Like many of us, filmmaker and photographerRory Langdon-Downfound his life altered by the pandemic.
And, in the process, Langdon-Down found himself pushing his creative skills to new heights.
For the entirety of 2021, Langdon-Down photographed a different stranger each day.
ButPortrait a Dayisn’t just an Instagram feed.
Langdon-Down has also published a beautiful coffee table book with these portraits.
Read on for My Modern Mets exclusive interview.
With the benefit of hindsight, Id say yes.
Why did you decide, of all the themes, to photograph strangers?
The challenge appealed to me first of all: one photo of a person every day for a year.
You mentioned in another interview that you hadn’t really realized how hard it would be.
What was the hardest part of the project?
The hardest part was initiating conversation with strangers.
It really came down to me and how I was feeling.
When did you realize it would be so challenging and what made you stick with it?
Did you find that any aspect of the project became easier or more difficult as it went on?
My conversational skills with strangers improved hugely.
Sometimes our conversations lasted up to an hour.
What did the project teach you as a creator?
What was the most memorable stranger portrait you took?
This will always stick in my head as what madePortrait A Dayspecialfinding the story in the seemingly ordinary.
Is there anyone you really wanted to photograph but, for whatever reason, it just didn’t work?
I feel that every portrait in the book is in there for a reason.
What were you hoping to capture with these portraits?
Honesty, authenticity, and an overarching feel of positivity.
What do you hope that people take away from the work?
