Lockdown in Spain- Day 2

This is not a local scene.  It's not a pretty picture as previously mentioned I intended to post. It wasn't even taken during this century.  This image of "Tokyo Beggar" is, to me, the best and most meaningful photo I've ever taken. To this day I still regret taking it.

It was shot with my first 35mm camera, an Aires rangefinder with one of those glass-bubble light meters stuck on the front and a fixed "normal" lens.  I used Kodak Tri-X, and it was most likely the first roll of film loaded, as I had just bought the camera that morning. 

My father had suggested that I use black and white to judge how well I did before trying more expensive color film.  I must have thought I'd done okay as there resulted many colored photos of cherry trees in full bloom, the Buddha at Kamakura and the imperial palace in its impressive park.
Manuel, Camilla, Nick and I were on a round-the-world trip subsequent to Nick's high school graduation.  This trip was my introduction to photography in general and "street" photography in particular.

Robert Capa, David Duncan Douglas, Ernest Hemingway and Ernie Pyle have long been my career heroes, though I never followed them for one reason or the other.  I did change my major to Journalism from Tropical Agriculture and seriously considered re-enlisting in the Army for the MOS
(Military Occupation Specialty) of Combat Photographer.  The responsibility of being a newly-wed and not wanting my bride to be "dependent" as enlisted men's families were called led me to other paths.  '68 was not a good year to be in the Army, anyway.

As I walked down that Tokyo street in 1961 I saw the man and his dog and knew that I wanted the image.  I walked close to the store window in front of him and stopped, pretending to look at merchandise, meanwhile setting the camera to what I hoped would be the proper exposure.  I watched his reflection in the window, waiting for a moment when he was looking away and would not see me take the shot.  He looked to one side and I turned, camera to my eye, and found him looking at me.  I'll never forget the look in his eyes; shame, sorrow, embarrassment.  I'll never be sure.  I tripped the shutter when he bowed to hide his face.

I wish I had never been seen, that I had placed some money in his bowl, that I could have spoken an apology and that he has forgiven me.  That moment has haunted me since.