenge is in no way considered a race to photograph 100 strangers.

Only one photo per stranger can be submitted. If you wish, you may attach supplemental photos in the comment section of your photo... not in the pool..

The 1 post/day limit is to discourage people from simply setting up a photo booth and shooting 100 strangers in 1 day. An admirable challenge in its own right but not what this project is about. See the discussion for further details.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1) Create a set for your strangers. It makes it easier for you and other to see your progression in the project.

2) Participate in the project discussion. Take a look at what others have done and comment on their photos. There is no rule saying you have to comment, but we like to think we're a community of people who like to help and encourage each other. Check out our discussions - you'll find a lot of helpful information there.

3) Place your photos on the map. It's great to see all the stranger photographs from around the world.


WHAT THE 100 STRANGERS GROUP IS NOT

The one hundred strangers group is NOT meant for showing off or promoting pictures of strangers. The 100 Strangers project is a learning group intended for those wishing to improve both their social and technical skills needed for taking portraits of strangers and telling their stories. The method is to learn by doing. The admins and moderators harvest the pool to remove pictures not taken for the challenge and/or not in the spirit group, no matter how wonderful they might be technically or artistically. Please do not post pictures to the group if you are not intending to take up the challenge of photographing 100 Strangers.



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Xavier ~ A 100 Stranger Photographer Profile



1. Tell us about your first stranger?

My first stranger portraits were taken years ago in the Orient. I found Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines to be wonderfully gracious when it came to just getting a photo of a stranger. It seemed easy when I barely spoke the language and was a foreigner.

My first stranger portrait for 100 Strangers was a biker named Larry. The initial shot I took of him was awful. A few moments later, his friend arrived and I took another shot as he was talking. Rather than actively engage Larry in conversation, I listened in. This shyness about engaging the person in conversation was the first obstacle that I sought to overcome.



2. How has the project influenced you and your photography?

I love watching people. I'm a people photographer. I would wager that 90% of my photographs contain people who are aware they are being photographed. 100 Strangers absolutely transformed me as a photographer. I began to see myself as a legitimate photographer. I had to. I was introducing myself as one over and over again.

In my professional life as a nurse, I must converse with people on a personal level. I can separate from my shyness and just do it because of the white coat. My camera became the same as the white coat. Whether I was using a point & shoot or a DSLR, the camera became my shield. Over time I became rather fearless about asking to photograph people.

100 strangers lead to me photographing several people which in turn led to me being hired to photograph musicians, artists and writers. This created it's own set of problems for me, and to solve them, I eventually bought lights and then a building to house my own studio. Today, I am very fortunate. Because photography is not my bread and butter job, I only do the work I want to do, and I turn away more work than I accept. 100 Strangers has given me friends I never would have known, and has led to opportunity I never would have had.

I still like to get out and photograph strangers. It keeps me nimble, and it keeps my skills strong. I have found that the courage to engage strangers is the first thing to degrade when a photographer stops shooting them.



3. What’s in your kit? Favorite equipment?

At present I carry a Nikon D5000 with a 50mm ƒ1.8 lens and a 18-70mm zoom when I am walking about. I've never felt the need to have the latest and greatest equipment, and this is the closest I have ever come to a new camera. As long as a camera does what I tell it to, I'm happy. I settled on the D5000 for it's light weight. It took me forever to adjust to not having an aperture ring on the lens.

I used to carry a Nikon D2X with a Nikon 28-70mm ƒ2.8, but the thing is heavy. I still use it in the studio and for short jaunts, but the D5000 stays in the car and is used for long walks. The 50mm lens has been a long time favorite of mine, and I think I must have been one of the first in line when one came out for the D5000. I also carry a little Point & Shoot everywhere I go.



4. How did you come to photography? Your history?

I am proud to say I am self taught. I started taking photographs as a boy with a Yashica TLR. I put away my camera in 1980 to get my BFA in painting and printmaking. During this time I had several friends who were photographers, and we would argue about asthetics constantly. I saw things as a painter, they as photographers. I would like to have those arguments again today.

In 1985 I bought my first SLR, an old Nikon F with a 50mm lens on Cat Street in Hong Kong. I took up photography again to keep sane while I was a sailor. I learned every hole in the wall processing joint in the Far East. During this time I shot film with several Nikon bodies and I built up a collection of manual focus lenses. When I came home, I got married and put away all my camera gear again for a decade. I simply didn't feel I had the money to devote to film and processing. I didn't think digital photography would ever reach the level of film.

Then one day I found a Nikon D200 in a pawn shop for a good price. I was surprised to learn that my collection of manual focus lenses would fit the D200, so I bought it. I found myself with a bunch of pent up creativity that continues to this day. It took a while to become adept with digital, but I see the benefits of modern digital photography as being enormous. The ability to shoot without worrying about how many frames are left, the ability to instantly review shots, and the ability to process far past what is possible in the darkroom are unprecedented. The most profound difference though is the huge audience we all have on the internet. My camera became less a means of documenting people and more a means of connecting with people. That is still how it stands today, and that is why I still shoot photographs.



5. Your best tips or advice for the other members?

Accept the fact that some of your stranger portraits will be beneath your standards. I advise you to post them anyway. This is a learning process, and we learn from our mistakes as much as from the commentary of others.

Don't rush through the project. It's not a race. Learn to truly appreciate the people you photograph. Resist the urge to compare yourself with others. Follow your own path. You are unique, and your perceptions and vision will emerge.

Focus as much on learning about the person photographed as the image they give you. Yes, the image they give you. Portrait photography is always a collaboration, a dance, between photographer and subject. Learning how to engage unknown and reluctant people as quickly and easily as adjusting your aperture is what 100 Strangers is all about. Being able to engage a stranger, see the shot and quickly adjust your camera to capture it (not necessarily in that order) is a wonderful skill to develop that will help you immensely in photographing people under any conditions.



6. As the longest still standing administrator, can you talk about some of the changes you have seen happen with 100 Strangers?

When I joined the group in 2009, it was in shambles. It was a brilliant idea, but lack of moderation had left the group full of street photography, candids, LOL cats and houseplants. Its usefulness as a vehicle for learning was gone. I struggled to make the group work for myself and to learn as Teppo had.

I was quite surprised and honored when Teppo made me a moderator. I devoted long hours to cleaning up the group and making it work again. My flickrmail inbox became filled with complaints and I became the scourge of the group. About the time I was ready to toss in the towel, David stepped up to help me as moderator. Then I was made an administrator.

Over time the staff has grown and changed, as has the group. But the premise remains true to Teppo's original vision. 100 Strangers is a group devoted to learning by doing. That will never change. Although I only submit the occasional stranger photograph now, I remain on the admin staff because it is my firm belief that this group is unique and valuable. I do not ever want it to fall into the same disarray it was in when I joined. I want it to remain a group devoted to learning by doing and making the connection between photographer and subject to achieve the photographs we envision.


You can find the other interviews here:

Andi H.
Neil Winch
Peter McConnochie
Al Fed
Mark McConnochie
Chris Arnade

Veterans Icon Gallery - Perfect 100 by the numbers.



Veterans Icon Gallery - 50 to 99, also, some count 2 or more per picture




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