Humans of Edinburgh - One Story at a Time

I see a lot of young men these days are growing beards,

So I would like to declare that I've worn mine for years,

I used to shave it now and then to ward off paedophile fears...

But now i keep it nice and long to spare my wife from tears.

Ollie Buchanan's favourite thing about Humans of Edinburgh is definitely “speaking to strangers with a reason for doing so. It's something that you never have the chance to do without something like this”, he says, calling it “an honour to get an insight into people's lives through a photo and a quote”. And luckily, Humans of Edinburgh, the street photography project started by Buchanan and his friend and business partner Zishan Ashraf in January 2014, extends the honour of experiencing Edinburgh's streets 'one story at a time' to everyone eager to connect through social media. In short, Ashraf and Buchanan approach strangers on the streets of Edinburgh, and later choose a picture and an accompanying quote to share with a constantly growing fan base. Buchanan takes the pictures and picks quotes, and Ashraf is responsible for sharing and promoting the work on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Buchanan admits, “I don't think my photography alone would be on nearly half as many likes without his skills in facebook marketing”- after all, know-how is key in the age of social media.

Having grown up together on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Buchanan, a student of English at Stirling University, and Ashraf, who runs the online delivery service IamHungover, have known each other since school. The project, inspired by Humans of New York, was initially started as a side project, but it certainly looks like it is here to stay. Whilst browsing street photography from all over the world is entertaining, it's just that little bit different when you recognise the streets and corners from your way to class or work, and the stories you read are those of people whose paths you might well have crossed before without knowing. Buchanan himself has a similar explanation for the unexpected success of Humans of Edinburgh. “People seem to have lost the attitude regarding art where posh, expensive looking things are attractive. Nowadays, I think people's primary reason for looking at art is to see something relatable”, he says; and quite clearly, people from Edinburgh do relate.

Ashraf and Buchanan offer a compelling contrast between busy street life and just taking a minute to stop and listen; between the anonymity of a capital city and intimate thoughts shared with a total stranger, and thousands more online. Buchanan explains, “It's a very personal process – sometimes, I feel like I'm delving too deep with questions I ask, but then I'm surprised and reassured by how open the person is in responding. I think there's something therapeutic in sharing something personal with a stranger”. Ashraf has just bought a new camera too, but until they will be able to split the photography, Buchanan is “more than happy” doing the photos by himself. Buchanan, a self-taught photographer, credits one of his teachers from school for sparking his passion for photography. “I will always remember him”, he says, “I don't think I'd love photography as much as I do had he not started me out.” He still has the camera his teacher convinced him to buy many years ago; it's the very camera he uses to capture the Humans of Edinburgh on film. Does he encounter difficulties when approaching people for their picture? “A lot of people said no to having their photos taken first, but once the project grew, people now generally know about it and are happy to be featured”. Unsurprisingly, “some people are often very reserved in their quotes”, but luckily, from art school students who can't come up with anything pretentious to say, non-couples, accidental pug-owners and even the occasional tram fan, it's the everyday aspect that makes Humans of Edinburgh so special. The project manages to put the human back in Edinburgh, a city with such breathtakingly beautiful scenery that it is easy to forget that it is populated by actual human beings with real stories to share.

One thing Buchanan would rather not reveal are his favourite photo locations in Edinburgh: “I have a few favourite spots to shoot in, but I like them being secret”. But he'll gladly tell us his favourite thing about Edinburgh, “Palymra, the Shawarma restaurant. It's really, really perfect”, and share a tip for budding portrait photographers: “Practicing portrait photography on people you're comfortable being around is the key to being good at it. Once you master it, it's like taking the same photo every time, except with different people.” The same photo, but with different people – that's Humans of Edinburgh in a nutshell for you. Follow their journey through everyone's favourite Gothic Capital city on Facebook, tumblr or Twitter.

Written for The Student, the UK's oldest student newspaper.