Instagrammer @palebluewave captured this scene in St. Johns on Dec. 20, 2023. The profile has more than 80,000 followers on the social media platform.
courtesy of Pale Blue Wave
Many of the video interactions start the same way:
“Hey. Excuse me.”
What happens next is a short exchange between two strangers in Portland and it leads to an impromptu portrait session. That’s the concept behind the social media account @palebluewave.
The account has more than 85,000 followers on Instagram and exhibits on-the-spot photo shoots of people around the city. It also features photography of landmarks like St. Johns Bridge.
“I went downtown and started taking photos and they were very bad,” said Ryan, the photographer behind the account. “But yeah, I started that day and then literally, I’ve been doing that probably five to six days a week downtown for six months.”
If audience is any judge, the practice has paid off. The first few portraits got a couple dozen likes but more recent ones have gotten thousands.
Ryan said he started the account after an injury destroyed his quality of life. As he started healing, he instituted a daily walking routine.
The Instagram account Pale Blue Wave featured this portrait of Isaiah Young. It was taken on Jan. 10, 2024, near SW College Street and SW Broadway.
courtesy of Pale Blue Wave
“I was kind of seeing everything with fresh eyes,” he said. “The smallest things while I was on these walks would bring me a ridiculous amount of joy. Like a squirrel chasing another squirrel, that could make me just feel amazing.”
With that mindset, he decided to nurture the creative side of his life that he said he neglected for 15 years and started working on his photography.
“This whole thing for me has been freedom,” he said. “Just going out on the street with no expectations, very little photography background and doing whatever I want. I have no agenda. I have no one telling me what to do.”
When Ryan’s out taking photos, he has a GoPro running that captures his interactions with Portlanders. In the moment, he typically explains to someone that their hair or shoes or jacket looks nice and asks to take their photo. In some videos, people appear surprised and flattered to be noticed on their commutes, going about their day.
The Instagram account Pale Blue Wave featured this portrait of Natalie Bouldin. It was captured on St. Johns Bridge on Jan. 13, 2024.
courtesy of Pale Blue Wave
“People just don’t usually go around complimenting. You don’t see that a lot,” he said. “So that’s what I’m complimenting, is the thing that drew me to them.”
Ryan said most of the time people say yes and he recognizes that’s a big leap of faith on their part. A lot of the people he approaches are looking at their phone screen or are using earbuds and might be disconnected from the moment.
“To be able to break through it, it feels great,” he said.
For Ryan, walking around and looking for potential portraits can be meditative. He can spend two to three hours in observation mode. And even as his account grows, garnering likes, comments and followers, there’s really only one opinion he cares about: the stranger he photographed.
“If I get a comment from that person and they’re like, ‘Wow, that was awesome.’ Then I’m like, OK, I did my job,” he said. “If they like it, that’s what feels great.”
Ryan spoke to OPB “Think Out Loud” host Dave Miller about the social media account. Listen to the full conversation:
Editor’s note: We’re only using Ryan’s first name to maintain his privacy.