Chasing The Light: Why I Take Pictures — Part 2

Moments come and go. But some moments hold more weight than others, shaping important parts of who we are. For me, taking pictures is a practice that allows me to better observe myself, others, and the world around me. Recently, I sat down to think about the moments that lead me to photography and how I became obsessed with chasing the light.

The year was 1997, and I had been living on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico for a couple of years. While working there, I met a professional photographer named Alejandro through a mutual friend. I had seen some of Alejandro’s work, including shots of Cancun he’d taken from a helicopter. His work was impressive and the area was ripe with scenery.

I lived in a condominium in Puerto Juarez, where Alejandro’s girlfriend also lived, a few floors above me. One day Alejandro, his girlfriend, her sister, and I were going to dinner and Alejandro asked me if I could grab his camera and gear from his car. I went to the parking lot, grabbed his camera, strapped his bag around my shoulder and headed back to the palapa near the pool area where everyone was waiting.

I came around the corner, camera in hand and the bag slung around me, and when Alejandro saw me he became suddenly excited and started commenting how much I looked like a photographer, remarking how naturally I moved with the…