When I was in Pisco, Peru, I stayed in a hotel about 4 or 5 blocks from the Plaza de Armas. The plaza was very easy to find – from the hotel you simply walked to the flower section of town and turned right. On that corner were three busy flower stands and a perfect opportunity for taking pictures.

I must have walked past those shops at least 4 times a day and it wasn’t until the last day I was in town that I decided to buy some flowers and take some pictures. One stand was run by a couple of very nice ladies that were only a little timid about being the subject of my photography. The stand across the street from them employed three rambunctious boys that were far more interested in horsing around than selling flowers. I took many pictures of both shops, but this one turned out to be my favorite “people picture.”

I never know how people are going to react when I point my camera at them without their permission, but with kids I at least usually feel more comfortable about the outcome. I think the expressions on the faces of these three boys seem to sum up people’s typical reactions.

This was the first picture I took of these boys, and I did so only after catching their attention with a quick point to my camera and a shrug of my shoulders. Moments later I crossed the street, struck up a conversation with them, and took some close-up pictures, as well. For some of them, I used my digital camera, so that I could share the results with my willing subjects. For them, that was more than enough compensation.