The Photo Connection
His name is Boyd, we were walking around Trinity Newfoundland and we passed by his shop. He started to wave at us with a blank stare on his face. We said hello and introduced ourselves. He shook my hand with his left hand and I noticed his thumb was missing. He proceeded to tell us that the shop he was standing in front of was his and the white historical house situated across the road was his house where he was born. Boyd went into more detail, telling us that he remade all the windows and frames of the house. He was very proud of it. After he saw my twin sister and I, he told us that he used to have twin sisters named Nellie and Bessie and that they passed away. We asked him if this town used to be more populated, he said, “Oh, Yes, Yes.” We asked where everyone went and he told us they all died. The small town has existed for hundreds of years and used to be very populated. However, now it attracts many tourists instead of homeowners. After finishing our conversation we left to go look at some of the stores. When we were buying stamps in the gifts shop, we told the lady that we met a man name Boyd and asked if she knew him. She replied with “Oh yes, I know him very well.” We asked if he had twin sisters, she then told us “He has twin daughters named Nellie and Bessie and that they are very much alive”. That's when we figured out that Boyd has Dementia. It saddened me; however, he seemed like he got joy out of talking to the tourists coming in and out of the town. Although he was lost he still was a happy soul.
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The Lost Soul
On my first night of exploring St.John’s, Newfoundland this couple sat next to my family and I at this fancy gourmet restaurant. I remember them very clearly because they kept on staring at our large family. They stood out, as they were both dressed very similar, wearing plaid shirts, jeans and buns in their hair. I just thought it was a funny moment in time. So you might ask yourself how does this image relate to the description? Well, the second day in Newfoundland came around, we were travelling in a cab and out of the corner of my eye I saw the same couple again, wearing the same thing. The last day we went to an art museum, which is where I found the same couple again, wearing the same clothes, for the third day in a row. I then assumed they were backpackers. They were sitting on the second floor of the gallery and I decided to document my experience. I decided to risk being seen or judged and took a couple of shots. Once I took those shots, I started to walk away. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw the girl look up and alert her partner. I thought I was caught and it was the end of me, but it turns out she just remembered me as well. That's when we developed a silent connection.
The Backpackers
The Elderly Couple
Our second day was filled with adventure. We went on a boat tour off the coast of Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean. When we were early for the boat tour we decided to sit and wait in front of the boat. This older couple walked up to us and decided to wait there as well. I remember my mom smiled at the lady and she didn’t acknowledge her, we thought maybe that she did not see her. Then I faintly remember the wife yelling at her husband for sitting on her raincoat or something small like that. The husband was the complete opposite of her, he was calm and collected from what I remember. We were waiting around 20 minutes until we figured out we were at the wrong boat and there was one further down the harbour. We told the couple and we all rushed down together.The next day in the same Art museum right after seeing “The Backpackers” we went to look at the view through the big lookout window. We all sat down and as soon as we sat down on the chairs, the same elderly couple sat right next to us, just like they had at the boat tour. I pulled out my camera and pretended to take a photo of my family when I was really sneaking in a few photos of the couple. It was like I was in another dimension where I saw the same couple as young souls and old souls.
The quaint town of Quidi Vidi was beautiful in the eye of a tourist, it was colourful, had a fabulous restaurant and had an amazing view of the ocean. My family and I climbed up a hill to find a better view, once we got to the top we sat there just admiring the waves crashing against the rocks. It was the most peaceful and relaxing spot I have ever been in, it felt so serene. I guess we weren’t the first ones to explore this hard to reach spot, as just when we were leaving a young boy climbed up the large piles of rock to get to the edge of the cliff. We exchanged a smile as we crossed paths. He was a local teen that also found this spot to be relaxing, I snapped a shot of him as he turned his back to me and overlooked the ferocious waves. I took a deep breath of the ocean spray one last time before I said goodbye to the common ground I had with the local Newfoundlander boy.
The Boy
This spot is a beautiful view to see puffins flying across the Atlantic Ocean, hunting for fish. We were sitting and watching them fly back and forth for some time. On our way back to the car, I saw this man looking out onto the shore with his binoculars and his dog next to him, peacefully watching. I thought this moment was so beautiful I wanted to hold on to it forever. I assumed that he was probably a local who came here everyday to sit and watch the puffins fly back and forth. I didn't introduce myself to him however, he introduced himself to me through his actions. I felt that I knew exactly how he felt during that moment as I was enjoying the same view he was, just five minutes before he arrived.