A Camera Opens Doors
To say I have found a new interest in photography would be an understatement. I love it! There is much to learn and many mistakes to be made, but it’s an enjoyable process. As I was reading Perfect Digital Photography, one of the writers talked about how photography can open doors to meeting people. This was a side benefit I had never considered. He talked about being invited into people’s homes for dinner and making friends around the world not only because he had asked to photograph them, but also because he made conversation and took a genuine interest in their lives. After requesting photos from only a handful of people, I have found this to be true.
In my neighborhood of Nuñez, an older, red pickup parks on the corner of Pico and O’Higgins every Tuesday and Friday. Filling the bed of this truck is a custom made enclosure from which the owners sell fruits, vegetables, eggs, and flowers. The uniqueness of their business intrigued me, but I never bothered stopping to buy from them. As I thought about photos of subjects unique to Argentina, taking pictures of this makeshift “farmers’ market” seemed like a great opportunity.
So today, I journeyed to the end of the block, pesos in hand, with the intent of purchasing a few items and engaging the owners in conversation. At first, the diminutive woman standing in the truck bed appeared a bit distant. But after talking with her husband David for a few minutes, Marta proved to be very talkative. After making the purchase, I asked about returning one day to take pictures as they conducted business. They were thrilled with the idea and inquired as to what day I would return so that they could have extra flowers to decorate the back of the truck. While I did not take any pictures today, we agreed on meeting again next Tuesday morning.
But what’s more is how they opened up as the conversation progressed. We discussed my process of learning Spanish, which subsequently led to them asking if I could teach English lessons to their son. Whether they were being nice or genuinely interested, I don’t know. But we agreed to discuss this more next time. Also, we talked about culture and living in Argentina. Being from Bolivia, they could appreciate the pros and cons of living in another country. I asked them about places to volunteer in Buenos Aires, which in turn created a discussion of church and faith. Marta shared her experience with the Universal Church of the Reign of God (a corrupt bunch of crooks from Brazil). While she attended the church, their strange practices and emphasis on giving money in order to receive prayer for miracles always bothered her. I asserted this was a gross perversion of the faith and explained how we give out of gratitude, not compulsion. Further, I tried to emphasize the lack of focus on repentance in this type of church and how the condition of the heart comes before all else, miracles not withstanding. Our cordial exchange lasted an hour and hopefully produced some new friends.
Add this experience to last weekend in Banfield, meeting a couple at the mall and taking pictures of their kids, and taking pictures of children playing on a side street, and there is no doubt people love the camera. More than this, we all appreciate feeling important to someone else.
