We passed each other on Dundas Street in downtown Toronto today in front of a Canadian Tire store. Her bright hair and bold stylish look grabbed my attention instantly. I turned around and caught up with her to introduce myself and ask her to participate in my photo project. She had her headphones on and didn’t hear me but responded when I tapped her on the shoulder. I was glad she didn’t jump out of her skin because a shoulder tap is a bit bold but I didn’t see an option. Her response was quite warm and friendly and she was pleased to participate. Meet Ashley. When I asked the spelling she said “It’s spelled the usual way. I kind of wish it wasn’t because I enjoy being a bit unconventional.”

I took a photo in the middle of the sidewalk with the Canadian Tire store windows to my right in the background. Ashley asked if I wanted her to take off her sunglasses so I didn’t even have to ask but proceeded to take a few photos without the sunglasses. We then stepped out of foot traffic to chat, standing against the store windows.

Ashley is 26 and works as a makeup artist in a high-end department store in the nearby Eaton Centre mall. My immediate reaction was “Ahhh, that explains your great put-together look.” She grew up in a small town west of Toronto, not far from the border city of Windsor. “You wouldn’t have heard of it” she said, but as it turns out I had heard of it as I have passed nearby many times on our way to Detroit enroute to Chicago. She came to Toronto nine years ago for school and has happily remained. “I was a fish out of water growing up in a small, conservative town of 4,000 people. I was always the different one – always with the crazy hair color, the tattoos, ethnic clothing choices, preferring international foods. It felt wonderful to arrive in Toronto where people come from all over the world and people like me don’t stand out as strange.” I had the impression of a woman born into an “international skin,” who grew up out of place in a small conservative community. She mentioned that adolescence was difficult for her but she seems very happy now.

When I asked about her biggest challenge, she said “Discrimination. Looking different and being my own person, others are quick to make assumptions and judge me. I’m often mistaken for a prostitute and sometimes when I walk into stores I can see the security guards go on alert. It’s a very unpleasant feeling to have people making judgments without even knowing me.” We talked a bit about assumptions and about the way we all make them but should know better. Doing my Human Family project I have had countless stereotypes broken and have had assumptions proven wrong. That’s part of the beauty of this project – it allows people to define themselves and me to experience them regardless of how they dress or look.

Ashley told me she was pleasantly surprised when her current employer hired her. I thought it was too conservative and not likely to hire someone with hair and tattoos like mine.” We shared a laugh and I noted tattoos peeking out of the sleeve of her jacket. When I said it was too bad I couldn’t include some of her ink in a photo she said she could easily slip off the jacket (it was a surprisingly mild spring day) which she did. This allowed me to take a few final photos against the store windows, showing her colorful tattoos. Ashley is on Instagram as miss_obscure. (www.instagram.com/miss_obscure/?hl=en)

Ashley’s advice to the project? “No matter how crappy life is, never give up. I’ve experienced some difficult times and yet things got much better. Don’t get too caught up in the temporary.” We shook hands and I thanked Ashley for a really enjoyable encounter. I hoped I hadn’t delayed her. She said “Not at all. I just got off work. It was my pleasure. In fact, you really made my day. I love the project and I hope it goes well.” Thanks Ashley. Stay different.

I said maybe I would see her one day in the store. She encouraged me to pay a visit. I joked “Maybe you could give me a makeover. I could probably use one.” She laughed and said “I could certainly give you a hand massage or something at the beauty bar!” We parted with a wave and a laugh.

This is my 468th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

Follow-up:
I received a very nice email from Ashley telling me how much she enjoyed viewing my project photos when she got home. She went on to say “Thank you for turning my day around too. I was having a really tough day at work and our interaction just helped so much. Thanks and all the best with The Human Project.” I would say that Ashley's feedback was even more rewarding than the nice portraits that came from our meeting.

Tags:   Ashley street stranger Toronto makeup artist The Human Family portrait glasses sunglasses shades hair

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I saw him on Dundas Street at Kensington Market. He was just about to cross the busy street and I was glad I caught up with him before he started crossing. His short stature and colorful, quirky attire drew my attention instantly. I loved his eccentric but friendly look right off the bat. Making my introduction, I expressed my wish to photograph him for my project and he didn’t hesitate but agreed with a friendly smile. Noting that he was very slow-moving with his umbrella functioning as a cane, I scanned the immediate surroundings for a suitable background and settled on this rather narrow piece of brick wall which was part of a business building. Meet Jin.

Jin was quite patient as I made a few photos and he accommodated my final request to do a full-length photo so show his style more clearly. “I see you really like colors” I said. He smiled and agreed this was true. When I expressed an interest in having a portrait showing his eyes, I could see his hesitation about removing the sunglasses. “Or” I added “would that be uncomfortable for you?” He said “It would” so I told him to forget that request.

As we chatted, I learned that Jin is from “Old China.” When I asked if that was the same as mainland China he said it was but he had come to Canada a long time ago. “How long ago?” I asked. “I was 12” he answered. “How old are you now?” I asked. He sucked me into the guessing game that is politely answered by guessing low. “Seventy seven?” I guessed. He smiled, revealing a partial mouthful of teeth that looked like they still did the job but would not last a lot longer. “Ninety one” he proudly proclaimed. When I said he had a few years on me he asked if I’d guessed 77 because I was 77. Wishing he’d returned the favor of guessing low, I said “No. I’m 71.” He nodded.

Jin came to Canada with his parents many years ago and has been back to visit China twice in all those years. His life’s work was running a convenience store – those small neighborhood shops that stock the essentials and are open seven days a week long after the major stores have closed. They are also open on holidays and stock tobacco, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, candy, gum. laundry detergent, etc. – all items that shoppers are likely to suddenly discover they need late at night. I commented that I’ve met convenience store owners before and it sounds like a demanding job. He agreed. “I was the owner, the staff, the cleaner – everything. Long hours, hard work.” Jin seemed like a great example of the energy and hard work Canada’s immigrant population has brought from all over the world to make Canada the remarkable country it is.

When I asked what message he would like to share with the project he said “Believe in yourself.” I had to ask two or three times to make sure I understood him through his accent and missing teeth. “That’s a good message” I said. I finished by asking him his secret for living such a long life. He said “Don’t do more than your body allows.” Clarifying this piece of advice, I learned that he never smoked, drank alcohol, and has always taken a daily walk, habits he has retained to this day. He confirmed that I had met him while he was taking his daily walk.

I thanked Jin for taking the time to meet and participate in my photography project and wished him good health and happiness. His handshake was warm, but frail. The smile never left his face and he wished me well too.

This is my 444th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

Tags:   Jin street stranger Toronto portrait Kensington Kensington Market China immigration umbrella

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I was passing by the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) while passing the time before attending a class. I noticed that the walkway leading to the front door might work as a portrait location so I entered the lobby of the building to see if I might discover an interesting subject. Little did I know that a pop-up exhibit and sale of OCAD student work was on display which was a bonus. Then I saw her, talking with friends next to a display. She looked like a wonderful subject with her attractive features and stylish simplicity. She was standing next to a display of some of her own jewelry (see comment photos) which was equally beautiful and simple. The artist and her creations looked like a perfect reflection of one another. Meet Francess.

I explained my photo project and made my request, citing that she would be a great subject. Her response was somewhat shy and quiet, but quite willing. I explained my idea for a location outside the front door. I half-expected her to hesitate leaving her display to go outside without a coat and when she said it would be ok, I promised to make it quick. It was a chilly day but not wickedly cold. As we left the building I handed her my contact card “before I forget” and explained that I would send her a copy of the photo as a thank you.

I lined Francess in the centre of the walkway and given that this is an art school, our mini photo-shoot didn’t raise an eyebrow of students coming and going. I’m sure such sights are more the norm at OCAD than the exception. Photos taken, I walked Francess back into the building and learned a bit more about her. She showed me her jewelry which was quite beautiful and explained that she was just at the beginning of her career and doesn’t have a stock of jewelry that would supply a web store yet. A website, however, is under construction. She confirmed my suspicion that the earrings she was wearing were of her own design.

Francess explained that she is 23 and came to Canada with her parents from mainland China ten years ago. She has one year to go before finishing her degree with a major in Jewelry Design. She enjoys the university and loves designing and making jewelry. Her message to the project was as simple and beautiful as her creations. “Stay strong. Accept yourself.”

I found Francess to be a stylish, soft-spoken, shy, but very friendly young woman. It was very good of her to support my project despite the fact that she was participating in a student sale at the time.

Thank you Francess for participating in my project. I wish you future success – both in life and in your career.

This is my 436th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

Tags:   Francess artist street stranger designer Ontario College of Art and Design OCAD The Human Family portrait China

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Today is the first really snowy day of the winter in Toronto. The sky is leaden and the snow had begun falling with predictions of 10-12 cm this afternoon and overnight. Not a lot by some standards, but likely enough to make tomorrow's Monday morning rush hour an adventure.

I decided I would get an errand done before the weather got worse, so out I went. On my way to the bank I saw her daughter helping her off the curb to get into a car. I jumped into action and asked "Before you step off the curb, would you mind letting me take your photo? I'm an amateur photographer and my project is taking informal street portraits. You would make a great subject with that snow on your hat."

Both she and her daughter were taken by surprise and the daughter deferred to her mother which I thought was very respectful. Elizabeth, still surprised, said "Sure" and adjusted her hat slightly. Thank goodness it didn't disturb the snow on the brim. (Click)

I showed them both the photo and they were clearly tickled at how nice she looked on my camera display. Both declined my offer to send them a thank you copy as they were in a hurry to get somewhere..

There wasn't time to chat further but I'm very glad to have been granted this spontaneous street portrait of Elizabeth - a woman with a lovely sense of style and a beautiful smile, who isn't going to let a little thing like a snowstorm keep her indoors.

Thank you Elizabeth, for taking a minute to be photographed for my project prior to escaping the snowstorm.

This is my 390th submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

Tags:   Elizabeth street stranger Toronto portrait snow hat winter smile The Human Family

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I was having coffee with a friend and catching up on the news when this man walked in and set up his laptop at a nearby table to do some work. My eye went to him instantly because of his fashionable and unique look. I told my friend that I would like to approach him for my project and he said “Go ahead. I have an errand to do and we can finish our chat after.” Great.

I stepped over to the fellow’s table, leaned over and he looked up with a smile. That’s always a good sign. I introduced myself and my Human Family project and said that his great look made him an instant candidate for inclusion. He laughed and said “It sounds like a great project. I’d be happy to participate. Actually I do modelling so I’m used to being photographed.” How perfect is that? We shook hands. Meet Ishan.

He closed his computer and said he would be glad to step outside for a few photos. The fact that it was an unusually mild February 1st in Toronto made the plan that much more comfortable. The only relatively clean background was the polished stone facing of the building we were in. I took some photos and Ishan was very easy to guide into the position I had in mind for a few straightforward photos.

We went back into the coffee shop to exchange information and for me to find out a bit about this friendly and accommodating man. Ishan was born and raised in Toronto and works as a model, stylist, and visual merchandiser. He pointed across the way to a set of display windows and said they were to promote the upcoming Toronto Men’s Fashion Week in Toronto. “You should come” he said. I laughed and pointed to my faded blue jeans and baseball cap. “I could use a lot of help in that department” and we laughed. “No” he said. “It’s for everyone. You’d love it. I’ll email you the information.” (www.tomfw.com/) The display windows and the entire promotion office are Ishan’s artistic design.

When I asked Ishan how he would describe himself to a person who didn’t know him, he replied “I’m an open and caring person and all things artistic are my passion.” His advice to the world? “Everyone just needs to care about others more. It would make the world a much better place.” When I asked about his greatest challenge, he paused and said “Oh, so many.” He then went on to say “My greatest challenge was getting people to accept me for who I am. I’m a gay man and I discovered that acceptance by others would only come once I accepted myself. That wasn’t easy.” When I asked what was the turning point in self-acceptance he replied “My divorce. I was married, you know, and once I divorced I was able to move forward in self-acceptance.” He was happy to share this story and hopes that it could inspire others to come to terms with themselves. “I’m actually in a really good place now.”

As we talked I noticed Ishan’s rings and bracelets and asked if we could step outside once more for a couple of quick photos that included his hands. I admitted I’m not very experienced at posing subjects and asked if he could place his hands on the front of his shoulders. He did and we both sensed that it looked quite awkward. At that point, he said “How about this?” and crossed his hands. Perfect.

I couldn’t get over what a friendly fellow Ishan was and how interesting. His enjoyment of the project and the unexpected meeting matched my own. I left him with my thanks and a handshake. Isham is known as ishanriley on Instagram.

Thanks, Ishan, for the friendly chat and for participating in The Human Family Group on Flickr.

This is my 136th submission to The Human Family Group.

I hope Men’s Fashion Week (the last week of this month) is a big success.

You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.

Tags:   Ishan Toronto fashion Toronto Men's Fashion Week The Human Family stranger portrait hands rings braids style

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