I’ve had such a good time meeting people the past couple of days that I knew I had to go back out again today and see who I would find. Who I’d meet and strike up a conversation with. That’s the beautiful thing about a classic film camera, it’s a great ice breaker. This time from the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder on Easter Sunday. Another fun day walking around with the TLR and looking for people to approach.
It takes a little bit of selling–“Hi, may I make your portrait?” “For what?” “For you, I want to make it for you.” (I will print and give them framed printed photographs to live with in their homes.) In a world where people may feel invisible or insignificant, my goal is to make them feel seen.
Here’re today’s photos.
After I photograph them, I give them my contact information. When they contact me, I print a 5×7 (4×4 with white borders) in my darkroom, put it it a small 50-cent frame I pick up at yard sales, and gift them prints. You have no idea how much they light up when they receive something real.
You can join me in my campaign to gift photographs around the world: GiftPhotographs.com
Doing this–going out and meeting people is only possible because of the camera. The camera is the license to approach people in public and request to make their portrait.
From these past three days of photographing, you can see the more you go out and work, the more portraits you create. It’s really a numbers game. Go out and do the work.
Every time I step outside, I see no one to photograph. And then one by one they appear. Try it. Go out and make some beautiful portraits of the people you see.
To make them feel seen.
6x6 Portraits | Kenneth Wajda 
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