Hey, stranger

It's worth pulling out of comments and into a post Brent, an energetic and empathetic potential live donor I met through Chopped Liver, has started his "One-A-Day 2007" photo project to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation. I encourage you to check it out and keep going back, because the volume and repetition is a definite part of its charm.

Brent aims to take and publish a photograph portrait of one complete stranger per day at his Flicker project site, with a brief comment on the nature of their conversation, which invariably will include the topic of organ donation. To do this, of course, he has to approach said strangers, engage them in a conversation that some people may consider awkward, get them to agree to be photographed, and get a signed release from them to allow him to publish the pictures. It reminds me vaguely of a great '90s movie, Smoke, about the poignancy of human connection, in which Harvey Keitel takes and stores photographs of his Brooklyn cigar store every day for several years. Brent, it's a beautiful concept, and without doubt my fave so far is your portrait of "G" from Day 12.

I'd encourage you to bookmark Brent's blog, CausalEffect, as well - because he has been coming up with some insightful and information-rich links on organ donation there lately, putting Chopped Liver to shame. And by all means, if you see this guy coming toward you with a camera, say cheese!