I’m quite excited to be where I am right now. And scared to be honest. Scared that I’ll bomb and everyone will know about it, and I’ll feel like a failure. But better that than letting the fear paralyze me and keep me from doing anything that feels slightly uncomfortable. What a boring and unfulfilling life that would be.
If you’ve been reading lately you’ll know that I’ve been trying to extend myself, and keep the creative juices flowing, by getting out in the streets and photographing strangers. Not so much the candid type of photography – my subjects are well aware of what I’m doing, as you will know if you’ve seen any of the images. Not feeling stretched enough by merely shooting random strangers I decided to step it up a bit and do something that really interested me, by photographing couples. Couples that I don’t know, and have never met before. I didn’t realise, however, when I made that decision just how hard it would be. Mostly because there aren’t as many couples around, and those that are aren’t always obviously a couple. So there’s a lot more observation needed on my part, and a lot of quick decision making as they don’t always hang around waiting for me to make my mind up. And it’s harder to convince two people to agree to having a complete stranger take their photograph, although there’s always one to try and persuade the other if need be. And then there’s the getting them to interact and actually appear as though they’re a couple, and not simply two people who happen to be standing side by side. And, and, and….
I think I’ve wanted to give up after almost every photo I’ve taken. But because I’m stubborn (ask Matt – he’ll tell you), and because I want to get better, and because I want to be proud of achieving something I find very difficult, and because I want to try out my own version of street photography and one day feel like I’m doing a pretty good job of it, I’m forcing myself to stick at it. Because I know it will be good for me, and I remind myself that there are endless possibilities as to where this could lead. That’s the part that excites me.
Now, I’ve also got to thinking that this whole project doesn’t really belong on here. It does because it’s a part of me, but it doesn’t because it’s a separate part of me. Separate to my wedding photography, my newborn photography and everything in between. So I’ve created a new and, yes, separate blog for it. I may post the out-takes here (what do you think?) but the ‘final’ images, the ones I want to contribute to the project, will go to their new home. Speaking of which – you can find the new blog by clicking on the ‘STRANGERS’ link at the top right of the page, or by clicking right here. And I’d love, love, love for you to like my new Facebook page for this project, which you can either do via the blog, or by clicking here. 
My aim with this project, newly renamed For the Love of Strangers is to take portraits of 100 couples, from Melbourne, all of them strangers to me. And when I get there I’ll figure out what’s next (though I have a few good ideas already). My other aims are to get better along the way, to make real connections with people, and to take a random moment in two people’s lives and make it memorable. A bit like any other aspect of my photography, but I just have to do it a lot, LOT quicker in this instance.
And speaking of out-takes, below is one from my most recent trip in to the city. The final version will be appearing on the other blog. So keep an eye out, and sign up if you’d like to be kept up to date with how things are going. And it would make me feel better if I had some folk keeping me company.
Narrelle x
{ Melbourne Portrait Photographer }
