There is a long tradition in the Flickr community of taking portraits of strangers, then sharing the story of the encounter with the world. From groups like 100 Strangers, to personal projects by Flickr members to document the people we find in the streets and out in public, the results of these meetings can be beautiful, intriguing, and moving.

We want to celebrate the stranger-portrait tradition by encouraging you all to making the next global Flickr photowalks all about breaking down the social barriers keeping you from the people around you.

We’re scheduling a “Howdy Stranger!” global photowalks for the weekend August 22nd and 23rd, 2015. Grab a camera and grab a few friends, get outside and introduce yourself to someone you don’t know, ask them if you can take a portrait, upload it to Flickr, and tell us about the experience!

Now, we know that approaching new people on the street can be challenging, so we’re putting together a few resources we hope will be valuable for you. Head over to the Flickr global photowalks group for a few suggestions for making the process a bit easier. Given that this is as much a photo shoot as a photo walk, we’ve developed a sample shot list, where we give you suggestions for who you might approach for your portraits. We’ve also got some tips on lighting, how to break the ice and connect with people in public, and how to engage your subject, etc.

Be sure to check out the Flickr Worldwide Photowalks group and our Facebook event listing for more details. We look forward to seeing your work and we can’t wait to hear about your Howdy Stranger! experiences.