Pursuing this project meant a search for the interesting. And the interesting almost always means people. Interesting includes the unusual, the humorous, the dramatic. At the places and times I shot, drama was rare; humor much more common. Beyond interesting, this project turned out to be very much street portraiture.
As the project progressed, I became much less reticent and much more adept at approaching people and engaging them as subjects. Of my final eight subjects there are only two that I had not engaged in conversation - the umbrella lady and the wrong way jogger. They and the "MBA for Dummies" are included because of their humor value. The other five shots I consider portraits even if the subject is not facing the camera. Based on my brief encounters, I believe something of the personality of each comes through.
This project reminded me how much I love living in Washington and exploring Washington neighborhoods. Most of the areas where I shot are experiencing gentrification; in some cases, like Capitol Hill, gentrification is virtually total. Even in Petworth, there are signs of incipient gentrification, though very small. And it was a shock to see how little the two parks I visited in that neighborhood, Grant Circle and Sherman Circle, were used. I think it's worth a return visit later in the summer.
I also intend to revisit Lafayette Square and Dupont Circle. My visits were too early in the day, on days too cold, for many people to have gathered. I'd like to develop a nice portfolio of 15 to 20 pictures for each of my circles and squares.
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