The Other Side of the Lens

Photography and the Moments We Love to Celebrate

It is beautiful to capture portraits of nature, happy families, weddings, baby showers, or to witness how a girl becomes a woman when she turns fifteen. Photography often celebrates the brightest moments of life.

A Different Story: My Experience as a Documentarian

But in this small space, I want to share a different experience. My experience as a documentarian. The experience of capturing the other side of the coin. The essence that almost no one wants to see.

Seeing What Many Choose to Ignore

On this occasion, the story is about a homeless man. In Costa Rica, we call them “habitants of the street,” also known as indigents.

This experience made me understand that truly, every mind is its own world. Every person faces situations that divert them from the path they once imagined and lead them to unexpected destinations.

John García: A Story That Deserves Recognition

I want to give him the recognition he deserves. His name is John García. John opened the doors to his story, and he himself wrote much of his life journey.

From Hope to Survival on the Streets

He migrated from his province with only a few dollars, driven by the desire to find work and move forward for his family. However, upon arriving in the big city, crime struck him, and he was robbed. Sleeping in parks and shelters became his way of surviving. He searched tirelessly for work, but the lack of experience and formal education closed every door. His solution was to sell candy at traffic lights, just as he had done when he was a child.

Words from John That I Will Never Forget

There are words John said that I will never forget: “Since I was 11 years old, I was a street child while still having a home.”

His stepfather would force him out of the house to wash cars, sell candy, or beg at traffic lights, all so he could spend time alone with his wife. At a very young age, John had to escape from an abusive figure. Not only because of physical violence or being forced to work early, but also because of sexual abuse.

Survival, Trauma, and Addiction

The answer is harsh but real: everything is survival. The cold of the parks and the false sense of human warmth from others in similar situations pushed him toward drugs. It was the only way to keep his body numb... to avoid feeling the cold and the pain.

What I Learned from Many Stories

I want to clarify something important: before reaching John’s story, I interviewed more than 45 people in the same situation. Some felt humiliated and thought my intentions were bad. Others wanted me to pay them to listen. Some chased me away with sticks and threats. But a great majority shared stories very similar to John’s.

My Purpose: Awareness, Not Romanticization

My intention with this magazine is not to change the world. I am aware that I cannot. But I do want to leave a message for society. I am not trying to romanticize these situations. I seek to raise awareness, as the humans we are. Respecting others without knowing their story should be the bare minimum. That person you see on the street could have been a politician, an engineer, or a doctor. Everyone carries a story, often filled with pain and resentment, and that does not mean they deserve judgment or contempt. We see them as less, without knowing what led them there. We look at them with disgust, with disdain, as if they were a burden. Without realizing that a family member or even ourselves could be just one step away from ending up in the same place.

John’s Words

“I am aware. I have my story, and I have heard many others. Some people do recover and move forward, and others die in a mass grave. Interview me again in a few years… and let’s find out my ending.”

A Thank You and a Promise

Thank you, John, for sharing your story and allowing me to tell it to anyone who chooses to read it. You may never read it online, but when I meet you again, I will tell it to you.