Stranger#001: Edwin, the photographer

My friend,Jeff and I were dining in a resto just outside Robinson's Place Manila this afternoon when I found my perfect stranger number one. He entered the restaurant with a warm greeting to the staff and proceeded to the counter to make his order. His dreads were the first thing I noticed. (I've been thinking of going to Boracay this summer to get dreads. or maybe those tiny braids.:D) I immediately pointed him out to Jeff and told him that that person would be my perfect stranger number one.

I remained in my seat and fidgeted for 20 long minutes (what happened to the three-second rule, I have no idea), asking Jeff for advice on how to approach him and ask him to pose for me. I was such a nervous-wreck I forgot I had a drink to finish. My hands were getting clammy. This was my first time to approach a complete stranger to ask for his picture. I think he kind of noticed that I was peeking ever-so-often. (I was starting to get embarrassed :P). I was both excited and afraid, two very messed up feelings. Jeff kept on giving me reminders and confidence boosts, not to mention the nearest escape routes if my attempt backfired. I was so nervous my hands were cold.

My assessment: He looked nice and friendly, it didn't seem to me that he would decline. When he pulled his Macbook out of his bag, I knew he was techy enough to know about blogs and Flickr. He can easily look up 100strangers in the web and know that it is a bonafide group in Flickr (And I'm not some weird stalker-ish person :D).

When I finally mustered the courage to approach him, I introduced myself, explained my project (100 Strangers) and asked him if I could take his photo. He readily agreed, saying that he was also a photographer. Talk about coincidence. :)

Edwin is a freelance photographer, who used to work as an artist in an insurance company. He currently has a ongoing photo exhibit at the Philamlife Building, UN Ave, Ermita, Manila.The proceeds will be donated to Palcare (and to several other groups, according to his website). We chatted for a few moments, exchanged URLs, and talked a little bit more. I took a total of three shots with my shaking hands, shy to ask for more. He was really nice and friendly (true to my assessment.:D).

I hurried back to my seat, still giddy from being able to accomplish such a daunting task. Finally, I have my stranger number one! The adrenaline rush was exhilarating I had a hard time composing myself. We left the resto before he did, and as we passed by his table, I waved a quick goodbye and told him that he can visit my site tomorrow (Jan 10) to check the post.

In retrospect: Approaching a stranger is no easy task. It can also be dangerous if you approach the wrong person. (What I have learned: It's better to have someone with you before approaching a stranger, that way, he/she can look out for you. :) ) But when you do meet a nice person like Edwin, it becomes a wonderful learning experience. As for the photo I took, well, it's the first out of a hundred, and I still have a long way to go. There's a lot of room for improvement. Maybe Edwin could help me out, being a professional photographer and all. :D

Till my next stranger!

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This is the picture number 1 of my 100Strangers project. To see pictures taken by other members and to know more about the group, visit 100Strangers.com now. Join us here.