Good Fortune

In November of 2012, my Girlfriend and I took a trip to San Francisco. Having been to San Francisco before, I knew that I wanted to spend more time in Chinatown, this time exploring the lesser known areas that make up the inner workings of this historic part of the city. As we made our way through the dense network of alleyways, we came across a door with a small sign above it. We had read about this place, and it had made its way onto many lists of "must-see" spots in Chinatown. We were now standing in the doorway of one of the most well-known Fortune Cookie Factories in the States. The man in the photo waved his arms and asked us to come inside. As we stepped inside, he gave us samples of the pre-rolled cookies, hot off the press. Utilizing the universal hand gestures for asking him if I could take some photos inside the factory, he nodded and I began snapping away. The factory was quite dark, lit by a few hanging, fluorescent lights. There was some ambient daylight spilling in through the front door, which gave a nice contrast to the vibrant colors inside. I knew that I wanted to get a portrait of this man, and I knew that I'd only have one shot to get it right. We purchased a bag of cookies, and before I could ask my question, he looked at me and said "You take MY picture?" I put the camera to my eye and snapped a single photo. I shook his hand, thanked him, and we continued on our way. This portrait will always remind me of the man behind the Fortune Cookie. A good man.

by: Sean Ware