Tattoos, a Great Dane, a BMX biker, a Punk Rock Wedding at Genos and Why You Should Never Leave Home Without Your Camera

I remember feeling restless that day. I wasn’t really in the mood to take pictures. It was grey and overcast, so the idea of sitting in a café and people watching seemed more appealing to me. At the last minute, I grabbed my camera and threw it in the car.

I wandered around downtown Portland taking a couple of random ‘nothing’ shots. Just as I turned the corner onto Congress Street, I came upon a wedding. Not your typical fancy, long white dress wedding, but a real-live punk rock wedding; complete with tattoos, faux tuxedo t-shirts, and black, lots of black. 

I grabbed a couple of quick shots, took a few more steps, and looked across the street to see a freakishly large great dane taking a stroll with its owner. Another block and a salty sailor with a full white beard stood in front of his shop, followed by an Edward Hopper scene emerging in front of Anna’s Used Furniture Store, a chick in green cowboy boots, a BMX biker, and a rasta skateboarder. The day quickly turned from grey and overcast to colorful and alive.

Don’t let the next grey day discourage you. Get out there and explore. You never know what surprises you might run into.