For the sake of this story, there are two things you need to know about me.

• I take my camera everywhere I go

• While I wish photography was my day job – it isn’t

Recently, I noticed that my Nikon’s CCD was dirtier than a college dorm room. Since I no longer had the desire to remove copious amounts of dust from my shots in post production, I decided that my camera deserved a respite from the daily routine. After all, what’s a few days? I’ve been dragging that camera around faithfully every day for two years, and had yet to witness anything even slightly worthwhile in my travels (set aside from a fender bender or two).

The first day, on the way to work, I pass by a store whose front window had been smashed out. The police had the area sectioned ...