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Through the Eyes of a Stranger

This month’s topic provided for some interesting contemplation upon my part. Being the rather literal fellow that I am, my first thought was to actually let other folks take pictures of me using my camera. This would allow you, my fellow project mates, to see me through the eyes of a complete stranger.

However, as I contemplated this idea I wasn’t certain how comfortable I felt handing over my camera to a complete strangers and asking them to snap my picture. While this may be suitable while on vacation, I wasn’t certain it was the correct direction for this particular moment in time.

As the month progressed I modified my idea into a different, but related direction. My intent was to head to someplace with a good subject for photography, decide how I best wished to capture the subject, do so and then catch a passer-by and ask them to consider the subject and then, using my camera, snap their own photo of said subject. I would then have uploaded the two images side-by-side (as a single image…using the collage feature in Elements) and you, my dear project-mates, could see my vision of the subject, but through the eyes of a stranger.

One day earlier this month I made my way to a particular spot, which I thought would yield a most excellent subject matter, and gave this idea a chance to bear fruit. In the end it was a major disappointment. Most folks eschewed my advances and the few who were cooperative did not seem to get into the spirit of the opportunity. Instead of contemplating the subject (a piece of outdoor sculpture) and then taking the picture they typically just put the camera up to their face, snapped a picture and handed the camera back to me.

I know….my expectations were probably a bit high, but I know that if such an opportunity were presented to me I would jump all over it! But maybe I’m just more cooperative and gregarious than the average American. So I found myself back to square one and one day late last week I was gob-smacked with a new plan and saints be praised it turned out to be a bit of luck for me as well.

Say hello to some feral felines

I have been helping feed, water and watch over a small colony of feral cats (and now kittens) in a small wood not ten minutes from my home. None of these cats, even after my being round for six or seven months now, has really warmed to my presence. I bring food, water and pleasant conversation three days each week and while they have made the connection between me and the delivery of food, they haven’t yet made that leap of trust. And it’s likely they never will, which is fine by me. They look at me, every time I arrive, as if I were a complete stranger. Or maybe not a complete stranger, but certainly stranger enough such that trust cannot be bestowed upon me.

I cannot hold it against them and in some ways I’m happier that they continue to look upon me as if I were a complete stranger. I figure this lack of trust for someone who has been round as much as I should help keep them safe from those who may wish harm upon them. One look in their eyes is enough to convince me that I remain a stranger in their eyes.

mike’s “Through the eyes of a stranger”

I was rather hoping this month’s theme was going to be an easy one.

So as not to be misunderstood lemme explain that I really do enjoy the more… ah… “challenging” ones.

Its just that this month is shaping up to be fairly busy for me so I really don’t anticipate having a great deal of time to spend on… er… being “creative”.

So what’s that awkward sod go and do?

Sets a theme that arguably was even more of a puzzler than Chuff’s memorable “Street Antiquity”!

Oh how I hate that Nordic oaf!

Then, surprisingly, Monday sometime (laying in bed having just woken up, but that’s no guarantee it was morning or even night) it came to me. In a flash.

So here we are. And two this month wouldya believe!

(Have to confess to a slight “bending” of the theme though, cos neither of the models can really be called strangers to me, though one’s slightly stranger than the other! And of course, both of them are strangers to most of our little community. So that’s all right then.)