man in front of mural

This guy normally handles trouble with a huge smile and a laugh. However, this last year had been one of immense pain and struggle for him. I could tell he was fighting to maintain his carefree, kind persona. One afternoon during a photo walk, I told him to stand in front of me and look at my lens as if he were staring down his own pain. I think this moment, giving him an outlet to express what he was really feeling, brought him a lot of healing.