100 Strangers 9 of 100

100 Strangers 9 of 100, a photo by petcoffr on Flickr.

This picture is #9 in my 100 Strangers project. This is Paul LaPorte. I met him at the Duane Reade Pharmacy at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in New York City. He asked what type of camera I had. Told him it’s a Nikon D80. LaPorte said he had one too. He bought his first camera in 1951 while stationed in Panama. His fellow soldiers said he should buy a camera before they shipped home. They told him to get a Leica. In the U.S., they sold for $444. In Panama they went for about $200. He didn’t have the money, being $25 short. The store owner offered two little-known cameras. One was a Nikon and the other a Canon. He didn’t know which would be better, so he chose the Nikon. His fellow soldiers mocked LaPorte for buying a Japanese camera. They told him everyone knew Japanese-made products were junk. He figured he could sell it back in the U.S. and make money. He’s owned several Nikons since. Learn more about the project at www.100strangers.com or www.flicker.com/groups/100strangers.

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