There once was a girl who was “seriously single.”
It was the summer of 2013 and Corrie DiManno couldn’t help but notice couples. It seemed, at the time, they were everywhere – holding hands, dashing into stores – doing things that couples do on vacation in Banff.
But it wasn’t the public displays of affection that caught her eye. She began to notice a trend. Many of these couples “matched.” And like any resilient 20-something, she decided it was better to turn the third-wheel syndrome into social media gold by taking photos of couples sharing closets and posting them on Instagram.
Over time, her light-hearted stealthy search for pairs broadened to include siblings, friends and anyone with matching accessories.
And if random photos of strangers online weren’t enough, through the encouragement of friends like Dee Medcalf and Larissa Barlow, she’s put them together in a book—Match Happens. And the images are on display for all to see at Banff’s Wild Flour artisan bakery all month.
DiManno says the urge to shoot double-trouble never gets old.
I just see it everywhere,” she explains. “Banff Avenue is the hot-spot. I’m coming and going all day, and I see all sorts of stuff. Sometimes I’ll even change my course of direction.”
The key to capturing images is the anonymity of it all. DiManno shoots from behind or uses interesting angles to ensure couples remain anonymous. She says she’s only “been busted” once. When confronted, “the fallout” was nothing more than a request for her to take a photo with her subject’s camera.
“It’s on the fine line of stalking,” said DiManno with a laugh.
Sometimes, despite her efforts, she’s left with nothing more with her cellphone in hand.
“I’ve learned that if you let those ones get away, a better one will come to you.
“It’s more of a photographic challenge now. If I go through a dry spell I wonder if it’s like Jack-in-the-Beanstalk – did I take too much? But when I stop thinking about it, another one comes.”
More than ever, it’s more than the hunt for identical attire.
“Now they (subjects) can’t just be wearing matching black shirts and jeans. There has to be some other crazy element.”
And while she’s up for almost anything with her friends, DiManno says there are limits, even in pairs.
“I’ve got a heightened sense of awareness to try and not match my friends (on many levels),” she says.
To purchase Match Happens visit bitly.com/matchhappens or follow DiManno on Instagram @Corriekiddo.
Match Happens is on display at Wild Flour until March 31.
