As we were sitting there eating a woman walked past headed to the restroom. She had on this wonderful hat and had such a great face. I thought about asking her for a photograph, but then told myself how dumb I would sound. I mean, what an embarrassing thing to do, asking a complete stranger to take their picture. I sat there for a couple of minutes debating and then, without thinking too much more about it, jumped up, camera in hand, and went into the bathroom.

She was just washing her hands. I told her how beautiful I thought her hat was. She said, “Thank you so much! I’ve been out celebrating a special occasion today and decided to get dressed up. It’s my birthday.” I wished her a happy birthday and told her she looked so pretty. As she had her hand on the doorknob ready to walk out I said, “Would you mind if I took your picture?” She didn’t even hesitate. “Really? Of course!”

I had her stand against the wall in the restroom and fired off a couple of shots. She had the best smile on her face. She asked if I would send her a copy and gave me her address. I thanked her and she said, “No, thank you! You made my day!” She definitely made mine. Taking someone’s photo really does make a difference. It’s all about noticing people and just making them feel beautiful even if it’s just for a few minutes. It was a personal mini Help-Portrait project. I cannot wait for December 12 for the real thing.

Beauty is an experience, nothing else. It is not a fixed pattern or an arrangement of features. It is something felt, a glow or a communicated sense of fineness. What ails us is that our sense of beauty is so bruised and blunted, we miss all the best.
~ D. H. Lawrence

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