Pipe Guy

Pipe Guy, originally uploaded by Orchid Photo.

I am so proud of myself - this is the first time I've ever approached a total stranger and asked to take his/her photo!

I was walking from my office at a university to my car, and I saw this kid out of the corner of my eye. I thought, is that guy smoking a pipe? I looked again, and sure enough he was.

I have fond memories of my Papa smoking a pipe. It smelled so good. I still love the smell of the smoke.

When I first saw the photo at home I wondered if I should have given him some kind of direction on how to look. But by the time I had cropped and tweaked the color balance, I decided I liked it. After all, that was his exact expression the whole time I talked to him, and why would I change that?