This assignment made me experience a whole new level of creepiness. I know what it's like to admire people from a distance or to eves drop creepily, but hunting down people who are just minding their own business and snapping them in their natural habitat was somewhat unnerving, even for me. They would notice and give me a strange look, slow down in their walking, and just ruin the immersion. I attempted to hide behind doors and around corners, but that just added to the creepy factor, and I found myself apologizing often. After being joined by Paula, Ferrah, and Trinity- the last of whom was unafraid to ask these mysterious beings if we could take pictures of them, I finally got a few. We even asked the hall cop if we could snap one of him, but he just sent us out to the tennis courts to take pictures of the gym class. I was reluctant to take any pictures out there, since the camera settings were off.
This pretty girl was pretty unnerved by the line of girls snapping her picture, but she just continued along like a trooper. Frau Paganetti in the background upsets me a little, but what can you do.
And THIS pretty girl was more than willing to help, and started to laugh when she heard the shutters of our cameras.
No doubt about it, photographing strangers can feel creepy. Paul Strand had to make a false lens so he could take photos without the person knowing it... it's difficult. There is always a risk of making the subject angry. Eventually you will learn to snap photographs and ask people if it is ok to use their image... but for some people, and I am one of them, it never gets any easier.
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