This is Costa

This is Costa. He was immediately down to be a part of this art project and allowed me to take his photos.

What you don’t see in this video are the 3 previous people I approached right before I ran into Costa. All 3 declined my offer for photos, which has never happened to me before. For context, I typically get 1 rejection in a few hours of shooting—which I think is kind of a miracle.

So before I met Costa, I was feeling extra nervous and shy. A voice in my head was telling me to call it a day and go home. I’m glad I didn’t listen to that voice.

Because moments later, I saw Costa walking down the street looking super fresh. He was about to give me some of his confidence. And also his answer at the end of the video was exactly what I needed to hear to keep me from going home for the day.

Honestly, I was so close to bailing and crawling into bed. But I didn’t. I kept going. And I kept my heart open. And I ended up meeting and photographing 5 more wonderful people that same day.

This project constantly reminds me that the moment when I most want to quit is usually a few seconds before something really interesting is about to happen.

Thank you Costa for saying yes to making art with a stranger and for sharing your confidence and wisdom with me. I needed both.

Big love,

PS: If you want to see the behind the scenes video of me approaching Costa and taking these photos, check out my Instagram or my TikTok.