I’m thankful and extremely proud I inherited three of my father's greatest passions in life: Food, Traveling and Photography.
Photography has been an elemental part in my life since I was a kid. I constructed my most cherished dream by looking at my parents’ pictures of their trips, listening to their amazing anecdotes and dreamed that one day I would be the one telling my adventures and showing the pictures of my trips around the world.
This scholarship is a one-time opportunity in my life to travel to a country with an immensely rich culture and a stunning natural scenery, that I probably would never have the chance to visit like Bhutan and being mentored by the outstanding world-class photographer Jason Edwards makes it the greatest learning and traveling experience that any avid amateur photographer, traveler or writer (like me, the three of them) could ever wish for.
So, I’m taking this amazing opportunity to pay a small tribute to Ciudad Juárez, the city that offered me a challenging and vibrant lifestyle and made me discover one of my greatest passions in life. I pretend to show in these pictures moments of a “golden age” we used to live a couple of years ago, just before the Drug War hit Mexico, particularly Juárez.
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My intention is to bring back some forgotten feelings in a set of four pictures from the years 2006 to 2009 in which I try to capture special, spontaneous moments in the ordinary life of Juárez. Moments of peace, hope, tranquility.
A humble and sincere tribute to all Juarezans that have been struggling the hardest moments in the history of the city and a clear message to the world that there’s more, much more than meets the eye in the now most violent city in the world.
Please visit my photostream on Flickr :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/floresx/
Waiting For The Night To Fall / Esperando a que caiga la Noche
Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. August 2006.
The view of a beautiful sunset from my studio in Juárez. I spent many evenings watching these dramatic and colorful sunsets, waiting for the night to fall, especially on Fridays. This is precisely the time when the first star shows in the sky, around 7 or 8 PM on a hot summer evening of August. The time to wish upon a star.
The Great Race / La Gran Carrera
Samalayuca Desert, Chihuahua, Mexico. August 2008.
A Jeep Race at the Samalayuca Desert, located about 35 kms south Juárez. I couldn't help feeling like being in Blake Edwards' movie The Great Race, since some of the jeeps broke down as if Professor Fate were there. I suppose I was playing Maggie DuBois' role, taking pictures and sending the news in doves, wondering where the race would've started or ended. Or wondering about the Spice and the exact location where the movie Dune was shot in 1983 in this same desert.
This was a day when the sun shone for all of us; winners, losers, photographers and gigantic worms, of course.
Chihuahua Cowdog / Chihuahua Vaquero.
Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. December 2009.
A picture of a funny cutie Cowdog my mum likes very much. I call it the Mona Lisa Cowdog, that was the first thing that crossed my mind when I was taking the picture. A couple of days after I took it I realized this doggy's face a was genuine reflection of the feelings most Juarezans share now a days. The same face everybody has in Juárez. A hopeless expression of grief, frustration and uncertainty on Christmassy times. Helplessness in the Cowdog’s eyes.
Fifteen Minutes of Peace / Quince Minutos de Paz
Cd. Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. December 2009.
Burritos are a traditional fast food in Juárez, everybody eats them at any time of the day: For breakfast, lunch or dinner after having a few well deserved drinks, when they are best enjoyed.
Among the great variety of burritos in town, only a few can give you a true moment of happiness and joy, like this one. This is a burrito “de verde”, or green burrito, from the restaurant "El Choque", which is one of the restaurants that has prevailed against the economical and social crisis.
15 minutes of glory when you get your hands on one of these home-made burritos after having a long, rainy and unbelievably cold Winter morning in Juárez.
