Day 75 - Robert Sir - a photo on Flickriver

            It was after 8:00 p.m. when I went out tonight looking for today's image. I was tired and not really that motivated to be out, but I knew that I wanted something other than another neon sign to add to the collection. So, I decided to go to downtown Santa Monica, to the 3rd Street Promenade, to see what might be going on.

I parked the truck on 2nd St., took out the camera, and walked around the corner on to Santa Monica Blvd, toward 3rd. I had not gone even half way up the block when I noticed him standing against a wall. There was hardly any light and, at first I walked by a few steps, but then stopped and turned back.

He wasn't playing at the time but I motioned with the camera and asked him if I could take a picture. "One dollar," he said. Knowing that I had only a Ten in my pocket, I asked him if he had change and he gave me a nod which I thought meant that he did. So I stepped back and began to adjust the settings on the camera for a portrait shot in almost no light. Then he said to me that he wanted to be paid first. So I reached in my pocket and handed him the Ten and it was only than that I realized that he was hearing impaired and had not really understood when I asked if he had change.

We looked at each other for a few seconds and then he said, "OK, you owe me" and put the trumpet to his lips and started playing a few bars while I took this shot. He didn't play long and as soon as I took the camera away from my eye he stopped. At that point I told him I would see him on the way back and I went to a shop and bought two pretzels, then walked right back to where he was standing.

With that, his eyes lit up and he said, "You came back!" and I handed him not the one dollar that he asked for, but two dollars and one of the pretzels (which he declined because of his high blood pressure). At this point I asked him his name and he told me it was Robert. I introduced myself and we started to talk with him mostly lip-reading.

As it turns out, Robert's home town is Chicago but he has been out on the west coast for twenty-some years. It was after he moved out here that he lost his hearing. When I asked him what happened, he started talking about a combination of getting old, playing loud music, and hitting his head in the days when he used to drink a lot.

I asked what kind of trumpet it was that he was playing and he told me that it is called a 'pocket trumpet.' He uses it, he said, when he plays on the street because it does not stick out as the people pass by.

We talked for a while longer about his talent agent and some of the auditions to which he has gone. Then, using the monitor on the back of my camera, I showed him the images I had captured and he was adamant that if I made any money with his picture that I would have to pay him. To which, of course, I agreed. 

With that I asked if he wouldn't mind a couple more shots and he said yes, only this time he dropped the trumpet and just turned to me with a smile.

Thank you Robert. It was a pleasure meeting you.  

Explored - March 16, 2010 #374

Taken in: United States / California / Santa Monica (show map)

Taken on: March 16, 2010

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ThePinnacleHoF

TPHoF - Week38

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Sets appears in: • Automatically Generated Set • Explored more » • Monochrome • Portraits • $2 Portraits • 2010 - 365 « less

Groups appears in: • Views: 200 • Favorites: 25 more » • Photo Madness: 2015 anyone? • $2 Portraits • The Pinnacle - CLOSED - Thank you for the good times • Getty Images Call for Artists « less

Camera: Canon EOS 30D, f/1.4, 1/60 sec, 50mm, ISO 1600 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 30D
Aperture:	f/1.4
Exposure Time:	0.017 sec (1/60)
Focal Length:	50mm
ISO:	1600
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Manual
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Digital Photo Professional
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