What I was trying to do

I was on short holiday in Vienna. After a long day of walking around we went to pub near our hotel. I sat on bar and at the end of the counter sat this man who looked like had a life’s worth of stories to tell and had a little white dog with him. I noticed the empty cigarette holder, empty glass, day’s paper and I liked the light and atmosphere. I took a candid portrait of him which is meaningful as I don’t usually take them. In that sense it is a step in new direction with my photography as I’m trying to closer to my subjects to tell their stories.

What worked

I was intrigued by his weary - I’ve seen it all - face in a warm light coming from above. I think the composition and lighting work well. You can also see the cigarette holder, the papers and empty beer glass to hint that he has been around, in bar and in life, for quite a while.

What I'd do differently