He didn’t know I was photographing him.

He sat in the café corner every morning that week — same seat, same tea, same quiet stare out the window. I finally asked the barista who he was. “Lost his wife last year,” she said. “Still comes in to feel close to her.”

I asked if I could take a photo, just from outside the window. I didn’t need him to pose. I just needed to honor the moment.

The shot wasn't about technique. It was about presence. Stillness. Space for emotion to breathe.

🪟 Field Note: Sometimes the most meaningful portraits happen when you're not the center of attention.