An interview with Stefan Jansson and 100 Strangers
100 Strangers is a project on Flickr, which is that you will meet and photograph 100 strangers. You will find the course a group of 100 Strangers on Flickr. You are trained to make contact with people to get the chance to photograph them. You may be interested in street photography, documentary photography or want to become a photojournalist. Stefan Jansson is one of many engaging and creative photographers who agree to on Flickr. He has taken up the challenge and do it with flying colors . Stefan, I have been inspired by earlier through his various creative projects.
1st What prompted you to get involved and start your project with 100 Strangers?
I noted flickr Group 100 Strangers a few weeks before I joined, but knew at once that I must join! I suffer from social phobia and thought that this kind of challenge could be a good way to conquer my phobia and make me a better photographer.
I started in February and were very nervous when I took the first portraits. I am still nervous, but in a different way that I can deal with.
2nd I follow your blog, of course, Kadriks syn på saker och ting, and think about when you take things one step further than most. An earlier example is when you made a nifty poster ..
What drives you on as a photographer?
I observe the changes, both in the landscape, nature, and in my neighborhood. Everything is changing all the time. My tree project , is in fact a good example of that. In one year I took a picture every Saturday in a tree grinders in the prosperity of Tungelsta. In summer, it was easy, but when the snow lay deep and when the blizzard was it felt a little awkward! When the project was ready to hear people from around the world and wanted me to continue. Pretty amazing that there are people in England, France, USA and in South America who follow my work! Then I did the same thing. Over 52 weeks, I took a picture a week at a path in a wooded area in Håga in Västerhaninge. There I began to stop the people I met and asked to take a picture. Almost all wanted to have their photo taken. For just over two years ago I joined an international project where the goal is to take a picture a day from his home town or municipality and tell us something about the place in question. My page is called Photos From Haninge. The project has helped me a lot, because it is not always easy to come up with new ideas every day but here I have had it. Earlier I had taken the most photographed landscapes and the various construction sites around the Haninge municipality (which is being built everywhere), but now I felt that it was not enough. I wanted to start shooting people and found about the same time 100 Strangers project.
3rd What is your advice to those who also want to start up his own 100 Strangers project?
Dare! Take risks. Expect to get quite a few no. Start by explaining what you want, and what the project is about, and if the image is published on the web. I give all I found my business card (a MOO Mini Cards), with my name, my web addresses and an email address. It has helped me some, as some like to distrust one! Think of some good questions. Work, travel and fun hobbies tend to get people to start talking. I have met with Swedish champions in Eventing and Hockey. In addition, a band of would-pop stars and a few artists. Sometimes people say they do not have anything fun or exciting to tell, then I usually tell about the past “Strangers” and then usually fall off. Then it’s good to go on concerts, exhibitions and the like where you know you will meet interesting people. Do not forget to bring a notebook.
4th Give three good advice for portrait photography, which may be the portrait stand out?
If we’re talking about people you do not recognize this is the first trick is a little talk with someone first. Once you have talked for a while and got to know each other a little so it is much easier to shoot well and to become photographed. Then it depends on the situation, if the person shall shoot seems to be nervous, I usually say that the photo will be fine and that they are free to choose any of the pictures I should use, ie. to give them control of the situation. When I shot the singer / songwriter duo, I asked the girls to simply play a few songs while I photographed. I often ask people who appear in the crowd and then it’s never a problem because they are very outgoing. Occasionally someone claims to have a bad hair days, being generally tired and so on. then I usually go back a few feet and propose a full view and not just a facial portrait. Then we have to take many pictures. Try some different angles and distances. Will there be any bad pictures, it is just press the delete and re-shoot.
5th Do you have a website that you want to tell about to learn more about portrait photography?
There are lots of groups on flickr. There you can find answers to just about everything, and I’ve never had to look elsewhere the times I have needed help with something, maybe not so expensive when the site has several thousand active and many extremely talented photographers.
6th What do you think has been most difficult in the case of 100 strangers?
To dare to go in and talk to people I normally would have never make contact with. And to get the right mix between young and old, girls and boys. Sometimes when someone has been in a hurry, I had to be content with a few quick pictures and two three questions and then it can be difficult to get it good, but I have never hesitated to use any image. Everyone I talked to are now in my 100 Strangers album.
7th Tell us a little about what you think you learned most about.
I have learned that in a relaxed and natural way to contact people, something I have always had incredible difficulty. I dare more today than I did for just six months ago. Photo-wise I often see what is going to be a good idea even before it was taken. I use two different cameras. A Canon EOS SLR, but also a cheap (800 dollars), the HP Photosmart that I actually used three of my far more than 50 images of the project. So it is possible to take good pictures even with the cheap stuff.
8th What do you do when you’re done with your 100 Strangers?
Then I’ll go with the founder of Teppo continuation group! I will probably continue to do these portraits because it is precisely this has been as fun, exciting and self-developing. I have photographed every day for four years, and this is the most rewarding project. In addition, I later ran on several of my Strangers and have thus come to know some new people and it’s worth quite a lot. Then there is certainly a new photo project around the corner, so it tends to be.
