Touching Strangers: Strangers Hugging Each Other (21 photos)

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Category: photographs and photographic works, America, 0+

Every day, photographers around the world seek new ways to tell stories or capture something we've previously overlooked. We select compelling photo projects and ask their creators about their message. This week, we're publishing the "Touching Strangers" series by American photographer Richard Renaldi. For several years, he traveled the United States, asking complete strangers on the streets to pose for him and touch each other as if they were close friends, family, or lovers.

Naomi and Bruce, New York, 2011

Richard Renaldi, photographer:

"In 2004, I was working on the America by Bus project—a series of portraits of people traveling by bus across the United States. At that time, I visited numerous bus stops and stations across the country, photographing tired and travel-weary passengers. It was then that I decided to try a new technique: I started asking strangers to pose together, sitting on the same bench.

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Ikibon and Andrew, Venice, California, 2013.

Convincing strangers to pose together is no easy task, so I wondered what would happen if I also asked them to touch each other? The search for an answer to this question formed the basis of my next project, Touching Strangers. It was 2007. Since then, I've spent several years photographing strangers hugging, holding hands, or even kissing each other on camera, as if they were in a long-standing, warm relationship.

David and Claudio, New York, 2011.

Many of those I met during this time and approached with the idea of participating in the project declined. But, interestingly, most strangers did agree to pose. They were intrigued by the very idea of testing the boundaries of their personal space.

Nathan and Robin, Provincetown, Massachusetts, 2012.

Before the shoot, I showed the subjects photos of their predecessors to help them understand the kind of physical contact I expected. Some were very easy to work with, while others were more difficult. There were also subjects who had to be reassured and explained that everything would be completely innocent, and that I wanted to capture the intimacy typical of friends and family.

Kibbs and Beth, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2012.

I realized I was interested in photography while still in high school. It gave me the confidence I was lacking at that age. I continued studying photography in college and have remained in the field ever since, dedicating myself entirely to becoming a true artist and photographer. I've worked in various genres: portraits, landscapes, reportage, and even conceptual photography.

Elaine and Arlie, New York, 2012.

When I look at photographs, the most important thing for me is always how they look in terms of aesthetics, composition, and the persuasiveness of the subject. In working on Touching Strangers, I was very interested in observing how strangers would visually recreate the intimacy that exists between loved ones."