So many people have asked me numerous questions about this project and I have not been able to respond properly until now as I have just been so incredibly busy! I did not want to delay responding any further so I thought I would put together the list of questions I have received thus far and answer them here for everyone to see. And as more come in, I will post them here as well.
How did you come up with this idea?
I had just moved from New York to San Francisco and was having a hard time adjusting and learning the city. I wanted to do a large project so I thought that if I took a different portrait every single day for one year it would help me to meet new people and it would entice me to travel and explore the city even more.
Do you just walk up to random people and shoot their portrait?
Basically, yes.
Was it hard to go up to random people and take their portrait? Were they random?
At first, it was hard and a little bit scary as I really didn't know how people were going to react. It definitely got easier the more I did it. The majority of the people I have shot are complete strangers. I have also shot people I know.
How do you approach people?
I will go up to a stranger and ask them if they could help me with a project I am working on. I have found that when you ask for help, people become very open and generally do want to help you. I then tell them that I am doing a portrait project where I am photographing a different person every single day for the entire year of 2009 and then I ask them if they would be my
#??? portrait. I tell them that I have a blog where my portraits live, and that I will send the link to them as well as the individual pictures.
Do you find people are open to having their photo taken and posted on a blog or do you have to convince them?
I have found that most people are open to being photographed and do not mind being part of the blog. I do tell everyone about the blog before I start shooting as I know some people feel weird about the internet. I did have one person agree to be photographed but then decided not to do as she did not want to be on the blog. I, of course, respect everyone's choices and if they say no, then I just move right along. I don't want to have to convince anyone to be a part of the project. I am not looking to make people feel uncomfortable.
Do you really take a photo of someone new every day?
Yes. I shoot someone new every single day. I also don't shoot a few people and then choose which one will be the portrait of the day. Once I find a person to say yes to being a part of the project, they then become the portrait of the day.
Are you a photographer?
Yes, I freelance.
Do you take all the pictures or do people submit them to you?
I take all the pictures myself.
What camera are you using?
I shoot with the Canon 5D with a 50mm f1.8 lens. I also only shoot with available light. I then edit the images in Lightroom and make final tweaks is Photoshop for the chosen pictures.
Will you continue in 2010? Perhaps in a new city?
I don't know yet. I would love to hear more thoughts and suggestions about continuing on next year, though. Perhaps L'image Quotidienne can live on forever! I would certainly need help with that! :)
