Photographing people in Egypt is not always easy. Many want “baksheesh” — typically a dollar unless they see you have more (on a side note, on this recent trip I heard at least one person refer to American dollars as “Obamas”). I don’t have a problem with compensating someone for taking their photo but in cases like this I find that it wrecks the moment. I saw a man in a turban at one temple standing in beautiful light until he saw a photographer lining up for a photo. He then stepped back into the shadows and held out his hand. Sure, the photographer could have paid the dollar and the man would have stepped back into the light but I doubt that posed shot would have been as good as a real, found moment.

Thus I was especially pleased with this man I found at the Temple of Seti I in Abydos. He was standing inside with strong sidelight coming in through the main temple door. I made eye contact with him and raised my camera as if to ask “may I take your photo?” He responded with a slight nod and didn’t change his stance or expression in the least. It was just what I wanted. I fired off a couple of frames and someone caught his eye as they came through the door. He turned his head toward them and I got this wonderful profile that I like even better than the original shot.