This photo was captured on Thanksgiving morning in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. I drove to the area to drop of some food my family prepared for those going without during the holiday. I met Jose while he was on the “nod” after shooting up.

For the first part of the interaction he was out of it—not really moved by the boring “pleasantries” of day to day convo…Jose and I connected over tattoos, he has many as do I. We started talking about our first tattoos, then our childhoods, and just life…he opened up.

We broke through the wall of being “strangers” and he came alive. I saw that talking about who he once was, reminded him of his best and strongest moments. I took this photo with his permission, he looked, he smiled, and said “now that me right there.”

(Los Angeles, Ca -2018)