I periodically review my Flickr photostream, to see if I am tending to photograph only certain demographic groups. I have not met many senior gentlemen recently, so I kept my eye out for one. And Stewart was sitting outdoors at my favorite coffee shop.
When I approached him, he agreed, albeit not enthusiastically. He is from Staten Island and arrived in Sarasota via Ohio. He was a bit reticent about giving out information. His generation (I guess I'm part of it) didn't grow up with the Internet, Facebook, or incessant 'Selfies.' Ours was a more private era. Nevertheless he liked the image and asked me to e-mail it to him. Consider it done.
Kisha (#668) 10-10-14
Walking through Bradenton, I passed the Manatee County Courthouse. Most people were pedestrians, in harsh light. But Kisha was sitting on steps, eating lunch. When I approached her, she was quite reluctant, and I thought that I would lose her. Until I mentioned the red flower in her hair, that seemed to turn the tide.
Kisha is originally from Chigao, and has been in Bradenton for 10 years. I asked what was the best thin that has happened today, she responded “Waking up.” I get that a lot – I'll have to find a different question. When I asked what her job in the courthouse was, Kisha said, “Oh, I'm just a clerk, a paper pusher.”
What a self image, “I'm just a paper pusher”. :-(
Bob
Rob (#667) 10-09-14
I watched Rob dismount his bicycle in Bradenton, FL. He sat on a concrete ledge and appeared relaxed, so I went over to meet him. Rob was happy to be included in the project and was interested in the concept.
Rob has been a contractor in the past, but is currently unemployed and homeless. His main problem is not finding a place to stay, but to obtain antidepressant medication that he has taken for 20 years. He went to a local church for help, but they require him to accept a call back on his phone. He doesn't have a phone, so is ineligible for aid. Go figure.
Rob said that a man on the next block called police, saying that Rob was panhandling. Rob said that he was not, and asked me for nothing.
He liked this image, and I sent him a copy.
Bob
Heather & Co. (#666) 10-08-14
The two couples were at an outdoor table, laughing and joking. They all caught my eye – OK, that's a lie. Heather caught my eye, so I approached them all. Four at a time is difficult for me, as I try to look everyone in the eye as I speak; I had to move my eyes a lot. But all were up for the adventure.
I went around the table clockwise, photographing each in turn. First up was Neal, Heather's father. This turned out to be a challenge and I'll talk about him last. So next up was Heather. She knew how to pose, and automatically put her chin down, getting her eyes closer to the camera. As if those eyes needed to look larger! My determination to get a non-smiling image was thwarted. In Heather's lap was a Canon 7D, sporting a healthy hunk of glass. She is a self-taught professional photographer, and is about to post images for (hopefully), stock photography sales. Her site is HERE.
Next came Julie, Heather's mother. As I turned toward her, Heather leaned over and began placing Julie's hands, not knowing that I seldom include hands in my images. Again, Julie refused to extinguish the smile. I ripped of 16 shots in a few bursts, pleading for a neutral expression between each set. No luck. But only 15 of the shots showed teeth, in this one she let her guard down. I consider this blinking with the lips.
Justin was pretty relaxed, and was just, well,... Justin.
Now back to Neal. When we started, he was very pleasant, but a bit stiff. At first I got a toothy smile. Not that he doesn't have nice teeth, but the look was very unnatural to me. When I asked him to look more serious, he got a hard, forced squint, reminding me of those TV shots of sex predators caught in a law enforcement sting. But when I finished with Justin, Neal had sunk an inch is his chair and looked much more relaxed with the whole thing. I asked for another chance and quickly got this shot. I am pleased, as this seems to represent the real Neal and his reaction to the several minutes of shenanigans.
Bob
Josh (#665) 10-07-14
I saw Josh over a block away, heading my way. His bleach blonde hair made him distinctive. He had a large backpack. When I asked him to participate, he agreed, but seemed a little befuddled. As he was standing near a reflective window, I envisioned including his reflection in the final image. It just didn't work, so this image is cropped substantially.
Josh was born in Philadelphia and came to Sarasota 10 years ago. He carries a photo of his parents in his back pocket, and he doesn't feel like he is from anywhere. A wanderer.
Bob
Bethany (#664) 10-06-14
While loitering outside my favorite coffee shop, Bethany arrived by bicycle. It took her a couple of minutes for her to get the bike locked and secured to a pole. When I approached her, Bethany immediately brightened up, and was glad to participate. She loved my Photostream as seen on my phone.
She is originally from Wisconsin. Currently she does some marketing, but mostly gives standing paddleboard lessons. That's a new one for me.
For a change of pace, I asked her about the worst thing that had happened that day. “Almost getting hit by a car. So many cars don't give right of way to bicycles.” As she spoke I checked out the bike; I saw lots of accessory gear, but no helmet. I pointed this out and she sheepishly shrugged and said, “I know I should.” Stay safe.
Bob
Marty (#663) 10-05-14
As I walked past the Blue Owl Tavern on Main, I saw a fellow with lots of facial hardware at an outdoor table. I passed by, stopped to check some messages on my cell phone, and then went back. Stupid! He was gone, I shouldn't have waited. But luck would prevail. I got a cup of coffee across the street and kept an eye on the bar. Sure enough, Marty reappeared along with two others (another post).
Marty has been in Sarasota for 10 years, originally hailing from Massachusetts. I said, “Oh yeah, I can hear it now.” Marty said, “Lots of people can.” I told him that I was from Noo Yawk. He said that he could tell that too, even though I've been in Florida for almost 60 years. He was soft spoken and courteous.
I showed him this image on the LCD and said, “Wow, that's one tough lookin' dude.” He laughed and replied, “Nah.”
Bob
Lily (#662) 10-04-14
I was drawn to Lily's hat, and she was happy to participate. But when I looked at her closely, I was sure that I had seen (and photographed?) her before. But she said no, and when I heard the name I knew that it must have been a coincidence. And then I was proud to learn that her name had four letters, so that I would not make the mistake of a double “L”. So proud that I forgot if the last letter was a 'y' or an 'i'. Can't win. Well, for now she's Lily.
Anyway, she is from Boulder Colorado. After enduring Florida heat and humidity, she prefers Colorado and may go back. When we reviewed the images on the LCD, amazingly we both preferred the same one. That seldom happens. I gave her a card and got her e-mail address. The image has been sent.
Bob
Paul (#661) 10-03-14
Paul was sitting on the ground, on the edge of the sidewalk, playing his guitar and singing. A cardboard box neat to him contained a few small bills. He stayed in Bradenton for four years, tending to his mother. When she passed two years ago, he relocated to Sarasota. He said that recent times have been a bit tough, as it had rained almost every afternoon.
He and another bachelor are saving up to buy a sailboat. They only need $200 more. The boat has no engine, but it has a generator and small air conditioner (an absolute necessity!). They plan to live on a mooring in Sarasota Bay.
I asked him about recent good times. A couple of weeks earlier, Paul was performing in front of a Starbucks, two blocks away. A Bentley pulled up, and suddenly Jerry Springer was standing next to Paul.
“Hello, Mr. Springer.”
“I'm Jerry. Do you know any Beetles songs?”
“Yes sir, I know them all!”
Yep, that's pretty neat.
Bob
Daniel (#660) 10-02-14
Daniel was eating at an outside table in Bradenton, FL. The light was nice; he was undercover. And he was in front of a blank pink wall – I liked it. When I explained the project, and that my main goal was to meet people, he was intrigued and was happy to participate.
Daniel is from Queens, NY (same as I) and went to college in upstate New York. He came to Bradenton at age 25 and likes it here. Daniel considers himself very lucky, in that he is in the financial industry and does his work online. He can live anywhere that there is an Internet connection. Otherwise he feels that the area is not too business friendly. He made a sweeping motion around the street, “Where are the suits and ties? Most residents work in infrastructure, like teachers, police, and healthcare. There aren't many large business here hiring.”
I guess that Daniel IS lucky.
Bob
Frank and Kellie (#659) 10-01-14
I saw them from across the street; we were walking in the same direction. I liked their body language, so I picked up the pace to double time before crossing. I wanted to be in front of them on their side of the street. I don't like approaching people from behind.
When I asked for my favor, I was surprised that Frank seemed reserved, Kellie is the one who was all for it. But as soon as I asked Frank to 'not smile for the camera', this was what I got. I said, “You don't have to look THAT unhappy,” but that just fueled the theatrics. I asked Kellie if Frank always looked that way. “Yep, that's him”, she deadpanned.
When it was her turn, I took a quick look and did something I almost never do, I let her keep the glasses on. By pure luck, her eyes were sharp, there was no lens reflection, and the frames did not cut through the iris'.
They both recently graduated from Sarasota High School. I asked what the do now – Frank answered, “Look for lunch.” Kellie took my card and was interested in getting a copy of the images. Frank, who knows.
Bob
Victor (#658) 09-30-14
Victor was sitting under a roof next to a convince store in St. Petersburg. He offered no resistance to being photographer, but was very shy and quite. Friendly, but quiet. He moved to St. Perersburg from New York City 15 years ago. As A child, I had lived in Queens. Victor has lived in Brooklin, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and Mt. Vernon – everywhere BUT Queens. He is very glad to have made the move to Florida.
Victor is retired from the New York Transit Authority. Had he not retired when he did, Victor wold have been on duty during 9/11, which surely would have been a life changer.
An hour later, I passed by the same location. Victor was still there, reading a newspaper. I think that he had found his spot.
Bob
Emily (#657) 09-29-14
While photographing a young lady seated at an outdoor table in St. Petersburg, Emily (at the next table) called over, “Well, you're in luck. You're going to get two.” Emily was not shy. She lives in tampa, but was originally from New Iberia, LA. I mentioned how a few french surnames are so common in Cajun country, like Broussard, Tibideaux, and Breaux. Emily said that her brother's last name is Breaux. Quite a coincidence, her Bro' is Breaux.
She has lived all over, including the Netherlands (her father's native country), and Nigeria. Her passion is a non-profit organization called Khusi Hona. It aids orphans in India, and Emily's card identifies her as the CHO – Chief Happiness Officer. The organization's website is HERE. Emily has an essay on the site HERE.
She loved the idea of meeting strangers for a photo. We promised to hook-up on Facebook (we have), and she asked for a copy of the image. It immediately appeared as her Facebook avatar, always an 'upper' for me.
Bob
Kalin (#656) 09-28-14
I saw Kalin from a distance and liked his cool look. The hat didn't hurt. I had to maneuver around several people and wait my turn, as he spoke with a few people. So I was surprised when he turned out to be quite quiet and shy; he agreed to be photographed somewhat reluctantly.
Kalin is from Colorado and attends State College of Florida, in Bradenton. I asked how he found that school from Colorado. “They have a good golf team; I got a scholarship.” Good reason. Then I noticed that his backpack said “Titleist.” Duh!
Bob
Christian and John (#655) 09-17-14
Sarasota is a fairly upscale city, and not a particularly cheap place to live. So it amazes me how many homeless there are, and how many are scam artists and panhandlers. One downtown business has a sign out front that says that 93% of all money received by panhandlers goes to drugs and alcohol. I don't know how accurate that number is, but the message is clear.
Christian
John
