Have you ever passed someone on the street, or bumped into them at the gas station, or even glanced out your car window at a person on the way to work and wondered , “what’s their story?”
Are they in a hurry? Are they in a bad mood? Are they heading to work or heading for trouble? Do they like kids? Are they smart or do they share the IQ of the guy who just cut you off at the red light? Do they like chocolate ice cream with strawberries on the side or maybe running through freshly cut grass barefooted? Are they cheating on their spouse or are they devout Christians? Does her boyfriend beat her? Is he struggling with an addiction? Can she make enough money to feed her family today? What makes them tick…
Well, I’ve always been curious about the human species as a person and even more so as a weekend photographer. I find each and everyone of us fascinating. We all have a story to tell. Some are sad, some are happy, some are ripped from today’s headlines, and some would just slip away into oblivion if no one ever thought to ask.
Well in a small, unassuming northwestern town someone did ask. There amongst the everyday crowd is a young red-headed lady with a giant camera lurking about, who has taken it upon herself to tell the story of her own town through the faces of the people who live there.
She has taken all kinds of pictures: Bearded Santas with parrots perched on their shoulders. Spunky grandmas with purple hair. Young kids, old kids, and people who looked as if they belonged to a Mafia of some kind. Happy people, strange looking neighbors, and mail men who look like Dennis Hopper ( that was a bit scary). And even though I did count a large number of body piercings amongst her town folk, most if not all the people she snapped a photo of have a genuine smile on their face.
It’s a wonderful project and I wish her all the luck on it. I also invite you to check out her site and look upon their faces. Her name is Lea Kelley and If you see her, as she puts it, you better put your face on, because she’s gonna take your picture.
Good luck girl!
4 responses so far ↓
morethananelectrician // May 10, 2008 at 12:49 pm |
What a neat project. I generally feel reassured when I spend some time “people watching”. The time spent looking at others normally leaves me with the feeling that people are inherently good.
leakelley // May 11, 2008 at 5:40 pm |
Thank you so much for your kind words!
And thank you for raising the awareness of humanity on your own blog.
Lea Kelley
Scottie // May 12, 2008 at 2:54 pm |
Lea, honey, your welcome…and good luck.
Moretheananelectrician, I couldn’t agree with you more.
Distant // June 20, 2008 at 12:59 pm |
Somehow i missed the point. Probably lost in translation
Anyway … nice blog to visit.
cheers, Distant
Thanks for stopping by, Distant.