Evenings in Maunabo

An Evening With Hermiliano + Yajaira

Yajaira, Hermiliano, and I have been close friends since I was sixteen. They were a recently married couple when I met them. We clicked instantly being that they both were eccentric and electric souls, what a growing sixteen year old in the search of real friends needed. After travelling back to Puerto Rico, I heard that they had moved back too. Interestingly enough, we were both in Florida previous to our recent move and not too far from each other, yet never had the opportunity to see one another in person. Life and all. We got in touch and I asked them if they wanted to go to the beach with me and be all romantic and what-not. Of course they said yes because who doesn't want to be right?

The Arrival

Unfortunately and coincidentally, my car spontaneously stopped working after we drove into a pothole a few days before. So I hitched a ride with my friends and we made our way to Maunabo, a small town located east of Patillas with roughly a 20-30 minute ride through a mountainous coast. The views there are spectacular since you drive up, down, and curve around mountain cliffs that feed your eyes a mixture of baby blue and emerald waters.

We had great conversations and caught up a bit on life before we arrived to El Faro (The Lighthouse). Since Hurricane Maria, the previous trail disappeared which was now covered by fallen trees and wildlife. So they created a new trail next to the lighthouse that is still open to the public. I enjoyed this one much more being that it had luscious green grass and bumps up the hill that resembled a scene in Horton Hears a Who. If you've seen this movie, I'm sure you know what I mean.

There was a high tide that evening and red algae covered the beachfront but we still managed to work around it and enjoy the ocean breeze and warm water.

Our Evening at the Beach

The love Hermiliano and Yajaira share is undeniable but like every couple, the way they show their love is unique. Previous to this session, I asked Yajaira what were some things she felt described their love and relationship and if there was anything that they didn't feel comfortable doing. This is something I ask everyone I work with because it's important to me that they feel confident and comfortable at the same time in front of a camera and in front of me too.

Although Yajaira is an electric soul who loves the little things in life (a lot like me)--an ocean breeze, dancing in the sand with no music, picking up rocks and shells at the beach to later reuse and create art--Hermiliano is much more reserved and of intimate nature. So I really wanted to portray that in their pictures and ultimately, not push or force anything that didn't feel like them.

So we started off slow, a simple picture where they stood next to each other and enjoyed an embrace. I encouraged them to talk and joke so that it was much more comfortable being around each other AND someone else at the same time. Before you knew it, they were dipping their feet into the water, running across the beach, whispering sweet sayings in their ears, and enjoying their time and company.

Although they were up to do anything, I appreciated that they still were true to themselves. With that, enjoy their adventure at the beach with the wind in their hair, the sand in their shoes, and the love in their hearts.