“A place to hide and seek at night”
By: Judith Guzmán
@_judithguzman
Extended version.
We can stop and take control of our steps, enjoy every second of the slow motion that life is given us, take the time to breath the freshness of the changing seasons, and realize that walk with the only purpose to enjoy a chilly night can change our lives, maybe forever. But instead, we live in a fast-forward world, with time running in front of us, confortable of what Netflix can provide us for entertainment, used to fast-food, download and having knowledge within reach of some clicks that only is filling our minds with information that probably is making lack of space to enjoying the simple things in life, and at the end of the day we ask ourselves, “where did my day go?”
Behind this picture titled “A place to hide and seek at night” is a whole story, but if you are better reading only 140 characters, facebook updates or seeing images by instagram, probably you won’t have time to read the picture’s story. Because time was needed to get in front of this cherry blossom, and space, and a lot of patience, but principally teamwork with the best person that taught me not to give up on time and encouraged my talents.
I’m a technology person, don’t get me wrong when I’m talking about clicks and downloading, I’m a millennial, born with windows ’95 and now working with apple. I do love technology, but what I love most about it is the impact in people’s life through it. And for my husband and me has been a window open to the world.
When my husband, Adolfo, we arrived in Canada, we realized that Cherry Blossoms was a rare sight for us. here, in Vancouver, you have this gorgeous and metamorphosis tree spread in the city, like if nobody cares they are there, as if a trade was made between Japan and Vancouver to have this precious treasure lighting, beautifying and becoming part of the concrete environment of the city.
When the call for observers of cherry blossoms was on VancityBuzz website it was late at night in March 24, still chilling for my tropical skin, and I told my husband “look there is a Cherry Blossom contest, for photography” he looked at me and say with wide open eyes “is your camera charged?” “Probably, yes, maybe, why?” “Come on, I’ll go with you to take pictures, I have the perfect place for this, put a jacket and a scarf, grab your camera and lets go”, “You think so? Is 39 degrees outside and is one am” “Come on! This is a signal; you where saying you want to start using your camera again. Lets go lets go lets go”. So he took me to a place that I’ve never tough it was that close, and at the same time far away, from my eyes.
Two to three times a week I pass by this spot, behind Nelson Park, in West end. I had taken walks to my husband’s restaurant or to the drugstore when I need so. But this place is so out of the uproar that in my fast forward world I had never realized that this spot was treasuring one of the most amazing cherry blossoms that my eyes had seen. When we got to the place, Adolfo told me how he found it.
After listening his story we approach by the fence that was separating us from the acclaimed protagonist of the night. I didn’t have a tripod with me so Adolfo had to function as head-support. But off course, we fail with this idea, the night was so deep that for thanking the picture I had to make the camera shutter go slow and the picture was taking about 2 seconds to be capture. I was shaking from the cold, Adolfo’s breathing didn’t help to be the tripod that I needed, and I was a little scare that the fence might have electricity. He looked at me and I realized he was about to put his hand on the fence to check if indeed had electricity. I couldn’t believe it, and my heart stop for a breathtaking. Before I realized my 31 years old husband was telling me that everything was ok and I could use the fence as tripod. He took me by the hips to maintain steady. And like Scott Pilgrim said to Ramona “I just feel like I’m on drugs when I’m with you”, I can say the same to Adolfo.
I had a better angle now that Adolfo was helping me to get in top of the fence. I made one shot, two shots and by the third shot I was satisfy with the work. I told Adolfo, he helped to jump down to his arms. We were so excited of the adventure that we run opposite to our house, we kept running until we realize that our steps weren’t followed and our breathing was getting faster. I looked at him and realize that my best friend and husband, was the only person I would like to share the world with, by his hand.
When we came back to our home I download all images to my laptop, some were good, others not even close, but then I got to the first ones, the one in the park with all the suspense and running I had forgot about the picture that coast us the most. My husband saw it and he told me that if that picture didn’t win the contest I could definitely give up to photography. The contest start, time passed really fast and one day I remember to upload the chosen picture at my twitter, followed the rules of the hashtags and name it “A place to hide and seek at night”, on April 16. One month later I was receiving a twit saying I have to contact VancityBuzz cause my photo was chosen winner of the contest. Now I’m not giving down on photography.
This picture is a symbol of nature surrounded by concrete, but more an homage to time and perpetuity of beauty, the one that you can only find if you take the time and incentive to go out on a chilly night with a camera on your side.
Judith Guzmán-Peña
@_judithguzman
Judith Guzmán 