|
 |
| Search |
|
|
Observer Classifieds
Place a Classified Ad
Send a Letter to
the Editor
Send a Press Release
Staff Directory
Archives / Search 2003
Community Links
|
|
Over Coffee
Meeting someone at the Sumatra Coffee Company in the Shoppes at South Bend is always a treat. Viewing Dan Rios’ photographs on the walls made my last visit even better. I would encourage anyone who hasn’t seen this collection to check it out. I liked it so much I wrote to an acquaintance at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts about it. Right now, Dan’s plan is to display his large, framed photographs on various walls of the shop through April, but he may bring in new ones after that.
From a large self-portrait made for his grandchildren, that he calls, “I’m Watching You,” to shots using various techniques of blurring and shading to create special effects, his work is so varied it’s impossible to categorize.
Born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, Dan’s background is as varied as his work. Perhaps it’s that variety that makes the pictures a pleasure to examine: from macro lens shots of rose petals to views of the Tampa skyline taken both in daylight and night, each photograph is a unique example of the different techniques honed over time by the man who uses them to capture an unusual image.
“As far back as I can remember I’ve always been passionate about photography,” Dan told me. “Looking through old family photos and albums I realized that. But yet it was not me but my oldest brother who became a professional photographer.”
In his younger years, Dan was drawn to oil painting and was awarded a government grant to study in San Juan, which he did for three-and-a-half years. But his studies were put on hold when he joined the Army, and he and his wife Darlene (who he has captured in an unusual photograph that looks more like a painting) and their children traveled the world. “More than 10 years passed and all of a sudden I found myself in the middle of Kuwait in 1991,” he said.
 |
| Dan Rios stands beside his self-portrait, titled “I’m Watching You,” a photograph he took to give to his grandchildren. Penny Fletcher Photos.
|
After injuries left him with Gulf War Syndrome and using a cane, Dan, who is now 52, received a medical discharge.
“Suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands,” said the Riverview resident and father of five. “I chose photography (instead of painting) and now more than ever, I know I made the right choice.”
He has only now begun to show his collection and when asked if he planned to work professionally, he simply said, “If it happens, then it happens.”
Meanwhile, he carries a sheet of poignant prose about why photography has become a passion in his life. Although it is too long to print in its entirety in this column, here are a few lines from it:
“I became a photographer because it enables me to observe the human condition and to record the parade of human events… I have seen the beginning of life, and the end … I have seen my neighbors across the street and across the world… photographed smiles, and tears…body and soul …work and play… the wonders of nature, and of man. I have seen and recorded the world through my own eyes.”
I think these words apply to everyone who has ever picked up a paintbrush or a camera; or uses a pen or computer keys to write song lyrics or verse; or who plays an instrument or reads a good book. For it is these things that make us aware of the world around us; connecting us to others and enriching our soul.
* Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause; or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important.
 |
| These photographs of well-known Tampa landmarks are two of the collection currently being shown as part of a photography exhibit at the Sumatra Coffee Company in the Shoppes at South Bend on Big Bend Road just east of Interstate 75. Dan Rios Photos
|
What follows is a public comments section. This is not from the Observer News staff - it comes from other people and contains their opinions and theirs alone. The Observer News does not control the material that follows. We do, however, reserve the right to remove objectionable material at our discretion. By that we mean that we will edit or delete any content that we deem is inappropriate. By posting your comments, you are stating that you agree to these terms.
Click here to report a comment.
© Copyright 2008 by The
Observer
News Publications and M&M Printing Company, Inc.
Top of Page
|
|
|
Over Coffee
Latest Headlines
|
|
