I asked strangers to look each other in the eye and to hold the gaze for as long as thirty minutes while I photographed them and their surrounding environment. The process showed me a range of ways that people protect themselves through body language and facial expressions. It also allowed me to examine the power struggles that emerged from these “staring contests,” instead of directly participating in the imbalanced power dynamic that typically exists between a photographer and his/her subject. By staging these confrontations in public locations I was able to use the reactions of passersby to amp up the tension between the two central figures. The movement of these ancillary figures also serves to highlight the stillness of the people staring, and the length of their engagement.