Vancouver's Anonymous Photo Project

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We just just happened upon the website of The Anonymous Photo Project, an endeavor of "discovery and chance". Here's how it works: a package is left in a public place containing a disposable camera, postage, and instructions telling you to use the camera and mail it to a Vancouver address with the postage provided. Would you do it?...

Cameras that are returned are uploaded onto the project's website and some photos are even highlighted on the project's blog. It turns out that so far, a little more than a quarter of the cameras placed have made it back to home base. And surprisingly, a lot of folks are using the cameras, at least in part, to take pictures at home.

We're imagining finding a camera and filling it up with Apartment Therapy style. A little informal house tour, if you will. If you really want to go for it, you can check for the locations of the most recently-planted cameras, located in 13 nations all around the world, under Recently Placed Cameras. Or, if you're interested in helping to plant a few cameras yourself, check here to see how you can help spread the project.

Comments (9)

That sounds awesome and I would be so excited, of course i'd do it.

posted by Lafferteezy on May 8th 2009 at 4:47pm
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Yes, this sounds like a fun idea.

posted by MaeEast on May 8th 2009 at 5:15pm
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That's awesome. I want to find one!

posted by sagekitten85 on May 8th 2009 at 6:13pm
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You betcha!

posted by catspajamas on May 8th 2009 at 6:54pm
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Just the kind of thing I love.

posted by dkzody on May 8th 2009 at 10:26pm
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Whoa! When I saw picture #5, I thought to myself "Hey! That looks exactly like one of the places on VCU's campus here in Richmond, VA!" Then I thought "Nah! It can't be. It's probably just a picture of some historic houses in some other city." So I took a guess and plugged in "1006 Franklin Street Richmond, VA" into google maps just to prove to myself that the picture wasn't taken in Richmond... it turns out that that is the EXACT address the picture was taken! How weird is that?! Sorry, some things are just too weird for me to ignore.

posted by designiphile on May 9th 2009 at 12:56am
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What a fantastic idea!

Designiphile, definitely a bit spooky, but cool at the same time. The world can be a very small place.

posted by sparklechic on May 9th 2009 at 2:39am
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@designphile: I'm in Richmond too! I had the same thoughts, so the confirmation is good. Now I'm thinking about what I would have taken pictures of around town...

posted by rvalexa on May 9th 2009 at 12:22pm
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of course i would do it! cool idea. :-)

posted by maike on May 10th 2009 at 3:01pm
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