On my fifth day in Buenos Aires I had booked a full day tour with Foto Ruta and when I got up it was pouring with rain – again and I mean pouring! So I did wonder what type of places I was going to be taken to as to shoot outside was going to be tricky.

The taxi dropped me off at the meeting point which was at La Epoca (I am dedicating a blog post to this) to meet my guide for the day – Paula.

Paula is from Buenos Aires and a talented photographer and she had amazing ideas of where to take to me that wasn’t on the normal tourist trail. We also found out while chatting that we share the same birthday – 18th March!

I had my Fuji X-E2 with me and my starting lens at the beginning of the day was the kit lens 18-55mm.  I changed lens after the first venue to  my 55-200mm when we went onto Cafe San Bernardo, Corrientes Avenue.  This is in Villa Crespo a traditional Jewish neighbourhood.  It has been there for many years and locals gather to play pool, cards (the local game truco), ping pong and table football.  Did you know that Argentina has the largest Jewish community outside of the United States of America?

This bar has a completely different feel and ambiance in the evening where it is seen to be a really desirable place by the bohemian, creatives to meet.

I loved it here.

I was in my element.

Paula was fabulous and translated for me and asked on my behalf if I could take their photos and they were so accommodating and so I just did what I had to do.

I love to photograph older men.

The characters, the stories.

The gentleman above had his litre of Quilmes beer in the ice bucket and deep in thought.

This gentleman was so thrilled for me to take his image and told the stories of how long he had been going to the bar.