5 things this Philly photographer learned about love by interviewing strangers

Within a few conversations, Anthony Page says he can tell if a couple is in it for the long haul or bound to break up. No, he’s not a superhero or psychic — he’s a wedding photographer.

In his new video series, Love, Page, 33, of Brewerytown conducts person-on-the-street interviews with locals about relationships. He started the project this year to branch out with his photography and videography. Questions range from “who should pay for the first date?” to “what do you love about your partner?”

“I’m someone who has no problem going up to strangers,” he said. “But I’ve always felt weird about hearing my own voice in videos. Still, people told me I need to show my own face so people know who I actually am. I decided this was the year for it.”

So far, Page has published about a dozen segments to his Instagram page, @antpagephoto. The goal, he says, is 100 episodes before the end of the year. (That’s how we met, actually. Page approached me and my partner on a Saturday afternoon in Rittenhouse Square and turned our conversation into one of those segments.)

“I don’t think I’ll ever know if the series is done. I’m not doing this for money. I’m just very curious about people’s relationships,” he said.

By day, Page is a local wedding photographer. Before that, he worked for Penn’s gene therapy program and received his master’s degree in public health. But a love for photography stemming from finding his dad’s old Pentax camera years back had stayed with him. He went full-time in 2021.

Page says focusing on his craft has given him a sort of Spidey sense when it comes to a couple’s future.

“I have a hunch when I shoot their wedding; I can tell if they’re going to make it past a year,” he said. “I’ve called three in my career that wouldn’t make it. And I’m three for three.”

He said part of what drew him to launching Love is the fact that he’s single.

“I’m not married or in a relationship. I was once engaged, but it didn’t work out,” he said. “I get perspective here that I wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to get.”

To film, Page scopes out popular public areas — Rittenhouse Square and Penn’s campus are some of his favorites. When deciding who to approach, he looks at their personal style. Whether they’re alone, coupled up, or in a group doesn’t matter.

“I’m very surprised by people’s willingness to talk to me,” he said. “I still think there are a lot of kind people out there. People are willing to help and communicate as long as you approach them kindly.”

Then, it’s time for questions — which he compiles from a combination of personal experiences, social media suggestions, and online research. He looks for subjects he thinks will be polarizing or talkers like, “would you rather date a millionaire cheater or a broke loyal partner?”

“I was in an eight-year relationship and engaged for a year-and-a-half. Some of these questions are concerns I struggled with myself,” he explained. “Being in the wedding industry, it’s interesting to ask couples tough questions about love.”

Page shoots the video with a tripod setup, sits in the frame, and asks questions he’s listed for himself on his phone. Finally, he takes a photo of the subject with his Leica camera — which he’ll send to the subject as a “thank you” when the video is published.

Page said he hopes the series will help others trying to find love or to open up about their feelings.

“I want this to be not just my series, but everyone’s,” he said.

We asked Page for his top five takeaways that he’s gathered from talking to strangers about love. Here’s what he had to say:

“I’ve learned that love is not just black and white. It’s extremely complicated and complex. Sometimes you may think love is an easy concept, that it’s all peachy. But it really isn’t.”

“One woman I interviewed told me that it’s extremely important to have monthly check-ins with your partner, even if nothing seems wrong. Every month, ask ‘is there anything I can do to help you, or to better our relationship, or that I’m doing wrong or right?’ — I think that’s one thing I lacked in my own relationship. I didn’t communicate with my partner if I was going through something or upset about something.”

“I asked a coworker of mine, ‘when did you know you were in love with your partner?’ He said he and his now-wife met at a Pride parade. They each thought the other was gay, so they didn’t make a move. But they were extremely attracted to each other. Their mutual friends ended up hooking them up. Within a month, they fell in love. A year later, they got married and now they have three kids. It shows you that love doesn’t have a time or place. It could happen any time. For me in my dating life, it’s something I thought I would have a clear moment. But this showed me that when you find the right someone, sometimes you just know — and you should go for it.”

“I’d never expect a stranger to talk to me about their intimate relationships and feelings. It’s interesting how open people really are when it comes to love. It shows how open we all are to finding and maintaining that love — even if it means talking to someone they’ve never met.”

Sometimes people will fight it, but at the end of the day, everyone wants to feel loved. “I know this because of how engaged viewers have been with my series. They leave comments, they message me, they ask their own questions and want to learn how to improve their own relationships. But every time I approach a stranger with an initial question and tell them I want to talk about love, they get excited. It shows me that people are intrigued and want to feel that closeness, be loved, or find it.”