A photographer who hit New Zealand's streets armed only with his phone said he didn't expect people to open up as much as they did.
And the photos themselves ended up revealing more than thought at first glance.
"Everyone has their own story and their own past," Wellington based photographer Michael Farr told Newshub.
Part of it, Farr said, was how casual it all was. They would chat, then he'd pull out his smartphone - a Huawei P10 armed with a Leica dual lens camera.
"People were talking more openly, because they weren't nervous. It's a completely different vibe than in a studio."
Farr took photos of 27 people across the capital and sat down with them to learn their stories, as part of the 100 Portraits, 100 Untold Stories campaign. Some of them he knew beforehand, while others were strangers.
"One of my hairdressers had a great story, Tui... He was talking about his upbringing, how he was the one who had to roll because his parents were non-existent really," Farr said.
"It was a heartfelt story, he really opened up quite quickly. It was good he opened up, I wasn't expecting him to go so deep."
Another which stuck with him was tattoo artist Nathan, who became a tatooist after battling mental health issues and feeling like he didn't fit in.
"He had a great story. It was an eye-opening experience of how he was treated differently, growing up in school and how he overcame it by going his own way," Farr said.
"He's not worrying about what people think."
Then there were people like Ray, the mixologist who went from icecream roller to owner of a popular Wellington bar through sheer graft.
"He was totally humble. A lot of people were very humble in their role."
Getting people's backgrounds added an extra depth to his photos.
"One photo to give you the impression of that person is quite an interesting angle, and to be able to read deep into their life upbringing and their experiences," Farr said.
"It gives a bit of a slip on how you perceived the image and portrait, and what you feel."
This article has been created for Huawei to showcase its 100 Portraits campaign.
Click here to see more compelling photos and untold stories and see the powerful capabilities of the Leica dual lens camera on the P10 and P10 plus.
