Humans of Grafton aims its lens at creating a community

Photographer Carolyn Tay wants to document the people of Grafton — their faces, their hopes, their stories.

She’d also like to connect Graftonites with each other — and maybe make a few friends along the way.

Tay is launching the project she’s calling “Humans of Grafton” on April 10, asking residents to meet her at Grafton Common between 9 and 11 a.m. She’s basing it on “Humans of New York,” photographer Brandon Stanton’s ongoing photo series.

“I had an incident in my neighborhood where a person stared at me for a minute, in a way that made me uncomfortable,” said Tay, a Singapore native who has lived in Grafton for the past seven years. With hate crimes against Asians in the news, the moment weighed on her mind.

“I realized I don’t know people enough,” Tay said. “I don’t know people in my community. I don’t want to feel like I don’t belong here. I just thought why not do a project and get to know people who share my interests as well.”

For her inaugural launch, Tay will be hanging out on Grafton Common Saturday, April 10, taking photos and collecting residents’ stories. These will be posted on new Instagram and Facebook pages daily.

Tay plans future events to continue the project.

“Humans of New York creates a space where people are seen as people and not judged by appearances,” Tay said. “I’m hoping this is a way that all of us can make connections.”

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