During the Spring semester, I was given an assignment to get a photograph of a stranger. The only catch was…the eyes. The eyes had be tack sharp and tell the story of this unknown person. For inspiration we were shown the Afghan girl with green eyes, who had once found herself on the cover of National Geographic magazine. If anyone knows the photo, to find eyes as insane as hers, might be near impossible. I had a couple of people in mind for this assignment but of course, they were not strangers.
As with most days during the Spring, I would take any chance I could to get outside, breathe and try to not stress over the assignments that were very quickly, consuming our lives. Instead of enjoying lunch, the hunt was on for some eyes. I am sure people thought I was crazy staring at them but I was on a mission. Several people passed by but no go. A group of students were approaching… and there she was! Crossing my path was this beautiful young girl. I saw the eyes but by the time it registered in my mind, she had walked further away. I hesitated for a couple of seconds……..thought…….then ran after her. This was it! Thankfully she was willing to be my subject.
These eyes helped me take home the Photo of the Week in Small Format Photography. This was a huge surprise but would never have been, if it were not for this stranger. “The eyes are the window to the soul”
Janis Grainger Photography 