Photowalk - Torreon

Yesterday night I negotiated with Dana that I would get up with the kids if she put them to bed. Deal. So I went out last night to shoot. I wasn't feeling completely comfortable downtown but after awhile I started to loosen up. I walked around with my 85m prime lens which I realize is not a great walk around lens but it forced me to be more outgoing and build tiny relationships with each person I photographed.

I stopped to talk to this shoe shiner and he naturally thought I shot for the newspaper here. I told him I shoot for National Geographic. Just kidding, I didn't say that...although that would be a dream. There was a window right next to this guy with a couple of men sitting around eating. They were heckling me a bit and told me to get my shoes shined. I told them I only had flip flops on and they told me to come back with shoes cause this guy is the best in town.



This next guy was cooking up a storm and I noticed he was wearing a mask. His buddy, who I photographed, but won't post was laughing at him for wearing the mask. I asked the buddy if he was invincible and the cook said something that I didn't understand but they both laughed. For all my apprehensions about being downtown in the early evening I sure felt good and loved the social interaction. What a beautiful community of people here.



Next, I moved into the flower district. I had spotted this street on Saturday during our driving tour and made note to come back. The entire block looks like this and smells even better.



I met this elderly lady in the flower zone. She was very sweet. I talked to her for about 5-10 minutes. She spoke so softly that I couldn't really understand her. She kept telling me her daughter and her grandchildren were coming home soon and then something else....She kept repeating this. I asked the guy sweeping up the store if he could help me understand her better and he smiled and said I don't understand her either...In any case, she let me take her photo and I love how it turned out.



Just after this photo I walked past a store and there was an old dude trying to light up a cigarette. I wielded the camera up to my eye but it was too dark and my camera failed to focus and I missed the shot. It would have been awesome. Then the old man tried to hide from me and then got mad at me. The guy sweeping up the store that I just finished talking to told him it was okay. I quickly moved to the next location.

Finally, I returned back to my car and the parking guru guided me out of my space. I asked if I could take a photo of him and he said yes..yes..yes. He was very proud and loved the photo session. He was very cool.



I think today I will print these photos and drop them off for these great people of Torreon.