One of the most frustrating things about a workshop is the fact that everybody is shooting the same thing–or even the same small town. I felt like we were descending upon these poor people of Clarksdale like paparazzi. So I left the area and headed to another town altogether. I had heard about this place called Bruno’s and that it was one of the only places that most people don’t feel comfortable photographing in because it’s full of “sketchy” people. So I grew a pair (so to speak), picked up a fifth of Hennessy and headed to Bruno’s with my hippie spirit and sense of confidence. The people hanging around Bruno’s weren’t very accepting of me at first, and making photos of them was out of the question, but after a few rounds of pool, some swills of Hennessy and a few gringo picks on the jukebox, I had made some new friends who were more than willing to have their photos taken. My afternoon at Bruno’s was actually one of the best experiences that I’ve had since I’ve been here. There is a very strong sense of segregation down here that I wanted to explore. I wanted to know if I would be accepted if I were just able to hang–no politically correct bullshit, just straight talk and a good amount of respect and empathy. It was pretty incredible how much I fit in, actually. I went to Walmart yesterday to make some prints of this shoot and think I will drop then off at Bruno’s tomorrow and say farewell to my “sketchy” new friends.