One of my favorite parts of traveling is meeting people along the way and if I'm lucky, getting a portrait of them.

I just got back from a trip to New Zealand and am in the midst of editing through images from the trip.

Here are two black and white images of two different people...

I spent 4 nights at Wilsons in Reefton (eating dinner and drinking jugs of Speights two years ago with my dad) and Jimmy joined my father and I each night for dinner and then of course beer. We got to know Jimmy as well as one could over the course of 4 nights. I even took a portrait of Jimmy two years ago and sent it to him which he still has and showed me on my recent trip. 

In any event, I was lucky enough to spend two nights with Jimmy at Wilsons on my recent trip. He immediately remembered me when I walked in on a rainy and cold summer's evening (New Zealand summer) and while I wasn't with my dad this time, he remembered him as well. Jimmy is a kind and dynamic person who will share plenty of great stories to any willing patron.

This guy, man, character, cranky old codger, is a tried and true West Coast man. He had a table full of us laughing into the wee hours in a small pub in Whatoroa on New Zealand's West Coast. He was proud that his father served with American GI's at Guadalcanal. He called me, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with a big grin. He told stories that went on and on in great detail about dynamiting and shooting.

More images to come...