A Moment of Clarity

“So, a middle-aged, burly white guy with a military haircut and a camera walks into a Mexican bakery in Texas”...

It reads like the setup to a joke, doesn’t it?  But it wasn’t.

In December, after completing workshops at Bosque Del Apache and White Sands, I stayed in El Paso, Texas, to explore, photograph, and unwind after a busy two weeks.  On the first morning out scouting, my friend Melinda and I stopped at a small Mexican bakery for coffee and a treat.  Always hopeful for a photo opportunity, I had a camera with me. I got a lot more than that.  The humble bakery had blue walls adorned with a few weathered signs, a small, crowded countertop with a cash register, and a large display case full of beautiful-looking treats.  In one backroom, we could see a few women working on bakery goods.  In another room, a man with an apron was preparing dough. The population of this Texas neighborhood and area consists of people of Mexican heritage.  As the opening line stated, I am a middle-aged, burly gringo with a camera in a time of increased racial tensions.  I was a bit apprehensive about taking any photos.  A young lady stepped out from the back room and greeted us with genuine warmth.  Her name was Lucy.  She was patient as I ordered a coffee and asked about treats.  When asked, she explained the bakery was a recently opened family business, and the other women were her mother and grandmother.  The man was an uncle.  The women in the back room and the man in the other room all looked at me and smiled.  If they were apprehensive, it did not show.  No one spoke English other than Melinda, Lucy, and me. Sensing a great opportunity, I asked Lucy about bringing a workshop group into the bakery to photograph and sample treats while Lucy explained what each treat was.  I suggested to her that this would allow my clients to experience the local culture while taking pictures.  She felt this was a good, possible idea.  As we concluded our conversation, I asked Lucy if I could take her portrait. Thankfully, she agreed.  To many viewers, this photograph will appear as a simple, quick environmental portrait, but it represents so much more.  This portrait, as simple as it is, is a bridge, not a wall.

It is no joke that compassion, understanding, and patience go a long way.  It is no joke that complete strangers with completely different ethnic, logistical, and economic backgrounds could talk warmly, safely, and kindly.  For me, this makes sense.  Somehow, for too many, it does not.  And for me, moments of such great clarity are, and will always be, one of the greatest rewards of being a photographer.  And a human being.

Photograph What You Feel

Fuji XT5

Fuji 23mm f1.4 Lens

ISO:  400

APT:  f2

EXP:  1/75th of a Second Hand Held