Photography
From My 100 Strangers project - Cherrelle was watching her nephews trying their hands at making free throws at a carnival booth set up in a Charlote courtyard. Like us, she was just in town just for the day.
From my 100 Strangers project - I asked LuAnn how long she had been working behind the counter at Sherry’s Bakery in Dunn, NC and she told me 17 years. When asked how many hotdogs she served in that period, she laughed and said “Lord, I don’t know. Feels like a million!”
From my 100 Strangers Project - Dallas was working in Charleston, SC, South of Broad, in bitterly cold February weather. I asked him if he was used to it and he said “Hell, no. This is supposed to be South Carolina!” #Blaugust2024
From my 100 Strangers project - Despite his fierce look in this photo, Al was engaging and funny. He was working a part time gig as a parking lot attendant in Charlotte for a Panthers game. I stuck around a while to listen to him tell stories about growing up during segregation in NC’s biggest city.
From my 100 Strangers project - This was one of the first photos I took when I started working on the project and I failed to get this gentleman’s name. He was busking on 6th Street in Austin if anyone remembers him, I would sure love to know who he is.
From my 100 Strangers Project - Chanya was waiting to take part in a traditional Thai dance routine at the International Folk Festival held in my hometown each year. She claimed not to be nervous, but her pensive look said otherwise.
From my 100 Strangers project - Lee, the fisherman at the Oak Island pier. We have a period every fall in NC when the blues are running and the fishing piers on our barrier islands are full nearly 24 hours a day. Lee told me that he has been fishing at Oak Island since the 1950s.
From My 100 Strangers project - Kalindra was good natured enough to let me use this guy’s prop to snap a photo. Street fairs are a good place to approach people.
From my 100 Strangers project - Tony remarked that he was an African-American making me a Korean version of a Mexican dish in an American restaurant. Whatever. The bulgogi tacos were off the hook for real.
<img src=“uploads/2024/2014-12-18cooksbw-1-1.jpeg” width=“600” height=“450” alt=“Two men, wearing “Off the Hook” T-shirts, work in a taco restaurant’s kitchen. Stainless steel appliances and a menu board are visible in the background.">
From my 100 Strangers Project - I met Joe downtown outside of a locally owned coffee shop. He was having some java and smoking a cigarette through a hole in this throat. He told me was a cancer survivor and that he just couldn’t give up cigarettes, although he no longer drank or used drugs.
From my 100 Strangers project - Spike was getting a drink from a convenient water fountain when I spotted him near Zucotti Park in the Financial District not far from Wall Street. He didn’t have much to say but was willing to pose for a photo.
From my 100 Strangers project - I met Tammy at the mall late on a winter afternoon as she was about to head inside for her shift at one the restaurants in the food court. I saw her a few times after I took her photo and she always remembered me.
From my 100 Strangers collection - Panchito was fascinated not just with my camera but with the whole process of taking photos and examining the back of the camera to see what I captured. He was not shy in the least.
From my 100 Strangers project - Steve was profoundly over dressed for a hot afternoon street fair in Raleigh all the way down to his fingerless gloves. He played a bit as a grumpy crazy guy, but in reality, he was a charming crazy guy I enjoyed talking to.
From my 100 Strangers Project - I momentarily interrupted their workout, but Eddie and Vice didn’t seem to mind answering my questions through the open window of the lower Manhattan boxing gym where they were working out.
From my 100 Strangers Project - Kiesha was waiting for the train to go to work with her brother, Marcus when he got bored and started to chase her around the platform. Later, out of breath, she informed me that he “plays too much. He plays out all the time.” She was smiling though.
<img src=“uploads/2024/marcus-and-kiesha.jpg” width=“462” height=“600” alt=“Two smiling individuals running on a tiled sidewalk of a covered public tram station with a sign reading “EMERGENCY” and other people in the background.">
From my 100 Stanger’s Project - I didn’t get this guy’s name because when I started my usual rap with him, he started hitting me up for money. Even in NYC, I’d never had that happen before. We weren’t in Times Square or anything but a little further uptown than where I’d taken most of my portraits,
From my 100 Strangers project - Diya, a seventh-grade student from Cary, NC was hamming for the camera when I caught this wide-eyed shot. Her Mom gave her grief for playing around but I have always liked the photo.
From my 100 strangers project - Deb and Jules were busking in a tunnel in Central Park. Despite the Led Zeppelin t-shirt, they were doing a Beatles tune, Here Comes the Sun. I threw dough in the guitar case for the song, the photo and conversation were on the house.
From my 100 Strangers project - Mose the artist, from Raleigh, NC. Although I prefer to do portraits in B&W, the colors in his artwork and clothing need to be seen to be appreciated. One day, I’ll hang a print of this one in my living room
