After a few strong weeks, I’ve hit a new point in my grieving process. I’m not sure how exactly to describe it, or how to handle it, but I do know it knocks the wind out of me when I least expect it and I just feel overwhelming loss. People keep telling me it just takes time. That there will always be sadness, but day by day it will get easier to live with. I’ve been reaching for things for happiness, something to help pull me forward and I’ve always found a lot of joy in personal creativity. I’ve been wanting to do a Stranger Project for a long time, so when I felt a lonely day coming on I loaded up my Canon A-1 and a roll of Portra 800 and headed out to talk to strangers. 36 exposures, 36 strangers. It’s hard enough for me to reach out to strangers on a normal day, but on a day that I am feeling particularly sad I had to push myself even harder. I had to force myself. It was uncomfortable. I was nervous… but by the end of 36 frames I felt so damn proud of myself and just plain happy. Every single person I asked to photograph that day said yes, and I am forever thankful to those 36 for that kindness. Rejection is a scary thing, and their willingness to participate helped me finish it without doubting myself. The project was really more about the process than the actual photos. The going out and talking to people. The feeling of human connection. The setting and accomplishing a goal for myself. Those are the things that mattered. The pretty photos are just an added bonus. Enjoy!