"A portrait photographer depends upon another person to complete his picture.  The subject imagined, which in a sense is me, must be discovered in someone else willing to take part in a fiction he cannot possibly know about."

-- Richard Avedon

This sums up my entire current preoccupation with portrait photography.  As I read more about Avedon's work, I am increasingly fascinated by the connection he builds between photographer and subject.

In a way this wordless connection strikes a deep chord with me as an introverted person.  This doesn't just describe portraits.  For me, it describes the underpinnings of how I relate to other people.

At first I wondered if a difficulty connecting with others in everyday life would beget a similar difficulty in pulling the "subject imagined" from those I photograph.

The answer, I think, lies in the integrity of that wordless connection. As I watch people from afar, am I imagining my perceptions of them?  If they don't reciprocate of even know about the connection I feel, is it real?

Or, do I understand people well but just have trouble expressing myself to them?  If this is the case, one could argue my portraits of people are a window to how I see/understand them.