“WALNUT LIQUORS” — weathered, iconic, and somehow both out of place and perfectly rooted. I didn’t expect anything more than a quick shot. Maybe one for the Faces and Places archive.

I first saw him outside, leaning back in a worn chair with a cigar in hand — the kind of moment you don’t plan for, but instantly recognize. I was on my way to check out a gallery when I passed by his shop. Something about him — the hat, the stillness, the face — stopped me. I doubled back and asked if I could take his portrait.