"Photographing strangers"

Photography has a certain confrontational aspect. Recently, I’ve been doing more street portraits of strangers, and sometimes I can’t shake the feeling of guilt — wondering how to give back what I take and how to responsibly honor the trust of entering someone’s personal space, their willingness to pause, to be seen.

I’m asking people for something while arguably giving very little in return. I try my best to be kind, to offer compliments, to explain my intentions, and to show the highest respect. But when I look at these portraits, what stands out the most to me is the kindness of these people—the fact that they allowed me to photograph them. That kindness gives me a responsibility not to waste it.

I’ve been thinking about what value I hope this portraiture brings beyond just an image. Maybe it’s about reminding us to notice one another. In a world where we rarely lift our eyes from our screens, where everything is instantly available at the tap of a finger, real (even small) moments of connection feel increasingly rare. But they still exist. And maybe, just maybe, they matter now more than ever.