In the Arms of Your Significant Being: Santo Domingo

I think it was on the third day. I was feeling this groove. Something just clicked together as I roam the streets of Old Town. It was as if I had resolved to become a photographer. I had three or four rolls of film, nothing to do and not a care at that point in my life. I was alone. Truly alone. And with a couple of glasses of wine in me, I couldn’t give a shit about anything. If I wanted to “play” photographer, why the fuck not? So I started snapping.

I did have something in mind though. I had an image in my mind so I shot for it. I had the luxury of shooting multiple exposures of a single shot. Looking at things from all angles. No rush. Even the opportunity to go back and reshoot.

As I roamed through the cobblestone streets of the old colonial city, I notice a young boy with balloons. He was consumed with multicolored balloons and the brightness contrasted sharply with the whitewashed walls of the ancient city. I took a few fleeting shots of him. But unsatisfied, I decided to follow him in hopes of that one perfect shot. It was impromptu and felt great. After a dozen shots, I ended up at the plaza and decided to let it go. It was close to sunset and the light was getting just right. The shadows were coming out to play amongst the statues and the cathedral which dominated the the plaza.

I started shooting trying to get the shadows and angles. The iPod was blasting Caruso and I couldn’t have felt better. A sort of emotional orgasm. I noticed a young kid of 15 or 16 pestering me with CD’s. He was just one of the dozen of so vendors hawking meringue music. I keep brushing him away while he busily informed me how good the music was. His intrusion just pissed me off and without thinking I yanked the earphones out and handed it to him motioning to put it in the ear. He got an earful of Russell Watson’s rendition of Caruso. He smiled forcibly, not quite sure what my actions meant or what I was trying to get across. I myself wasn’t sure. But I think it had to do with trying to show him that there’s this other world. A world where I filled the space. My space. I was in it in all by myself. And I wanted neither him nor anybody else to occupy it. Not just right now.