Message to a Stranger
The Origin Story
In Dedication of Ray Martinez, a friend to all.
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Ray was a light in my life in ways he may have never truly known. He passed from cancer earlier this year, fairly suddenly, and has left a lasting impression on his friends, family, and community in the wake of his absence. This selfless gift, an Olympus om-2n film camera, has been glued to my side ever since it was given to me in mid-April of 2023, in the town of Durango, Colorado. It has since captured many moments that I will never forget. Ray's gift reignited my passion for photography, at a time that was very challenging and confusing for me. It brought new breath to my life in ways I will always cherish, and has taught me lessons that will last a lifetime.
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*All portraits shown were taken on Ray's Olympus om-2n camera.*
Ray Martinez Durango, CO
They say a smile is worth a thousand words…they must have come up with that when they first met Ray. What a light…on a dim day. I feel time spent with Ray has never once left me feeling unheard, misunderstood, or In the “Wrong” place. I am reminded now in these moments of reflection of the radiance this man shined. In presence, and memories, and everything in between. When I first started crossing paths with Ray, I noticed his calm complexion aligned with my own longing for stillness within. I came across a piano one day at a cafe called “Smiley’s” in Durango, Colorado. The smiley building used to be a school or something of the sorts, but now housed many rooms with many artists and the liking. After two weeks in the woods following my orientation for a wilderness therapy organization, it was a nice place to find social interaction again.
Little did I know this would become my Oasis…the safe haven I truly needed when the storms in my life found their way into my shelter. Just like the piano that led me to the Smiley building in the first place, Ray soon became one of the reasons I would venture into this refuge religiously. Ray, too, became one of my reasons for smiling bright, even amidst the rains and the snows. What a Ray of Sunshine on a cloudy day. Ray had a portrait photography studio, right next to his wife Heather, in the artist-in-residency section of the smiley building. This was an open space for artists to rent out, where they would work on, and sell their various works of art and services. Although Ray was often found at his studio in the afternoons, I would always take a glance around the corner just to be sure before letting him know I was back in town with the sound of the piano.
Those who came across Ray may, at first, not have known too much about his ways of life. Soft spoken and inviting, and friendly just the same, Ray always seemed to have something wise and grounding to say. Ray was a man of light, who saw the world in a way that most do not take the time to understand. Yet amidst the quiet strength, anyone who has met Ray, and has had the chance to share a few moments with him has experienced his kind heart of gold. It’s clear, everyone needs a friend like this in their life, to help us see through the mist. To encourage us with fervor when we can’t seem to see our next steps. I know that I have met Ray for a reason. Actually, perhaps this passion project is the reason? Amidst a handful of lively, illuminating reasons of why I have met Ray Martinez. It was this friendship, and act of kindness, and love, and pure hearted goodness, that changed my life in ways I am still learning today. And for that reason, and many more, I am grateful to have know Ray.
The gift of his film camera sparked a fire within me, of passion and purpose. Igniting a strong sense of strength and courage to believe in a dream, and too, that everything happens for a reason.
Some backstory...This camera was gifted to him by his girlfriend(at the time), Heather, who later became his wife for the rest of his life, during their first Christmas together. Before that, this camera was gifted to her by her father when she expressed her dire intrigue to pursue film photography and darkroom work in college. In short, this camera has been through many generations of gifting…and hopefully many more once I have a child or two…or meet a young wanderer like myself down the road…with a vigor in his eyes that only one thing can truly evoke…PASSION…This camera is a gift of passion…and facilitates that lively pursuit...it flows through its essence in hues like no other…working its metaphysical magic in ways that have left me contentless times gleaming with the purity of a wholesome grin from ear to ear…and an unspoken acknowledgment that God is Good…and gracious…and always on time. His Hand can be felt so blatantly as I think back on the events that aligned for this camera to find its way into my hands…and into my heart…and in front of the faces of all of these lovely people you will meet along this journey. I am filled with a sense of love and sustenance that words will never truly describe. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why we were given a heart…that FEELS! I am forever grateful for this heartfelt gift.
Before I left Durango in the late spring of 2023, Ray was kind enough to gift me one his personal photo magazines that he designed himself. Signed with a heartfelt message, that magazine sits beside my lamp in my room. I can see it as I type this out, and often leaf through the many portraits that fill the pages with a smile, reflecting on the stories he shared of each of the individuals he met along his travels. He and Heather that bought a tear drop trailer, and spent the greater portion of 8 months traveling across the west. From leaky rainy nights, to beautiful sunny skies and smiling faces just the same, Ray took this time on the road to document the portraits and conversations of the people he met along the way. He gave them a voice, and a listening ear just the same, and had the courage to ask to take their picture. Although I had been gifting notes through "Message to a Stranger" for a couple years at that time, I was inspired wholeheartedly by his quiet confidence in asking to take their portrait. Asking to take the portrait of strangers he had just met! What a world...that felt so foreign and uncomfortable to me at first glance, but soon, would become one of the most enjoyable seeds that Ray planted in my life.
Through our many conversations shared, Ray once told me about his time living in Washington D.C. As those who know him well would agree, Ray was a very humble man, often keeping his accomplishments to himself. He was soft spoken and grounding, yet when I heard him speak on his own little project on the streets of Washington D.C., I would feel a sense of excitement fill the space around us. The pursuit of Passion has a funny way of igniting a flame that burns for a lifetime, as long as we give it the space to breathe. With a twinkle in his eye, and relaxed pose in his studio chair, Ray would tell me of the many kind hearted souls living on the streets of D.C. Ray made it a habit of walking those streets often, sometimes daily, sharing a smile and a listening ear to those who often went overlooked. The homeless population at the time was growing, and today just the same, but from our conversations it was clear. There are a lot of broken people in this world, in need of a reminder they are not forgotten. I know that Christ is that constant reminder, as he is always with us, yet it makes me smile knowing that even then Christ was working through Ray with a love that held no bounds.
Ray voiced to me that he would often talk with them. He would ask their names and learn about their lives. He would get them a cup of coffee or gift something they needed. What struck me most, was how Ray spoke of these people who most walk by everyday without a glance. He knew them well. And acknowledged them in a way most do not have the courage to acknowledge someone in that state. With a light in his eyes, Ray would tell me about the little fuji printer he would bring with him on these strolls, with one sole intention in his heart. A gift. Ray would often ask the portraits of his new friends who lived along the streets of Washington D.C., not to plaster around social media or use to boast of his own kindness. Ray would simply ask to take their portrait, so he could give them a gift they could hold onto. As Ray was shooting his Fuji camera at the time, after taking their portrait, he would pull out his small fuji printer and gift them a small business card size picture of them. I could feel the emotion, as Ray shared with me the story of particular homeless woman who was brought to tears by this gift. "I haven't seen a picture of myself in 20 years...thank you". As I think back on those strolls he took, learning the names of those who most would avoid, I saw a man who obeyed when God called his name.
These two personal projects of Ray's have influenced my own pursuit of "Message to a Stranger" in ways I cannot explain, and hopefully one day will have a similar impact on the lives of those who perhaps too feel forgotten. Thank you Ray, for the light and love you have shared with everyone you met.So...what is light? And what Is photography? It’s fun is what it is. But what’s funny…is how easy it was to learn one of the most important lessons of photography from Ray.
On a crisp late-spring morning stroll through the streets of Durango, CO, Ray taught me that we as photographers are simply painting with light.(As you’ll hear Jack, a painter, express later on…seeing the world through shadows, and a lack thereof…with a real question at hand…”is this space going to be a shadow, or exposed to light”…)Here's a snippet from what would become our last photo stroll together...Zach:” We are wanderers my friend…on a journey to notice… searching for something...”Ray: “That’s life Zach…we are all just searching for the light...coming through that tree over there...in the smile of someone you love...I ask you Zach...what do you notice?”…It’s true…if you think about it, all we know is light and dark…and the dance they do in the meantime. Amidst the hustle and bustle of a complicated world, the question I leave for you is simple…what can our shadows teach us? And like my good friend tanner shared with me as one of the first “messages to a stranger”…”If we keep our face to the sun, we will never see our shadow”…
God Bless, and Enjoy the journey!