Tristan
It was a beautiful spring day which inspired me to stroll through Toronto’s multi-ethnic Kensington Market area which usually provides fascinating strangers. Today was no exception. I saw him carefully setting out folded shirts on a table on the sidewalk and he had a friendly face. I paused to ask what his business was all about and he explained he sells vintage clothing and was just setting up “shop.” One thing led to another and soon I was inviting him to participate in my project if it wouldn’t interfere with business and he was happy to participate. Meet Tristan.
I took a few photos from two different angles, trying to use the shade cast by the shop as shelter from a strong sun. I wanted to get the colorful shirts in a photo that showed a bit more of the scene, but my main interest was, as is usual, a closer portrait of this friendly young man. Photos taken, we chatted while, keeping an eye on his wares.
Tristan is 20 and was born and raised in the Toronto area. His parents are from Dominica and Jamaica – the Islands. He and a friend run the business and do online sales (www.etsy.com/shop/MajorDivision) as well as selling on the street. He knows the man who owns the property and the owner kindly agreed to a reasonable rent for setting up his table to sell. When I asked Tristan what he thought was important in life he said “helping others.” I commented that he had just helped me and we both nodded. When I asked him to describe himself he said “Well, I’m entrepreneurial and I work hard. I’m a bit of a techie and spend a lot of time on the computer. I buy up broken cell phones on the internet, open them up, repair them, and resell for a profit.” Enterprising indeed. His message? “Don’t get too caught up in small problems. Keep moving forward.” As an afterthought, I asked him about the tattoos on his arms. One read “Live As If You’ll Die Today” and the other read “Dream As If You’ll Live Forever.” “Those will tell you a lot about me” he said with a smile.
I sensed a kindness in Tristan that was delightful. He would have stood and chatted longer but I knew he was setting up to do some business and he already had a customer or two pause to check out the shirts. He was fascinated that my small camera could take such clear photos and said he was looking forward to getting copies. As we parted he wished me much luck with my project and said he hoped I would enjoy the rest of the day. His personality was as warm as the weather.
Thank you Tristan for taking a few minutes to meet and for participating in The Human Family Group on Flickr. I hope you did some business. The nice weather seems to have brought people out onto the streets in Toronto.
This is my 263rd submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.
Tristan
It was a beautiful spring day which inspired me to stroll through Toronto’s multi-ethnic Kensington Market area which usually provides fascinating strangers. Today was no exception. I saw him carefully setting out folded shirts on a table on the sidewalk and he had a friendly face. I paused to ask what his business was all about and he explained he sells vintage clothing and was just setting up “shop.” One thing led to another and soon I was inviting him to participate in my project if it wouldn’t interfere with business and he was happy to participate. Meet Tristan.
I took a few photos from two different angles, trying to use the shade cast by the shop as shelter from a strong sun. I wanted to get the colorful shirts in a photo that showed a bit more of the scene, but my main interest was, as is usual, a closer portrait of this friendly young man. Photos taken, we chatted while, keeping an eye on his wares.
Tristan is 20 and was born and raised in the Toronto area. His parents are from Dominica and Jamaica – the Islands. He and a friend run the business and do online sales (www.etsy.com/shop/MajorDivision) as well as selling on the street. He knows the man who owns the property and the owner kindly agreed to a reasonable rent for setting up his table to sell. When I asked Tristan what he thought was important in life he said “helping others.” I commented that he had just helped me and we both nodded. When I asked him to describe himself he said “Well, I’m entrepreneurial and I work hard. I’m a bit of a techie and spend a lot of time on the computer. I buy up broken cell phones on the internet, open them up, repair them, and resell for a profit.” Enterprising indeed. His message? “Don’t get too caught up in small problems. Keep moving forward.” As an afterthought, I asked him about the tattoos on his arms. One read “Live As If You’ll Die Today” and the other read “Dream As If You’ll Live Forever.” “Those will tell you a lot about me” he said with a smile.
I sensed a kindness in Tristan that was delightful. He would have stood and chatted longer but I knew he was setting up to do some business and he already had a customer or two pause to check out the shirts. He was fascinated that my small camera could take such clear photos and said he was looking forward to getting copies. As we parted he wished me much luck with my project and said he hoped I would enjoy the rest of the day. His personality was as warm as the weather.
Thank you Tristan for taking a few minutes to meet and for participating in The Human Family Group on Flickr. I hope you did some business. The nice weather seems to have brought people out onto the streets in Toronto.
This is my 263rd submission to The Human Family Group on Flickr.
You can view more street portraits and stories by visiting The Human Family.