I was asked what my most-prized possession was today and after fumbling around a bit with boring answers like "the hard drive all my stuff is backed up to", I tried to think about what singular objects I have that I couldn't just replace. One nice option was a sketch of Canada Geese that my friend @wayward sent me once but I think the answer has to be something that isn't nearly as meaningful or good.
About a decade ago, I was walking in the wooded area around me and @iiiiiii's old apartment and I found the above photo lying face-down on the ground. It was the only photo there. I've always felt there was some resonance both between me and this mystery person walking through some trees and me and the unseen person photographing it. Maybe there was some unseen photographer witnessing me in that moment too.
The composition of the shot has always made me think of the Patterson-Gimlin bigfoot film. Inadvertently, the photographer has created for me my own lasting enigmatic photo (albeit a much more mundane one). I'll never know who this stranger is but I can only assume they're still wandering those woods. If I wander enough maybe I'll one day meet them
