Any Given Sunday in Lima, Peru

Photo of: Peruvian Transit Police (PNP - Policia Nacional de Peru) in Rímac

With the weekdays largely dedicated to work (except with the random class cancellation), the weekends are sacred to me, just like they are to anyone else who works.  Due to the required and necessary dress code of my job I am left with no option but to leave my camera at home to collect dust until I have the opportunity during the weekend to dust it off.  I love photography, it has become something more than just a hobby and just a little less than an obsession.  Everywhere I go I see potential photo opportunities where others might not, I am the strange guy who you see putting his hands together to frame a shot even though I don't have a camera.  Don't ever get me started on a conversation about photography because you might never get me to shut up.  It's no surprise then that when Saturday rolls around I waste no time in setting out into the sprawling urban jungle that is Lima.

This weekend with the family away in the States and the GF away on vacation with her family, I decided to enjoy the endless possibilities that awaited me.  As I mentioned in an earlier article, you run into some interesting people riding on the bus in Lima.  While riding the bus on Saturday heading towards Av. Aramburú in Miraflores, a blind man carrying a larger portable speaker entered the bus, in his shirt pocket he carried a microphone and an mp3 player.  At a glance it was quite obvious what his intentions were as he quickly plugged in his microphone and turned on the speaker that took up almost the entire aisle.  He quickly introduced himself and his economic situation and began to sing a popular Latin song (name escapes me at the moment), and that's when it happened.  The need to photograph this unusual moment was too much and the fear of not capturing it on film (digital of course) was to much to let go.   Fortunately for me the guy was blind (wow does that sound bad or what) so I took my photos as several fellow passengers quickly dug through their pockets for what ever spare change they could donate.  I of course also collaborated towards the man's cause since I understood his difficult position as a handicapped citizen in Peru (if your handicapped and live in the US you should be thanking GOD you don't live in Peru where the handicapped are rarely recognized which is probably why they call them "invalidos" which is Spanish for invalid, Ouch!) and for also taking his photo without any verbal permission.

There is something amazing about seeing a potential photo and mustering up the courage to photograph it.  Often times I feel that the most difficult photos are the one's that we consider to be the most intimidating.  What's worse is that a photographer's fear limits him/her from many great photographs, usually with regrets as conciliation.  

More photos to come...