This makes me feel Connected Delighted Heard Relieved Uncomfortable at an Shared Collective scale
Taking Pictures of Strangers
In a series of videos on YouTube, photographer Jessica Kobeissi travels to different locations, collaborating with other photographers to take portraits of some of the strangers they encounter and talking with them.
Photographer Jessica Kobeissi and others take snapshots of people in a selection of cities, giving viewers a glimpse of their diversity, style and culture. Commonly the photographers are nervous to ask random strangers if they want to have their photos taken, and are thus required to reach out of their comfort zone. But once some of the strangers accept their requests, new connections are formed, whether they be fleeting or friendships. For instance, one of the strangers photographed in the first video of the series (filmed in Los Angeles) actually reappears when Jessica films another video in Tokyo and is happy to see her again. I think what people like so much about these videos is the exposure they provide to the variety of personalities of the individuals featured. Jessica’s videos publicize these unique individuals and allow viewers to connect with them as well. Similar videos that I have seen trending have been ones such as “What people are wearing…” in various locations around the globe. In these videos, fashion is mainly emphasized as opposed to photography, however a similar vision of positive, momentary shared experiences is conveyed.
Contributor notes
What is surprising, refreshing, most interesting?
It was interesting and fun to see people channel their “inner model” even if they weren’t professional models.
Key Insights? What can we learn from this?
These videos show how photography has an ability to build connections and displays the unique qualities of individuals and cultures. I think we can learn to be more open to connecting with the people that surround us, or at least consider them more, because everyone has a story.