Hi!
Did you know that in some cultures showing somebody's bare feet is concidered rude?

Regards
KSpingos

Nice photo, relaxed atmosphere... But what's on the cardboard? "Sale ..."

Foot sole @ Starbucks Coffee.
Was the Sale sign his?

Nice photo.

Shame about the smelly tramp in the foreground.

The guy in the pic doesn't look the type to be having coffee outside Starbucks - was he just blagging a table and chair I wonder?

Keep up the great photos!

Yep!! Patio season..it ON!!

Just priceless.

It's the logo of " Hang Ten ".

Is it an asumption to say that I would expect that, based on appearances alone, the views of this individual would be diametrically opposed to the starbucks ethos?

Lovely photo as well by the way.

Trying to read that sign... I think my mind is in the gutter but I swear it looks like...

SALE
52 Horny Men
?? -5pm

HAHA

hahahahhahahha...I love dreads!

hillarious photo and I live in the area and two comments: this looks like the guy who usually sells art on the corner sidewalk. And it would appear he's drinking water out of a nalgene on the table; meaning he's not Starbucksing it up and that potentially the sign is his.

ISO 800 in broad daylight? hmmm, thats strange, although i have a feeling it was an accident. anyways, nice picture.

Great shot Sam!

Hey. Enjoying the nice weather. Wish I was there...

great!!

Sam - you have a way to capture places I visit all the time in such a way, it is like I have seen them on your blog for the 1st time!! Amazing...

And this photo reminds me of the good things to come... Summer, Starbucks on the patio AND barefeet!! (Ok, perhaps I will wear flip-flops...)

I enjoy looking at your photo's daily... Thank you for sharing your tallent!!

He does look out of place even though he seems to have made himself right at home.

What does the sign say?

It makes me want to go out and do the exact same thing this guy is doing (Just not in Starbucks, i'm not a big fan).
Very nice atmosphere.... very cool guy :)

Is that a real Starbucks? I don't see the signature logo and the pollo clubs (?) inside seem out of place. Also lacking are the presence of tan coffee cups. That looks like a white styrofoam cup on the table.

Nevertheless the composition is striking -- (surprisingly clean) bare feet and dreads beside an eating establishment.

Despite the feet, the huge Starbucks sign makes me want a Passion-Tea Lemonade drink...yum!

Excellent photo subject. This snapshot can be the source for a 10,000 word essay. The longer this dirty wannabe hippy sits in front of Starbucks, scaring away the paying, yuppy-scum customers, the better. And the sign says "52 Heavy Amp" He's selling his bass guitar and amps because he wants to focus practicing solely on steel drums.

What a great way to spend the afternoon! This is an awesome street shot, nice catch!

"Smelly tramp?" "Dirty wannabe hippie?" While looking at the bottom of someone else's feet is not my favorite activity, this person looks perfectly clean to me, and seems to fit right in to the Starbuckian lifestyle of reading a book while drinking coffee (isn't that a coffee cup next to his Nalgene?). I know that not everyone is making this sort of comment, but seriously--it smacks of elitist yuppie-ism to call a guy dirty because you see his feet and he has dreads.

As for the photo: Sam, I know you just got your big award, but what exactly persuaded you to post this for the public? Aside from a few notable exceptions, and despite the props you get from all your loving fans, your work of late seems singularly uninspired to me. You are trying to document your existence and the existence of the world around you on a daily basis; fine. But why should that necessitate a sliding scale of aesthetic integrity? I'd be the first to admit that we all have our bad days, sometimes bad weeks or months! But I would think that, being the accomplished artist that you clearly are, you might sacrifice the "daily" aspect of your blog from time to time for the benefit of the photos you are posting. I think people would understand. You wouldn't even have to change the name.

First off what gives anyone the right to judge??? It is a HORRIBLE thing to STEREOTYPE!! "GINGER" and "JOHN" you should both be ashamed! I have many VERY SUCCESSFUL friends with dreadlocks and bare feet- and ALL are CLEAN!! (one is a SURGEON!!)I find it amazing how everyone now-a-days wants to be pure and natural, with the "all natural" products they buy and "organics" they eat but when it comes down to JUST BEING NATURAL.. it is offensive???? What gives...

It's funny how people are reacting to feet :) I think we all have to do a good self review of our reactions. Feet, nose, hands, Same thing ... why all the fuss?

I normally never post comments but I really must agree with Nathan on this one. You are clearly a talented guy but the last two images you posted I would have deleted on my CF card.

Chrissy and Nathan (last two posts): you guys totally said it. Too many posts today smack of worthier-than-thou sentiment. From the coffee cup to the water bottle to the backpack/bookbag on the ground, this person strikes me as HUMAN BEING who is 1) enjoying the sun, at 2) a cafe, with 3) a book and a beverage.

I don't know where the rest of you get off making any further inferences about him. Shame!

Also, last time I checked, I believe we lived in a society where feet were allowed to be exposed, along with belly buttons and nursing breasts. I'm also pretty sure feet are natural and normal, and that 99.9% of Canadians come equipped with them. Given all of that, I think some people posting here could afford to let a bit loose, and lose the anti-feet comments.

Here is to summer, to coconut smelling suntan lotion, naked bums on the beach and glorious bare feet!!! Here's to tolerance, education, and a bit of humanity as well.

Great pic!

The picture captures everyday life and I like it. I've got the impression some people don't like the shot because they don't tolerate the style of this guy. Btw - I don't know if he's "clean" but his feet obviously are - are yours as well? ;-)

First of all his feet are clean. He's just a guy that is enjoying life the fullest. I'm a homeless "expert" and i am pretty sure he isn't one. Must admit that i read SALE 5 horny man too in that sigh and wanna know now what it stands on it......
(And coffee freak want starbucks to in the NL!!)

I love how many of your photographs may *seem* routine at first glance, but then intriguing details emerge and so much bubbles to the surface - and provokes such interesting discussions and opinions - upon repeated viewing.

Hi,
I believe the sale sign is for a garage sale.

The sign says:
SALE
52 Albany Ave
11AM - 5PM

The Starbucks in the photo is located at the corner of Albany and Bloor.

i think i might know this guy, and if it IS him, then those of you posting that he's a "tramp" or whatnot are just plain idiotic. hell, even if it ISN'T him, you've got some nerve! i'd LOVE to hear the conversations you must have about ordinary Torontonians while you drive around town in your Hummer.

Hi there. Those are MY feet. (Somebody recognized me & sent me the link.)
Interesting comments. People are funny about feet, aren't they?
Have you ever noticed how little space is set aside for people to just sit and enjoy the sunshine on a nice day? Sure you can make a trip to the park, or down to the lake, but if you've only got an hour or so, you might be travelling for most of that hour just to get there and back. So, regardless of my feelings for Starbucks and their business practices, I do appreciate that they have provided such a space up on Bloor St, where such space comes at a premium, and am happy to support that for the price of an Earl Grey tea. (in the porcelain cup)

nice picture. The contrast between the brightly sunshine-lit naked & natural feet against the cold black windows and hard black metal fence make it for me. Like finding peace regardless of your circumstances...

(By the way, Hans was right. Garage sale on Albany.)

namaste

JP- Nice to hear from you.. love the feet .. love the hair.. love that YOU are YOU!!! I'd tell you not to ever change.. but, I think that is a given!!!
peace out my brother

Well, my goodness. Never saw so much impassioned commenting about dreads and feet and photo quality before.

Why am I glad you didn't delete this off your CF card?

All the loopy visual syncopations and rhythms -- bubble lamp reflections echoing the gent's toes, green stickers festooned like cling-tight confetti, shadows and wrought iron fencing playing off the larger massed areas, the spidery writing of the little sign in contrast with the big logotype chunky Starbucks, women in and through the window in various states of attention...

And I really do like the dready-locked man's absorption.