An afternoon of glassblowing, art, and a few unexpected connections in downtown Boise.

The Event

On Sunday, October 25th, I decided to spend the afternoon photographing something a little different.

Boise Art Glass, located on Front Street in downtown Boise, was holding an open house where visitors could watch artists create glass pumpkins and other Halloween decorations.

I'd never photographed glassblowing before, and it sounded like an interesting opportunity. I contacted the studio beforehand to ask if I could bring my camera, and they were happy to have me.

Rather than drive downtown in my old 1985 Chevy four-wheel-drive pickup, I decided to take a Lyft. Parking downtown can be difficult enough without trying to maneuver that old truck into a small parking space.

My driver was a friendly gentleman from Bosnia.

During our conversation, he told me that he had come to America through an immigration program connected to the war in Bosnia. We talked a little about that, and before long, I was downtown and ready to take some pictures.

I didn't know it at the time, but that conversation would be the first of two encounters that would make this afternoon particularly memorable.

The Work

Walking into Boise Art Glass was quite a change from the chilly weather outside.

There were three furnaces operating, and the heat inside the studio was considerable. Some visitors had arrived wearing jackets, but it didn't take long to warm up once you were inside.

A couple dozen people were gathered to watch the artists at work.

The glassblowers were creating pumpkins and other Halloween-inspired pieces, taking molten glass from the furnaces and carefully shaping it into decorative objects.

It's an interesting process to watch, particularly when you've never seen it done up close.

One of the gentlemen doing much of the glassblowing told us he'd been working at the studio for nine years.

His story was interesting.

He said he'd originally taken a glassblowing class simply because he was curious about it. He enjoyed the experience so much that he stayed involved, eventually getting hired by the studio.

Nine years later, there he was, demonstrating the craft to a room full of curious visitors.

I liked that story. Sometimes an interest in something begins with nothing more than deciding to try it.

The artists were friendly and engaged with the audience throughout the demonstration. People asked questions, and the glassblowers answered them while continuing their work.

There was no shortage of things to photograph.

The glow of the furnaces, the molten glass, the tools, and the people working together offered plenty of opportunities. Some of the lighting was challenging, and I occasionally had to use higher ISO settings than I normally would have preferred.

But even before editing, I was pleased with the photographs.

I also spent time photographing the studio's gallery of finished glass artwork.

The pieces were colorful, and sunlight coming through the windows illuminated some of them beautifully. Glass has a remarkable way of interacting with light, and the colors and reflections made for some interesting images.

It was a good afternoon, and I appreciated the opportunity to photograph people practicing a craft that requires so much skill and experience.

The Images

After leaving Boise Art Glass, I decided to walk a few blocks to Freak Alley.

For anyone unfamiliar with Boise, Freak Alley is a downtown alleyway filled with murals and artwork created by local artists. It's a popular destination for visitors and residents, and the artwork changes over time.

I took a few photographs of the murals before deciding it was time to head home.

By then, I already had plenty of photographs to work with.

But the most memorable part of my afternoon hadn't happened yet.

I called another Lyft, and my driver was a young man named Sandeep.

Sandeep told me he was from Nepal.

As we drove, we began talking about his life, social media, and photography. He told me he'd previously enjoyed some popularity on TikTok, but that circumstances surrounding a breakup with his girlfriend had changed things for him.

He was working on rebuilding his following and getting back into something he enjoyed.

Somewhere along the way, I mentioned that I was a photographer.

Sandeep seemed interested in that, and he mentioned that perhaps I could take a photograph of him someday.

We were traveling along Capitol Boulevard, approaching the Boise Train Depot.

If you've been to the depot, you know it sits above Capitol Boulevard and offers a wonderful view looking north toward downtown Boise and the Idaho State Capitol.

I pointed toward the depot and suggested that we drive up there.

I'd take his picture.

He was excited about the idea.

So, in the middle of an ordinary Lyft ride home, we made an unexpected stop at one of Boise's most recognizable landmarks.

We went up to the depot, overlooking the city, and I photographed Sandeep.

It wasn't something I'd planned, and it certainly wasn't why I'd gone downtown that afternoon.

But I'm glad it happened.

For a few minutes, two people who had never met before shared a little of their lives with each other.

And I came home with more than photographs of glass pumpkins and painted walls.

A Final Thought

There's something I've come to appreciate about going out with a camera.

Sometimes you attend an event, take your photographs, and go home. You might come back with some good pictures, and that's enough.

But every once in a while, something else happens.

You meet somebody.

You have a conversation. You learn a little about where they've come from, what they've experienced, or what they're trying to accomplish in their own lives.

Yesterday, both of my Lyft drivers were immigrants.

One came from Bosnia and told me about his connection to the war there. The other, Sandeep, came from Nepal and shared a little about his life and what he hoped to accomplish.

I don't know all the circumstances that brought either of them to America, and I don't want to pretend that I do.

But I enjoyed meeting both of them.

They were friendly, interesting people who were willing to share a little of their lives with a stranger.

And in Sandeep's case, that brief encounter turned into an opportunity to make a portrait.

I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about photography.

It gives me a reason to go somewhere, to look around, and sometimes to meet people I otherwise never would have encountered.

I spend a lot of time photographing people doing things that matter to them. Musicians, artists, people attending public events, and ordinary people going about their lives.

And sometimes I get to talk with them.

I don't need every outing to turn into some extraordinary experience. Sometimes the photographs alone are worth the trip.

But when I get to connect with somebody, even briefly, the whole afternoon feels a little more worthwhile.

The time, the effort, the expense of getting there, and the hours spent editing photographs afterward all seem worth it.

I went downtown yesterday to photograph people making things out of glass.

I watched artists at work, photographed some beautiful objects, walked through an alley filled with paintings, and met two people whose lives began in other parts of the world.

And before the afternoon was over, I found myself standing at the Boise Train Depot, taking a photograph of a young man from Nepal who simply wanted someone to take his picture.

Sometimes that's all it takes to make an ordinary day memorable.

I'm glad I went.