Photographer aims to break Vancouver’s unfriendly rep through portraits of strangers

Metro Vancouver has a bit of a reputation for being an unfriendly place, but one local photographer is trying to shatter that stereotype with a new project: stranger portraits.

It's a bit of a tricky introduction, asking a random stranger if they wouldn't mind having their picture taken.

It took Justin Veenema some time to work up the nerve for his new project.

“I said you just got to talk to one person. Try it once and if they say no, forget the whole thing,” Veenema told Global's This is BC.

“The very person I approached her name is Jayden, she's a model. I was so nervous I almost passed out.”

Inspired by the account Humans of New York, Veenema has spent the past several months photographing random people around Metro Vancouver.

“I'm sure there are so many unique people in this city who have a great story to share,” Veenema explained. “I wonder If I could use my skills as a photographer to pull that out of them.”

It's been a unique social experiment in the big city.

“Vancouver's known for being this cold, unfriendly location,” said Veenema.

He's had some refusals along the way but found out quickly that the vast majority of people are willing to stop and pose for a few moments.

“The people that are the most self-conscious, that say ‘I'm not photogenic,' they are the most photogenic,” said Veenema.

Breaking the ice with friendly chats is something he always saw his dad do.

“I used to be embarrassed as a kid or as a teenager watching him talk to strangers, but I think that's really where I got the skills from,” he said.

The response has turned Stranger Portraits into a bigger success than he could have imagined.

“It was just supposed to be a weekend experiment,” Veenema said.

“I made the decision to do this for one year, 365 portraits, and after that I'll re-visit the project to see how it's going. But It's completely changed my perception of the city.”

&copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.