This is another one of my street portraits. Taking pictures of folks on the street is touch & go sometimes. Especially homeless/street level entrepreneurs. Taking a picture can be like pointing your finger at someone & shouting “Hey…look at them!” & they’re not always comfortable or happy with the attention. My approach is to be subtle & swift. I always try to catch a couple of candid frames before anyone’s aware. Having a discrete camera helps. If they look at me I always smile & often tell them what caught my eye… If they get angry or look upset I just put the camera away.

I like this shot because it has a kind of gritty street-level feeling, the grubbiness of the concrete & the little bits of trash, against the calmness of his expression, & the vividness of his shirt. Finally, I’m intrigued by the question of how he can look so languidly comfortable stretched out on a concrete step.