Damien
I had just exited an office building at Sherbourne and Bloor Streets in downtown Toronto when I saw this fellow sitting on his scooter against the windows of the coffee shop. He was enjoying a cup of java and as I passed him I thought he might be an interesting person to meet for my project. My initial point of entry was to clarify if it was an electric bike he was sitting on. He seemed a bit surprised at my out-of-the-blue question but answered that it was indeed. There was an intensity in his look that intrigued me. I asked how he liked the electric since they are becoming much more popular in Toronto these days. He said he loves it. He bought it off a friend a couple of months ago and really likes it. “It’s convenient and it saves me a lot of money in transportation. Super cheap to operate.” I asked if I could photograph him and his electric bike for my Human Family photo project and he seemed a bit taken off-guard but he was listening. I told him a bit about Flickr and the intent of our project and he said “Sure. I guess it’s ok.” I showed him my sample photos on the contact card and it sealed the deal. We shook hands. Meet Damien.
He smiled and I saw his engraved gold tooth coverings. “How cool” was my spontaneous response. When I proceeded to pull my camera out of my bag Damien was surprised. “Oh. You mean right now?” I apologized for not having been clear at the outset. “Oh yes. It’s very much a here-and-now spontaneous project. I hope you have about five minutes.” “Gosh” he said. “Not really. I’m going to meet a buddy.” Not wanting to lose the opportunity I kept on rolling and said “Ok. I’m going to work real quick then.” Damien said something about moving away from the coffee shop and removing his helmet, etc. I said “Actually, I’d like it to be just as we met with the helmet and with you on your bike.” He was agreeable and I took several photos, using the coffee shop window and the retreating sidewalk between a bus stop and the building as a backdrop, making sure to get one from a few steps back to show the electric bike that had been our first point of contact.
We exchanged contact information and chatted for a few minutes while I took some notes in my cell phone. Damien was very friendly and seemed quite focused. He is 24 and was born and raised here in Toronto. He does construction work, message delivery, and rap music. He promised to send me a link by email with a sample of his music. I asked about the gold tooth coverings which I believe are called “grills.” “Oh, I have loved the gold coverings since I was a kid so when I was old enough I got them and wear them most of the time for the look.” I told him I had seen gold clip-ons in New Orleans and he said “Yeah, I think they are popular in the South.” I said they are unique, then added “at least in the circles I travel in.” We both had a chuckle which I’m sure reflected our joint realization that they are more common with rappers than with white dudes approaching 70. It was a funny moment.
When I asked how those who know him best would describe him he said "Probably quiet, positive, funny, and likes to make people laugh." It's a very nice list of excellent qualities.
When I asked about his greatest challenge in life he became instantly subdued and got a somewhat distant look in his eyes. “That would be my Dad’s death.” I asked when his father had died and he said “2001.” It was clear that emotion was welling up and I simply acknowledged that I could tell he still misses his father a lot. He said that was very true. His goals in life? “I just want to take real good care of all my family members. I want everybody to be ok and I’m working hard to make it happen.” I sensed that with the death of his father, Damien felt responsible for the family at a rather young age and I was impressed by his commitment to them. “I’m going to use my rap music to build an empire” he said.
I had already taken more than the five minutes I had asked for and I knew we both had places to go so it was time to say goodbye. I felt something nice had happened between us in those few minutes and asked what his reaction had been when I approached him without warning. “Well, to tell the truth I was a little bit shocked. I mean who is this guy asking me about my electric bike?” I laughed and said people are never quite prepared for it but that’s part of the fun since it lets me meet so many fascinating people I would never have met otherwise. It was clear we were both happy to have met.
Thank you Damien for sharing a bit of time with me on Sherbourne Street and for participating in The Human Family project on Flickr. I wish you success in your music and in taking good care of your family.
This is my 56th submission to the Human Family group.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Damien
I had just exited an office building at Sherbourne and Bloor Streets in downtown Toronto when I saw this fellow sitting on his scooter against the windows of the coffee shop. He was enjoying a cup of java and as I passed him I thought he might be an interesting person to meet for my project. My initial point of entry was to clarify if it was an electric bike he was sitting on. He seemed a bit surprised at my out-of-the-blue question but answered that it was indeed. There was an intensity in his look that intrigued me. I asked how he liked the electric since they are becoming much more popular in Toronto these days. He said he loves it. He bought it off a friend a couple of months ago and really likes it. “It’s convenient and it saves me a lot of money in transportation. Super cheap to operate.” I asked if I could photograph him and his electric bike for my Human Family photo project and he seemed a bit taken off-guard but he was listening. I told him a bit about Flickr and the intent of our project and he said “Sure. I guess it’s ok.” I showed him my sample photos on the contact card and it sealed the deal. We shook hands. Meet Damien.
He smiled and I saw his engraved gold tooth coverings. “How cool” was my spontaneous response. When I proceeded to pull my camera out of my bag Damien was surprised. “Oh. You mean right now?” I apologized for not having been clear at the outset. “Oh yes. It’s very much a here-and-now spontaneous project. I hope you have about five minutes.” “Gosh” he said. “Not really. I’m going to meet a buddy.” Not wanting to lose the opportunity I kept on rolling and said “Ok. I’m going to work real quick then.” Damien said something about moving away from the coffee shop and removing his helmet, etc. I said “Actually, I’d like it to be just as we met with the helmet and with you on your bike.” He was agreeable and I took several photos, using the coffee shop window and the retreating sidewalk between a bus stop and the building as a backdrop, making sure to get one from a few steps back to show the electric bike that had been our first point of contact.
We exchanged contact information and chatted for a few minutes while I took some notes in my cell phone. Damien was very friendly and seemed quite focused. He is 24 and was born and raised here in Toronto. He does construction work, message delivery, and rap music. He promised to send me a link by email with a sample of his music. I asked about the gold tooth coverings which I believe are called “grills.” “Oh, I have loved the gold coverings since I was a kid so when I was old enough I got them and wear them most of the time for the look.” I told him I had seen gold clip-ons in New Orleans and he said “Yeah, I think they are popular in the South.” I said they are unique, then added “at least in the circles I travel in.” We both had a chuckle which I’m sure reflected our joint realization that they are more common with rappers than with white dudes approaching 70. It was a funny moment.
When I asked how those who know him best would describe him he said "Probably quiet, positive, funny, and likes to make people laugh." It's a very nice list of excellent qualities.
When I asked about his greatest challenge in life he became instantly subdued and got a somewhat distant look in his eyes. “That would be my Dad’s death.” I asked when his father had died and he said “2001.” It was clear that emotion was welling up and I simply acknowledged that I could tell he still misses his father a lot. He said that was very true. His goals in life? “I just want to take real good care of all my family members. I want everybody to be ok and I’m working hard to make it happen.” I sensed that with the death of his father, Damien felt responsible for the family at a rather young age and I was impressed by his commitment to them. “I’m going to use my rap music to build an empire” he said.
I had already taken more than the five minutes I had asked for and I knew we both had places to go so it was time to say goodbye. I felt something nice had happened between us in those few minutes and asked what his reaction had been when I approached him without warning. “Well, to tell the truth I was a little bit shocked. I mean who is this guy asking me about my electric bike?” I laughed and said people are never quite prepared for it but that’s part of the fun since it lets me meet so many fascinating people I would never have met otherwise. It was clear we were both happy to have met.
Thank you Damien for sharing a bit of time with me on Sherbourne Street and for participating in The Human Family project on Flickr. I wish you success in your music and in taking good care of your family.
This is my 56th submission to the Human Family group.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.