I’m a shy person in many ways, and the prospect of stopping strangers in the street and asking to take their pictures fills me with dread.
But I can see that it would be a great way to extend my photographic range, and get some great images.
So the Flickr Group 100 Strangers might be just the place for me:
This is a contact photo group to inspire you to practice taking portraits of people you don’t know. The ultimate challenge for the members is to take 100 portraits of 100 strangers. Candids are not allowed. Little by little, learning by doing you’ll get better results. You might even find that taking contact with strangers isn’t as scary as you thought it would be.
Here’s how it goes: Stop people by the street, talk with them, ask if you can take a portrait. Post the picture to Flickr and 100 strangers pool. Try to get an idea who they are. Write a caption that tells something about the person in portrait. Describe how you got the photo.
Don’t post archive photos. Get out on the streets to take new ones.
The big thing here is that no candid shots are allowed: you have to make real contact with the people you’re photographing.
Not sure I’m ready to commit to the challenge, but if you’re braver than I am, you should definitely give it a go.