When you're a Stranger

This blipfoto stranger project was SO out of my comfort zone I was wondering why in heaven’s name did I want to do this? Well, now that it’s done, (whew!) I think it was quite fun!

Took the Ilford and my little sony camera on our walk this am but chickened out at every possibility. (None of which were all that good) SO.... I went out alone this afternoon determined to come home with the camera ready to send on. And I liked the idea to put this neighborhood on the map for this project.
As I was walking by our neighborhood elementary (actually K-8) school, I noticed a class of older kids all with cardboard clipboards discussing and drawing shapes. Took a few photos - always love the kids. Then I figured out who the teacher was and asked her if I could take her picture for my project which I explained very briefly. She was always looking at the kids drawings and answering questions, about the “shape scavenger hunt” they were doing, but she smiled and said “sure”. Turns out she is Luzita, the art teacher there for the last 17 years - I gave her the card but doubt if she will ever look. I’ve seen kids out on the playground here before with little cameras on a photo assignment but I’ve never seen this lady. Voila, I got the one shot on the Ilford!! Do hope it turns out!

Then, one of the students nearby who heard all this wanted to chat. Alexis, an 8th grader doing the shape project wanted to know who my kids were. (I had told the teacher this was the school my sons went to -- long before her..... in the 70s/early 80s) I think Alexis was a bit taller than I am (I am 6’2”!!) and said this is her last year and then she’s going to an art high school (one I’ve never heard of) in Seattle. She likes to draw cartoon rabbits in different moods (angry, hysterical) and sketch at the zoo, but this project bored her and her “bench sucked” although generally she said she did art when she was bored with other stuff. I told her I could really relate to that. I asked how she liked the art class and Luzita. “Oh Luzita's good - she can be a little grumpy, and she’s not the first art teacher I’ve had.....but she’s OK” Alexis has been happy in this school since the beginning (it's an alternative now, but some of the neighborhood, not all, can go here...) --she's a very friendly girl and I wished her luck with her art.

I asked Alexis if I could take her picture with her clipboard and she said fine, (she wanted to know should she look at me or look down at the clipboard?) but I didn’t manage to get one with my camera of Luzita the teacher except for this one from the back with the blue shirt on with some of the kids....HERE

Now I’m off to put the camera in the mail to Skip! (had to write this first before I forgot it all!)