People Watching

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I love to shoot portraits of people.   It amazes me that there are billions of people on this planet and that every single person looks different (unless they are a twin or triplet, of course).  Now that’s a lot of genetic diversity!  And it makes for some very interesting-looking people. 

I stare at strangers often.  In a quick two second glance, I see everything: the brightness or dullness of their eyes, their energy, their confidence, their skin texture, how light falls on them, their outstanding features, and their uniqueness.  And in my head, I’ve already created a mental snapshot of them.

It’s exhausting seeing the world that way and I get information overload all the time.  As a result,  I’ve developed selective seeing.  There are people who dominate my visual frame as I walk down the street, or go anywhere in general.  Then there are many others I don’t see at all.  (Friends tease me all the time because they claim I should know this or that person because s/he has been going to the same gym I’ve been to for years.  But I don’t recall them.) Colors, textures, clothes and unique features draw my attention.  But then again, I am no different from anyone else who likes to sit in a crowded place and people watch.

Lately, I’ve been sitting on the steps in front of my house and watching the world go by.  These are some of the folks who capture my attention as they saunter past my house.

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