27. S.

I have to assume that you're not coming here to read me complaining about the weather - and yet, there are the days when I just can't help myself, when the leakage of my shoes is so pronounced that I make squelching noises as I walk through the torrential rain. On those days - like today - I wish I had a Beeblebroxian third arm, in absence of which I try to hold on to my umbrella with my chin as I endeavour to get the camera out of its bag, clean the lens or fiddle with the settings, all while trying to keep it reasonably dry. On those days no one in their right mind would ever think of subjecting themselves to the vagaries of weather just to take a couple of photographs, with or without umbrella. But then again - it might have just been the prospect of reaching the train station considerably less drenched that made up S.'s mind today...

When I approached S., she was skirting along the facades in the old town, carefully selecting her path to lead from canopy to awning, elegantly reducing the unsheltered stretches to a minimum. She seemed astounded at my project, and at the same time intrigued by it, and allowed me to accompany her to the station. We had a most interesting chat during the fifteen minutes that followed; her story, her curiosity, her outlook on life and her desire for changes of perspective were amazing and inspiring.

Once we had arrived at the station and were out of the rain, we stopped for the portraits. I took 25 photographs - I've finally learned how to reduce the intensity of my camera's flash and needed to practise. I'm still not happy about the colors of the pictures taken with flash, and so the one I've selected was again taken without. It sums up quite well how I saw S. - open, curious, good-humored, with maybe just a hint of self-irony.

S., thank you so much for your trust and your openness - I wish you all the best and hope that a new horizon will present itself to you whenever you need it.

22. S.

Today's meeting was prearranged - S. was traveling to Zurich and had asked the local couch-surfers' group if any of us would be around for coffee. I was not sure whether or not to bring up the subject of Meet a Stranger a Day; this blog is a tool to keep me going out and meeting people, and as such it should not interfere with encounters that happen independent of it. As it turned out, S. had already read about this project on my couch-surfer profile, and when I spotted a good backdrop in the snow-storm and asked her if could take her picture, she agreed.

We met for breakfast at a bakery of which I had fond memories - I used to live in the neighborhood a couple of years back, and starting Sunday with croissants from Carredda's had always been an experience reminiscent of holidays in Italy. Later on we walked through the city, and - as I tried showing her the sights in Zurich's former industrial district - discovered places I had never been to before.

On our way back to the city center the snowfall intensified, and I decided to try taking her portrait in those conditions. I wanted to take more pictures in a café in the old town, but there the camera made her nervous; and since I knew I already had captured her lovely smile with the first shot, there was no real need.

S.: thanks for the interesting chat, and your patience with a couch-surfing novice. Have a wonderful holiday!

14. Lola

In the course of the last two weeks, I've developed a ritual: every day, as I go out to meet a stranger, I start by trying to capture the mood of the city on a couple of pictures. It might be a shot of the city by night, or a close-up of a fountain, or the unusual contents of a shop-window that catches my eye. This helps me get into the right frame of mind, and reminds me which way up the camera should be held. I've decided to add one shot of each of these daily warm-up exercises to the end of each day's post.

I met Lola and her partner in the old town, on their way to a club. They agreed to let me hold them up for a while, and we went to a nearby bar. While our chat was initially relaxed and casual, I inadvertently steered it towards a topic that for Lola had a more somber quality. From that point on, though we had a thoughtful and serious discussion, I failed to make her feel as comfortable as I had hoped to.

The 15 pictures taken during our conversation show Lola with a wide range of emotion and expression; friendly, engaging, funny. The one I have selected for today's post best portrays her in that thoughtful mood with which I walked away from our exchange.

What I need to learn:
Improve difficult lighting situations with an external flash.

Lola: thanks for your trust and your time - I hope you went on to have a lovely evening!


Church spire, photographed from the unlit side.

4. Am See

I've been thinking about the term "subject". From my point of view of a native swiss-german speaker, it doesn't properly describe the relation in which I aim to stand to the person portrayed. This train of thought started during my conversation with today's portrayee, when she asked how I decide whom to approach - and used the word: "not-victim" which, had she not said it in a joking tone of voice, would have sounded just as uncomfortable in swiss-german as it reads in english. Funnily enough I have no trouble finding the right word in german: today, Am See was my "Gegenüber", the person opposite me, my vis-à-vis.

I approached Am See, who was sitting on a park bench by the lakeside, towards the end of my lunch break. What struck me as remarkable and encouraging, was that it wasn't being approached by a bearded stranger, not the thought of letting me take her picture, but the idea of her portrait being published on the internet that seemed to give her pause. Fortunately I managed to reassure her, and once she had decided to give me half an hour of her time, we had a highly engaging and enjoyable chat. I took 33 photographs, in the course of which she displayed a beautiful depth and richness of emotions. Many of these show facets of her personality - thoughtfulness, fire, and humor - and best portray her when seen together. I've selected the one that can stand by itself most easily.

What went well today:
How I approached Am See today was good: I had the right kind of body language, the right tone of voice (polite but not apologetic), and finding a level eye contact helped a lot, I think.

Things I need to learn:
Don't cut off part of people's heads - it's just not polite.

Am See: thank you very much for your open-mindedness, your time, and for the story about the three old ladies - what a wonderful image!