It took a couple of weeks, but I finally managed to take my first portrait. This is Ruben, I met him in Sunset Park last Sunday.
Honestly, this photograph was all Ruben’s idea. I was taking a picture of a storefront on 4th Avenue and he was sitting nearby—he actually came up and introduced himself to me. He asked if I would take a picture with him and his lottery tickets. I was completely floored and just went along with it.
I had unsuccessfully approached a couple of other people that week and was starting to wonder if I needed to rethink things. In the end, the opportunity just presented itself, and it worked out perfectly. I think I just need to be receptive and make myself available for these kinds of moments rather than trying to seek them out too aggressively.
I like this, Dalton. What I’ve found is that most people actually enjoy being photographed. They are suspicious partly because they think, why me? So sometimes I tell them that to start with — I like your nose, your hat, whatever. And I’m always straight about who I am and what I’m up to. You’ll find your own way of negotiating the relationship. And, from one of my teachers, I learned a magic charm: smile. I love the way Ruben is studying his ticket; it looks like he’s praying for a winner and thinks that your photograph will give him good juju karma.
I love this photo… the light, the shadows, the mix of chain link and green leaves and the way the blue of his clothing blends with the scene. There is so much going on here. The way his fist is in the crook of his elbow. And is he holding a cane? Such a great photo. Hope he liked it, too.