I had finished photographing a man, turned a corner, and walked another half block. I heard a man's voice, “Excuse me, why were you photographing that fellow?” Jimmy walked up to me and ultimately, I knew what was coming. As soon as I saw the dreadlocks and the expressive face, I was more than happy to oblige.
I explained 100 Strangers to Jimmy. He said, “Really? Why?” Again I assured him that it was a hobby, and then showed him my Flickr Photostream on my phone. He recently moved from Atlanta. Jimmy is a musician, a guitarist, I think. He was with a successful band in Atlanta, but it broke up – a casualty of ego. Jimmy asked if I knew what he meant. I said, “Like I am better than you so I should get more money.”? “Yeah, you got it” he replied. Jimmy is currently practicing with two other musicians in Tampa. They are not ready for a gig just yet, the group has to be really good together before performing in public.
Then Jimmy got to the point. He pulled a police citation out of his pocket to show me. He got a $50 ticket for riding a bicycle at night without lights. Jimmy said that it must be paid within 30 days or he will spend time in jail. I considered this a pretty soft hustle, and well worth the portrait. I had noticed a recessed storefront that was fairly dark, and a good location in my book. Jimmy was happy to have his picture taken. I gave him a card. He doesn't have e-mail, but said that he would check out the image at the library.
