This is Cory. He works for a private security company. I was walking east on 6th St. when I saw him. He was standing in a square of "caution" tape and cones and I couldn't understand why he was there. Or why the tape was there. Or the caution cones. When I got closer I realized that there was a gaping hole in the window right behind him. The glass was shattered. When I got in front of him I stopped and asked him, "What happened?"
He told me that someone tried throwing an electric scooter (Satan's Personal Transport and Favorite Tool for the Disruption of Downtown Pedestrian Traffic on Sidewalks) through the window just for the fun of it. His job was to stand guard until someone could come to the location and secure the window with plywood. He spent most of his time looking at stuff on his phone and trying to look "serious."
Of course I asked him if I could make a quick portrait of him and, like most people, he said, "Of course." I shot three frames and thanked him very much.
Why three frames? Well, his expression didn't change but I tried with each frame to better position him against the lights in the background. I think this was the best frame.
I walked on and photographed some more stuff but the last image in this series was my "keeper" for the day.
Shot with a Leica SL (first gen.) and the Sigma 70mm Macro Art Series lens. Exposure metrics not recorded... but it was a dreary, late afternoon with the last light of the day blocked by thick clouds. And I'm pretty sure I was at f4.0. Seemed right to me in the moment.
Later I gave up photographing entirely and drank a cappuccino at Mañana Coffee. Funny. I had coffee with my friend and sometimes collaborator James there this morning. Full circle I guess.
Nice portrait! I mean, I’m no portrait expert, but this is good. I like his expression, for what it is. An essential worker portrait.
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