Befriending new people can be a daunting task. What if they’re rude? What will there be to talk about? For Orem High student Edward Pollei, that first conversation starts with a question: “Can I take your picture?”
Through his photography project Portraits of the Day, Ed has met and photographed around 120 people. The project began in late August, and has since grown far bigger than he expected.
Every day, Ed finds a few people to photograph and then uploads their pictures to his Instagram story. An experienced photographer who first picked up a camera at the age of 8, he’s done a lot of photography over the years–but this project is different from his others. This one is about more than just a good set of photos.
“It started more as a way of trying to get over my insecurities as an artist, and to be more assertive,” he explains. “I’ve been really working on personal goals, and doing this portraits thing has checked some of those boxes.”
And while he says the project has helped him become more assertive and that “it’s easier for me to talk to people through the viewfinder of my camera,” he still has a hard time asking people for their portrait, because he fears the possible rejection.
One of his subjects, Havalah Roberts, understands why it might be scary for Ed to reach out and ask for a photograph. “There’s something kind of personal about letting someone take your picture,” she says.
But getting to know people on that personal level is kind of the point. Portraits of the Day has brought Ed to people he says he would never know or associate with otherwise. He chooses to associate with and photograph people who stand out to him as interesting and unique.
Emme Clarke, a senior who was featured on Portraits of the Day, notes: “How cool of him to take interest in so many people.”
OHS junior Rachel Clark felt similarly, saying, “I felt so honored to have my picture taken by him.”
Edward recognizes how daunting it can feel to pose for a portrait, and admits he likes a more natural approach to getting the shot.
He says, “I prefer when people don’t smile for me. Sometimes people laugh when I ask them not to smile, and that’s fun too. Laughs are genuine.”
Ed also cares about the sense of community his project creates. “I deliberately keep the portraits as non-flashy as possible so as to make the star the subject.”
He plans to continue Portraits of the Day for as long as possible, and he hopes that it makes everybody feel “equal, special, and totes insta famous!”
To see more portraits and keep up with the project, follow @epollei on Instagram
Jane Drinkwater
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