When you meet up with someone from home in the big city, it’s always a good feeling. Tahira had been living in Vancouver (YVR) for a minute, and we wanted to shoot and meet for supper. A true Vancouver girl at the time, she made me walk ten miles or so – “it’s not far,” she lied – and while we creeped in and out of back alleys and found graffiti that made my heart sing, we laughed. Tahira is the cousin to my sister-in-law and the best friend to my god-sister, so I’ve always known who she is but we’ve never just hung out, just the two of us. I had been nervous – what if we got awkward? – but it was effortless and it felt like home, just walking around downtown with good friend and a camera.
I had always wanted to photograph Tahira. She’s tall and curvy with these dominant Cree features – basically my dream model – but I was always too shy to ask. She’s incredibly intimidating – I don’t know if she’s ever been told that, ha. Afterwards, after finding the yellow alley and a few outfit changes, we ended up feasting downtown, sipping red wine and eating steak. It was a good moment and we told stories with accents growing thicker as we remembered our homes and shared friends.
“I thought you hated me,” I told her, still a little stunned she was actually very nice.
“That’s what everyone thinks. I’m shy. I’m not stuck-up, I’m shy,” Tahira sighed, shaking her head.
I sipped my wine. “That’s what everyone says when they’re actually just stuck-up,” I told her, raising an eyebrow.
She burst out laughing.
It’s good when people just get you.
