Environmental Portrait

Francis Nicholas Perry, 34, returns to his bicycle, unchained to a street sign, after having rummaged through garbages around the block. After being asked how old he was, he replied, “My body’s 34 years old, but I feel older because my skull is about 500 years old, it’s partially silicated, it’s glass.”

“Why is that?”

“Some people have a gene where they can have their spinal chord fused back together but some people don’t…”

What makes you happy?

Anthony Masters, 38 (right)
Randie Whittier, 49  (left)

Randie: "Being alive. God does."

Anthony: "Still above the ground. Life itself."

Claire Krause,  19

"I think what makes me happy, or when I notice that I am feeling happy, is when I'm doing something that either betters myself or other people. Happy to me isn't just sitting on a couch, watching, T.V. and being content doing nothing, I feel like it’s doing something new and enjoying it while you are doing it. Whether or not it’s meeting somebody new, or going to a new place, or just doing something that you have never done before that is beneficial to yourself or others."

Cody Anderson, 20 

"Of course piano makes me happy, I love playing my instrument and I love being out here and playing for people. Honestly, I'm very cynical in a lot of ways especially about the world and society, and somehow that makes me happy. Just like seeing the world in a dark light and being okay with that. In my point of view, the world is a dark place and it’s not a depressing kind of thing, I'm not sad about it, it’s like okay, the worlds really shitty, cool. You just learn to accept it."

Katelyn McHarness, 20

"You know, I have a really great relationship with my family, I guess fulfilling my dreams which is pursuing something exceptional, being good at whatever I do, and doing it for work. Pursing my relationship with God."

Madison Kacatin, 22

"Mostly basketball, I like playing basketball, I like to watch basketball, I like to ride my bike. I hiked the Oyster Dome the other day, that was really fun. I like my dog, she's a golden retriever."

Sean Carlisle, 23

"I like cooking. Smoking weed. Being outside. Just seeing something new everyday. Meeting new people. Thinking about being happy makes me happy. It’s a lot easier to be happy than to be upset. You got to think about something specific to be upset about, so if you just don’t let yourself become upset, than you have no other option than to just be happy."