aren't you going to take my picture?

on the particular night that these photos were shot, i stalked countless people right outside of the doors at a local grocery store, and i don't think that many of them had any clue about my hunt (and i was not camouflaged.) there were tons of average (beautiful,) looking folks filing in and out of the grocery, but i was looking for something a little more than average (not necessarily meaning to "judge," but trying to inject a bit of flare into the project,) on this wonderful fall evening. i stationed myself near these pumpkins with the intention of coloring this "shoot," with the orange of the season. my lurking lasted longer than i had hoped, maybe fifteen minutes, and i was probably nearing the end of my willingness to remain, and then this young woman slid out of the store on the phone (with her mom.) she was talking excitedly like she was talking to her best girlfriend, and then she paused her conversation, looked at me, and asked me something like, "Aren't you going to take my picture?" i was shocked. did she really just turn the tables on me and make my quest stop? i answered her, and i probably surprised her in return... "well, actually, yes, if you'll let me." i quickly told her of my project (and she relayed the proposal to her mom, maybe surprising/scaring her) and then she got off the phone and approached me with quite a lively interest. she was lively and she was interested. (so, usually i only post about three photos of the day's subject, but i wanted to give a little bit more insight into what transpires in the 2-5 minutes that the "photo session" lasts. this woman is not the only person to carry on with gestures and laughter and conversation while still paying some attention to posing... so, i am sharing a portion of the pictures that i took as we collaborated just outside the doors of the grocery store.) she was a delight to meet, and once again, it made me glad to be human... one of us.