Certain medical and familial events of my childhood caused me to develop a phobia of being singled out and unaccepted, and in turn, formed into a crippling social anxiety whose consequences bled into my everyday life. I felt as though everyone else seemed to belong, and I was a freak and outsider. Not wanting to further alienate myself, ironically, I would avoid being seen and having to interact with people altogether. In high school, for example, I took an extra class (photography) instead of a lunch period in order to skip the prospect of having to exist under a perceived spotlight, and perform in a place among strangers-which I saw to be an uncertain if not dangerous place. It has taken my life up to this point to move past these limiting thoughts, and “Strangers” is a series born out of an exercise in uncomfortability.
Any photographic exchange among people requires a certain level of mutual trust; something that is usually earned over an amount of time. “Strangers” is a series of photos of individuals I have never before seen or spoken to. Among a great many other things, this series is an ongoing study of cooperation, consent, and confidence.
My methods are as follows in order to create a comfortable environment, but also maintain a “tabula rasa” about one another. I introduce myself (first name only), inform the subject that I am a photographer doing a series on strangers, and ask their permission to take their photo. If they consent, most times I take just one photo.
