I went to Walla Walla, WA for the Balloon Stampede this weekend hoping to get up early and get some hot-air balloon shots with my new camera lenses. That didn't end up happening, but as I was walking around downtown, I guy sat down in the square (where musicians usually play - and when I say musicians, I use the term liberally because they usually aren't that good) with an accordion. I wasn't sure what to expect because usually I don't care much for the musicians around town (with some exceptions), but as he started to play, I was blown away by his skill and creativity.

Between songs, I asked him if I could take some pictures. I wanted to get some practice using the manual focus on my Nikon 50mm 1.8D lens because on my camera, the auto focus doesn't work (only with this lens). After I snapped a few, I got his email address and sent him the best ones.

I briefly talked to him, but I learned that he arranged (or wrote) most of the songs himself. Some of the arranged songs included oldies like: "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles and "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals. He also played a beautiful song from the Amelie soundtrack. It was a refreshing change from the usual music and musical style that is usually heard downtown.