March 10 - A Fisherman in a Sea of Cars

Stranger 001 - Elmer, originally uploaded by wasabi_peas.

I promised a twist. Here it is: I'm challenging myself to the 100 Strangers project on Flickr. Like I said yesterday, I was getting in a bit of a loop -- detail shots showing the beauty in everyday things, the occasional interesting scene, etc. But what I really want to improve is my portrait work.

I love the idea of connecting with people and getting more experience. But I'm also very shy. These first couple pictures won't be great masterpieces of photography, but they will be milestones of change. And I should say that they are tributes to the hope and trust of humanity, because these days it's all too easy to hide from those we don't know, to say no before the salesman has made his pitch, and to laugh off a request by some "artist" who wants to take a photo.

This is Elmer. I met him in front of Fred Meyer where he was standing at a corner with a bike and trailer, collecting cans.

Elmer is from Newport. He likes fishing, and said someone else asked to take his picture when he was fishing in January.

Some days he gets more cans, some days he gets less cans. He says there are some folks that don't like to recycle, and that's where he comes in.

Fishing and recycling. That's about as Oregonian as you can get.

This picture is #001 in my 100 strangers project. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other photographers at www.100Strangers.com