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Photographer's Journal

photographed & written by: Gary L. De Jesus

@dcfreelancephoto

Everywhere I go I have my camera with me. It matters not if I am at work or just spending a nice day with my family around the island, wherever I go my trusty camera is within hands reach.

One Sunday whilst at work, as I was about to go home for the afternoon, on a whim I decided to go to the San Juan Suite balcony of the hotel I work for to see what I could see. It was a sunny afternoon and there were lots of people doing paddle boarding on the side of the lagoon. With a glance and out of the side of my eye I noticed a lone person in a kayak paddling with the beautiful city landscape framing him. I aimed the camera and presto, this photo was born. Not planned, spontaneous, at just the right moment; at the right place and right time, just like most of my photography. By no means do I consider myself a professional photographer, however, I do have a real passion for capturing special and very unique moments.

God gave us beauty and lots of magical moments on this, his green earth, and we, are given the opportunity to record them through the lens of a camera.

It is moments like this that make me so passionate about photography because you will see lots of sunsets however none of them are the same. There is a uniqueness to each one. Each one, a one of a kind. On this particular afternoon, just as I was setting out to check our pool areas, God afforded me the opportunity to capture a spectacular moment in time. I immediately ran to my office to get my camera and got back just in time for the show. Nature has her way of impressing us with fabulous colours and shapes. I guess I am very lucky to live in the Caribbean and on such a beautiful island as is, Puerto Rico.

That same evening I was able to capture some other shots of the same area that were as spectacular as this one. As I mentioned at the beginning I never plan my photos, the moment just comes out of nowhere and having my camera with me gives me the opportunity to get that special moment in time and freeze it forever. This is the reason why I say that the photos are born.

Nature gives us drama, I am drawn to that drama as a moth to a fire. I like bold and vibrant colours. Especially so on sunsets and sunrises because they really capture your attention allowing you to become one with the photo.

This photo was taken on a Saturday evening coming out of work. I stopped in the middle of the bridge and got out of my car when I saw the sunset and the stream of light that an airplane was leaving behind it in its trail. Another moment that would have been lost to me had I not had my camera with me.

I like to take my camera with me on rainy days as well. I always say that you never know what you will see that will be of interest or what special moment you are about to witness. So one day at work I went to the 10th floor and decided to take a couple pf photos of the new Two Brothers Bridge (Puente Los Dos Hermanos). It was a very grey and overcast day. A nondescript horizon and no sky line could be seen. I pondered the situation and thought to myself I would have to delete the photos taken. But I decided to give them another chance, and this is what I was able to produce.

Not bad for a day without color that gave birth to this photo.

I occasionally love to take photos of my family when we travel around the Island and at the house when they think they are all alone. Example: This one of my beautiful wife putting makeup on.

I wanted this photo to be kind of mystical and angelical and is the reason why I decided for it not to be totally sharp. This photo was born early in the morning while we were getting ready to go to work.

This other photo is called The Three Explorers since they are posing as if they are exploring El Yunque Rainforest.

All in all, photography takes me away from our stressful and busy lives to a calm and satisfying place. It gives me the opportunity to go back to a specific moment and get into the photo when you are in the editing process, creating what you really saw when you looked at that composition for the very first time.

In Ceiba at the Roosevelt Roads Base I took a photo that after looking at it in the camera LCD screen I debated deleting it because it was not what I’d pictured in my mind but my wife asked me not to. In retrospect I am glad I heeded her warning. When I got home I started to look at it on my computer and decided to play with it in a black and white format.

I believe that it came out quite nice and this is how this photo was saved by my wife was finally born.

After I gave this photo a shot I decided to further explore with black and white photography. These are a few.



I also like to capture animals, I believe they express beauty in a unique way. While touring with my family at El Yunque, in Ponce and in Aguadilla, I took several photos. These baby animals seem to talk to me with their every expression. I like to believe that they posed just for me.

I hope that I convey my humble passion for photography and the style that I like to portray through every one. As I mentioned at the beginning I do not consider myself a professional photographer but when you do anything in life that you are passionate about it truly brings joy to your life and you should be able to transmit that through your work. Remember, every photo has a story and each on its own, like a beloved child.

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