They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but for Stockton photographer Mike McClintic, it's worth a thousand interactions with strangers.

"I love photography and I had the idea where I saw someone on Instagram taking pictures of random people," McClintic shared. "I showed my wife and she's like, 'You got to do that.'"

Every week, McClintic takes the streets of downtown Stockton and waits for his subject to pass him by.

"Just say, 'Hey, I'm Mike, I got a camera. I'm taking pictures of people. Would you like your photo taken?'" he explained. "Some people love it. I get it's not for everybody, right? Having some random guy put a camera in your face, it's not for everybody."

Once they agree to have their portrait taken, he sets them up in the perfect lighting and starts snapping.

"It's just a kind of a kind of a passion project and a hobby of mine, and just, you know, kind of showing people as they are every day," McClintic said.

After a few sessions, he decided to create an to show off his work and his new project, "Faces of Stockton."

One of his goals for the passion project is to change the perception of the city.

"I think to kind of break the stigma that Stockton has behind it, kind of this rough and tough city," McClintic explained. "There are a lot of beautiful people, beautiful personalities here."

What started as a passion turned into a three-year project of capturing the uniqueness and diversity of Stockton.

For McClintic, he's just getting started.

"I partnered with the local organization, Red Rabbit Advocacy, and they really help homeless and unhoused people try to get back on their feet," he said.

It's not just the recognition that keeps him going; it's the people he meets along the way, one snapshot at a time.

"The genuine, like, kind of awe in their eyes when they see their photograph, it's like, wow," he shared. "You know, it's just people as they are. They're not getting all dolled up or fancy, whatever. It's just everyday people."

• Stockton