DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS!!!
If you grew up in the era I grew up in then you’re no stranger to the warning above!
Especially as a New Yorker. Lol
I can only speak for myself but I’m sure I speak for at least a handful of New Yorkers when I say “we mind our business” lol. However being this introverted, uninterested individual in some ways contradicts the role of a photographer.
I fell back in love with photography last year. It was my best summer yet photography-wise. And despite the cost of it all, I couldn’t keep from buying and shooting film. In fact I still can’t!
In the interest of challenging myself and setting and accomplishing goals I would often give myself some sort of objective for the week.
In particular, the first week of August I gave myself the challenge of speaking to people and asking them directly if I could shoot their portrait.
That brings us to Imani!
On the first Monday of August, a day hotter than hell a work friend and I arrived at the train station after work and made our way towards the back of the platform. Somewhere towards the middle I caught a glimpse of a beautiful statuesque woman with bright curly hair that perfectly matched the sunflowers on her shirt.
Remembering the objective of the week, rather than try to sneak a pic (which I don’t care for) I asked her “excuse me miss, I love your look. Is it ok if I take your picture?” To which she replied “for what!?” A fair question for which I had no response. Lmao. Before I could think of the words and utter something that would have surely been nonsense, my friend interjects and says “pretty young lady, fly outfit, why not take a picture?” Which proved to be enough assurance for her as she agreed and posed. I told her I’d have the prints in 2 or so weeks (or so I thought at the time lol) and asked her if we could exchange IG’s so that I can share the picture with her when I got it.
To which she agreed and thus began the virtual friendship between us. few weeks ago she told me that she would be moving back to London. Having discussed possibly shooting again at some point, I realized my window was about to slam shut.
She was staying somewhere in Brooklyn which happens to be where the studio that I use is located. So I asked if she’d be down to take some more photos on her last day here. She said she’d love to and so we did!
The shoot was a blast and we were both fans of the results.
Film photo 📷: Canon A1 🎞️: Fuji 400 Color #EnoBullPhotography
