I tried to find a stranger to photograph this afternoon, but deep inside I knew that my mojo just wasn’t there. I was sort of in a down mood, and approaching strangers in a down mood doesn’t work. So, I got a cup of coffee and sat at an outside table – in open shade. I kept the camera on the table, in very plain view. When I took a Street Portraiture workshop from Craig Tanner, he said that he keeps the camera in plain sight – occasionally someone asks about it and opens a conversation. He even lays it on bar counters – pretty gutsy, but at 6 feet 5, I guess that Craig can handle it.

Anyway, as I sipped my coffee and my mind was wandering, I suddenly felt a pressure on the back of my elbow. There was a large white dog, at least part Pit Bull. She was not pretty, and her name, Lilly, did not fit. But her owner, Brian assured me that she was friendly. As I held my hand out, she put her paw into it. Brian said that people sitting at this table often give her food. As all I had was black coffee, I couldn’t help her.

And, of course, I explained my Street Portraiture project to Brian, and he had no problem with being photographed. He and Lilly lived in an apartment above the coffee shop.

(click to enlarge)

This encounter reinforced what I already knew; if you keep an open mind, good things often happen serendipitously.

Bob