I’ve always believed that the most direct and genuine human interaction doesn’t require friendship or acquaintance—it’s all about engaging in a moment of bold and honest exchanges. Through the lens of a camera I could capture moments of the truest emotions. That was why I created Humans of Duke (HOD).
“Humans of New York” became viral back in 2011 and has since inspired hundreds of “Humans of” pages, including mine. Coming to Duke, I found the school too big for me to get to know even 1% of the people who call this place home. Every day I pass by hundreds of thousands of strangers. I wonder about the things they’re wearing, the conversations they’re having, where they came from and where they’re heading. I want to hear their stories, even just in two sentences, but don’t feel comfortable just going up to them. People watching isn’t exactly an acceptable social practice after all. Not to mention eavesdropping or going up to a random stranger for a conversation.
When I created “Humans of Duke”, I found the perfect platform for that conversation. Holding a camera in hand, I document a life, a story, and a living person with just one simple image. I embrace the initial intimidation and skepticism from these people. I listen to the stories. I see their shy smiles, their pride of themselves, their eagerness to tell me their entire life stories, and the smiles I left behind on their faces. Every time I turn around to leave, I feel like I not only just took a picture of them, but also took a peek into their souls. I feel like a collector and proliferator of energy.
Just earlier tonight, I saw a middle-aged man in a corner of the multi-media lab in the library. He was wearing a hoodie and a pair of old and torn jeans. I speculated that he’s a blue-collar worker around Durham or maybe right here on campus. He was staring at the computer, watching a Khan Academy video. It was about midnight but he didn’t seem to be the least bit tired. With my HOD instinct I took out my camera and considered going up to him for a brief chat and a portrait. Then I stopped, because there was something about that still image of a 50-year-old blue-collar man watching Khan Academy videos at midnight in a college library that I didn’t want to disturb. There was some sort of energy that I wish I could share with my audience but knew I should protect by not disturbing his late-night study session. I left the library quietly, grateful for the moment, the image and the energy in it—one of my many HOD moments.
Since its installation in September, HOD has received numerous messages from people willing to help out. With the current team of photographers, we managed to attract a constant weekly view of the thousands. We plan to extend our lens to the community of Durham, especially to the people who work and live in this exuberant and supportive community. Eventually, we want HOD to become a publication and a unique representation of the individuals and stories in this community. We want people to themselves become capturers of moments, to have risky but magical conversations of their owns, and to peek, once in a while, into each other’s soul.