Kenny - Oakland, CA (June 2008)

copyright: Aaron Douglas

Kenny was most certainly one of the most memorable guys I met on my street photography excursions that summer. In June 2008, I was in Oakland, California, on business, and I stayed a few extra days to explore the city with my camera. I was walking down Telegraph Road when I saw Kenny sitting along the side of a brick building. He asked if I had a cigarette. I don’t smoke, so I couldn’t help him out with that. However, I did have a few bucks in my pocket and a camera in my hands, and I wasn’t about to pass up a face with as much character as Kenny’s.

Kenny had a very warm personality and he seemed to be quite happy. When I asked him for a few pictures he immediately gave me his best impressions of Sammy Davis Jr. and the rest of the rat pack. He told me he perfected these impersonations by going to the library and reading about the entertainers.

I made another trip to Oakland later that year and I was hoping to run into Kenny again. It would have been a delight to have him in front of my camera once more. I roamed all around the city, but unfortunately was unable to find him.