Florence

Fiorentinos have fashion. Their outfits cut dramatic silhouettes against the powdery stone buildings.

I can't tell expensive clothes from thrift-store rags, but whatever they're wearing, I think Fiorentinos wear it with confidence.

I think people are beautiful by default, but I especially love some of these outfits.

I have taken fewer photos so far this year, because I don't have a convenient film lab. A few weeks ago, I left the house in the morning to take two rolls of film to the post office. I had a brand new roll in my camera.

As I started walking around central Florence, I confidently shot passers by. I had a few errands to run, so I wound my way around the city center in a couple of loops. After an hour, I had already shot most of the roll, so I decided to do something I never normally do — finish the whole roll in one outing so I could add it to the envelope with the other two.

This is an expensive film stock: Kodak Portra 800. I got an Amazon gift card last year, and I spent it on five rolls of Portra on sale. It was a splurge, but I justified it as an education expense. Portra is a very fast, very sharp, very beautiful film. I knew it would help me gain confidence shooting strangers.

The Portra let me shoot faster, wider photos that stay sharp even with a tight crop. As a result, my photos — which are already quite close for my comfort — can get even closer and more intimate.

I love these encounters with people. The more photography I shoot, the more I want to honor these random strangers with my voyeuristic photos. I want to reveal how incredible ordinary people can be.

A good photo can make an ordinary person look larger than life. Because, in a sense, we are all larger than life. Every person is an epic tale — a myth.

I hope these photos just ask the question: who is this mythical person?