Jeff, you have captured his enjoyment and satisfaction perfectly, I can almost feel how he deeply inhales the smoke. I love the crop that fills the frame with the essential. - I wonder if you could crop off a tiny bit from the left edge to eliminate the brighter fold of his shirt that may draw the eye, and maybe a bit from the right edge, too, for balance?   Posted: 07/08/2024 21:26:29

It's interesting how the black and white photo make the man look so much older than the color version. I like the crop as is - maybe you could just burn out the bright spot on the left side.
I'm envious how you can ask him for permission - I've never felt comfortable and probably let too many photo ops slip away.

It's a great portrait showing the personality of a stranger so effortlessly. Very nicely done.

Rob   Posted: 07/09/2024 14:22:24

Thanks for the comments Robert. I really struggled asking people to take their shots when I started street photography and in fact my fear kept me from starting for quite a while. I gently eased into it by walking downtown at dark and taking photos of things other than people. One day I saw a person I couldn't not ask. She said ok and asking just got easier with practice. I was really surprised how many people are fine with having their pictures taken. I bet 90%-95% of the people I ask are fine with it.   Posted: 07/09/2024 18:37:23

Hi Jeff,
Great portrait of the smoker. There is not much I can add to what Robert and Kristi said. As for the lighter folds of the clothing on the left - I did not notice them until I read the other comments. Personally they did not affect how I saw the image. In fact they give a little context to me since his shoulder does not simply disappear into the back ground. Nice catch.
Thanks also for the input about asking people if you can take their picture. I do not do so much, but if I do I assure them I will not be selling the image. Doing so would require a Model Release.   Posted: 07/27/2024 01:09:18