“A thing that you see in my pictures is that I was not afraid to fall in love with these people.” – Annie Leibovitz
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Gregor
Gregor is a German artist working at the Chalkfest 2015 in Venice, FL. Gregor's English is about as good a my German, but we managed to share a chuckle or two. My best German was learned at the Lowenbrau Pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair in Queens, NY. Here is the extent of my German -- Fräulein, ein Bier hier, bitte.
See Gregor and more of my work at https://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentveneruso/
Monday, October 19, 2015
2nd Steve
I
noticed Steve as I entered the Barnes & Noble in Sarasota. He was sitting against the outside wall on
top of a small bundle of his belongings.
I
introduced myself by telling him that I thought he had an interesting face and
asked permission to photograph him for the 100 Strangers Project. Before he agreed, Steve told me he was low on
smokes and needed a dollar to buy a second pack. He assured me that smoking was his only vice
by saying “I don’t do drugs or alcohol and I have been smoking for 40 years,
ever since I was 13 years-old.”
I call
this portrait 2nd Steve because I photographed another Steve just a
couple of weeks ago. This Steve is # 11,
in my ‘100 Strangers Project’. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by
other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group
Steve
has lost touch with his mother and brother ever since he has been out on the streets,
which he attributes to ‘mental issues’ caused by being abused as a child. He was raised in Englewod, Florida a short
distance from the Sarasota streets he now calls home. Steve made a point of telling me that his
great-grandmother was Italian and that he was 1/16 American Indian.
Check out my Flickr page at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/vincentveneruso/
Saturday, October 17, 2015
This portrait of Dumi is # 10, in my ‘100 Strangers
Project’. Find out more about the project and see pictures taken by other
photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr
Group
I first noticed this man because he was walking with a
very distinctive, corkscrew cane. When I
approached him I was greeted by gleaming eyes and a friendly smile.
After introductions, as we conversed, it became clear
that, not only was he friendly, but he had an extremely keen intellect. Dumi told me that he was a scientist working
in the pharmaceutical industry in New Delhi, India until he was pressured to
seek retirement.
He noted with a hint of sadness that neither of his
two daughters had the desire to follow in his footsteps and had chosen instead
to follow careers in the field of finance.
It wasn’t until Dumi told that he was 95 years-old
that the full impact of this remarkable man hit me. It is with total respect and awe, I say to
him, “Namaste, Uncle!”
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Meet Bob B. Bob is an
interesting man, since retiring from HP he has become quite an accomplished
photographer. He takes great bird,
wildlife and landscape photos, and is not afraid of trying something new – like
street photography.
This photo of Bob was taken at the Bradenton City Pier after
a morning of shooting horseback riders in the waters of Palma Sola Bay in
Manatee County. As we relaxed under the
shade of the gazebo, the conversation turned to street photography and Bob
decided to give me a ‘face’ for my portraits.
I like this photo of him because it captures the boyish
mischief still very much alive in his 78 year-old body. Bob has been a great help with the technical
aspects of my camera and images, and an example that energy does not
necessarily diminish with age, nor does creativity!
Friday, October 9, 2015
Portrait of a Portrait Artist
Jacqueline Fay an extremely talented street portrait photographer whose work has been an inspiration to me.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Steve
This
portrait is # 9, in my ‘100 Strangers Project’.
Find out more about the
project and see pictures taken by other photographers at the 100 Strangers Flickr Group
Steve was
a scary looking guy who accompanied a beautiful young woman, Lisa, to a
horseback riding event on the shores of Palma Sola Bay, Florida.
I first
noticed Steve’s girlfriend, because she had some interesting tattoos on her
arms and legs. Steve stood back while
his girlfriend was helped onto a horse for her adventure. That’s when I stepped forward to ask Steve if
I could take his photo. He smiled and
readily agreed.
Steve
and Lisa are visiting from Melbourne, Florida where Lisa is the proprietor of a
tattoo and body piercing parlor called the Alternative Connection. Since I was there with a few photo buddies, I
explained to Steve that we were out for the day to shoot the riders in the
surf, but that Lisa’s tattoos had attracted my eye. Steve immediately invited me and my friends
to visit the tattoo parlor to take photos of the activities there. He assured me that the artists would be happy
to be photographed and most of their clients would be as well.
Okay, I
am intrigued, so now we are planning an outing across the state!
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Secretary of the Barcelona, Spain chapter of the Gungighters MC
This man is the secretary of the Barcelona, Spain chapter of the Gunfighters MC, an all male motorcycle club made of of current and retired law enforcement officers from the US and around the world. Although communication was halting because of language, we managed to communicate with the help of a French member of the Gunfighteers.
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