After my first win in this weekly challenge with the silhouettes theme, I have come up with this new theme for week 78.

Weekly Challenge #78 : STRANGER PORTRAIT.

As usual the Rules are as Follows :


1. Post ONE photo (max 1000x1000).
2. The photo must portray an interpretation of the theme. It can be color or B&W, your choice.
3. You can offer as much or as little additional information as you wish, but if you have to explain it, it probably doesn’t communicate what you are trying for.
4. The challenge is interactive. Any response is welcome.
5. The judge will pick the WINNERS and chose 1 of them to be the judge for the next week.
6. This challenge runs for 7 days plus a day for the judge to choose the winners.
7. Any Pentax camera will do or a Samsung DSLR.

*SPECIAL RULE FOR THIS CHALLENGE: The portrait must be of a person you do not know. Family, friends and acquaintances are not allowed. You may post a photo of a person whom you got to know after taking the photo; meaning, you met that person through the process of asking a stranger for a photo. You be honest enough and decide if your photo is of a stranger.

*ANOTHER RULE: Include a short write-up or a story about that person, if you were able to talk to him/her. If it is a candid shot, then a write-up isn't needed.



Previous Challenge Subjects:
1-Statues, 2-Wheels, 3-Speed, 4-Peace, 5-Survival, 6-Macro, 7-Mountains, 8-Children, 9-Post Processing, 10- Windows & Doors, 11-Sport, 12-Urban Landscape, 13-Wisdom, 14-Power, 15-Music, 16-Pathways, 17-Lines, 18-Storm, 19-Boats, 20-Water, 21 - Golden Hour, 22 - Natural Lighting, Portraits, 23-Motion Blur, 24-Simplicity, 25-Color, 26-Cars, 27-Repetition, 28-Wildlife, 29-Epiphany, 30-Contrast, 31-Pets, 32-Landscapes, 33-Coastal, 34-Churches, 35-Bridges, 36-Creation, 37-Still Life: Food, 38-At the Zoo, 39-Wide Aperture, 40-Merry Christmas, 41- Sunsets, 42-Action, 43-Fireworks, 44-Manipulated Light Portraits, 45- Advertising/Product Shot, 46- B&W Street Shooting, people/buildings, 47-Vanishing Point, 48-Reflection, 49-Tranquility, 50-Expressions, 51-S Curve, 52-Hands, 53-Shadows, 54-Your Favorite Beverage, 55-Barriers, 56-Perspective, 57-Night Scenes, 58-Zen-like...Water and Stone 59-Modern architecture, 60-Sunrises, 61-Red, 62-Action on water, 63-Bodies in Motion, 64-Ruins, 65-Blue and green, 66-Iridescence, 67-Anthropomorpha, 68–Sound, 69-Backlight, 70-Group Shot, 71-Railway Scenes, 72-Technology, 73-Color on Color, 74-History, 75-Autumn/Harvest 76-working men and women 77-Silhouettes


My examples to set the tone for the challenge:


Omar

Omar sells newspapers along University Drive on Saturdays and Sundays. He does it part-time to supplement his earnings from working as a cook at a gas station's kitchen. With the extra money, he can treat himself to a an extra meal at McDonald's, and buy some cravings that he might have during the week. Being divorced, he needs to work for his own survival and for child support.

I was amazed at how jolly Omar is. He loves dealing with people, and he treats his customers with his utmost service by greeting each one of them a nice day. He's a big chatter and talks funny stuff, as well as realities of life.

A humble man...



J. Garza

I never got to asking for his name, but I figured out that janitors usually wear their own uniforms.. hehe. He is a janitor at my university. I was taking photos of some cleaning equipment when I noticed him cleaning up his mop. So I went and asked him for a photo.



Street Cleaner

I was at Corpus Christi, TX, walking around the downtown area early in the morning. The streets were empty, and he was working, cleaning up the streets. It is amazing how old he is, yet he gets up early each day, especially on a Saturday, to go to work. I stopped him and asked for his photo, but never got to asking him his name. His machine was noisy and loud.

This challenge will end on November 21, 2008, Friday. I will make sure to put everybody from around the globe into consideration.

[slowpez]

As an image goes this one is not very good but it does make me smile. We came upon this lady while hiking around a lake in Georgia. I snapped the photo quickly in the hopes of not getting caught. We did talk to her about the fishing and she said she wasn't catching much as the lake was too small for big fish.

[chrisman]

Snapped this old chap during the Sydney Harbour Bridge 75th Anniversary. It's all to easy to forget the human cost of some of our national icons....

[rburgoss]

Here's my entry:

Shot a local farmer's market, this old lady took some time off to enjoy an ice cream cone.

Attachment 22479

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Last edited by rburgoss; 12-17-2008 at 01:21 PM.

[ukbluetooth]

This is my first entry in these competitions.

We were sailing down the Nile when this little chap just turned up out of the water. He entertained us with song, collected money and swam off again clasping it in his hand.

A very brave fellow - but one cannot miss the fear in his eyes.

[atupdate]

Took this at one of the free summer concerts in my community.


Sent four of my images to the band with permission to use on their website. None of the images made the band's website but the image posted above did make it on the website of their marketing agency.

G.G. Greg Agency Presents The Juggernaut Jug Band

Tim

[axl]

Here is my entry.
I shot it roughly month ago, while outing my SMC 400 f5.6 for a first time. This shot was taken with it. I don't know if it counts as a portrait though
anyway, it was shot at f8 (as far as I remember) and the lady was good 20m away, I never spoke to her...



BR

[daacon]

A conductor on a local Trolley that only runs on the weekends (maybe holidays ?) from Whyte Ave over the High Level Bridge making it's final stop at Jasper Ave I think then back again.

I did ask if I could take his picture. I happened to be stting front and center and he turned around looked at me with that Pentax around my neck ...and I asked if I could take his picture . I think it turned out well and I 'll be t he has some stories.

[IMGWIDEleft]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3171/2599760320_a79b072854_b.jpg[/IMGWIDEleft]

[Jimbo]

shot this in New Orleans. JIMBO

[Jimbo]

Another one from New Orleans... JIMBO

So which one are you going to enter then Jimbo? Or is the other one your daughters pick?

[kevindt]

This was taken at the local Farmers' Market. This lady and another dressed almost identically (down to the same hats) were inspecting a litter of kittens that a young lady had brought in a basket to give away free to new homes. As always, the kittens were irresistible and they left with the little tabby one she is holding here. The rest all found new homes too.

This was a long candid shot with the DA* 50-135 at full length, later cropped down to remove the seller and the lady's friend

[RollsUp]

Here's my entry. Our twin engine pilot.

[j-pol]

Very nice portraits so far! Keep those photos coming. hehe.

@Jimbo, which of the 2 is your entry?

[xs400]

My wife and I traveled in China last May. Part of our small tour group included a man and wife who had been Christian missionaries in Shanghia and Beijing. When we were in Shanghai, we visited the church they had worked as missionaries. As luck would have it, we arrived at the church about 30 minutes before a wedding was scheduled. While talking the the minister of the church before the wedding, we were asked to stay for the wedding - so we did! Here is a picture of the couple as they were being announced 'Husband and Wife". Interesting note about Chinese weddings - In China, a wedding is a very serious affair and it is thought to be in bad taste for the bride or groom to smile during the ceremony. Soon after this shot, they had big smiles on their faces.