"They say that art requires sacrifice, but I didn't expect it to involve a tropical spider and a dash to a rural Puerto Rican clinic.
While exploring the lush, emerald depths of the El Yunque National Rainforest, I found myself off the beaten path. I was scrambling through dense jungle, driven by a single goal: to find the perfect vantage point where I could capture the full majesty of a particular waterfall in a single, uncompromised frame.
In the heat of the hunt, you don't feel the thorns or notice the webs. I pushed through the brush, locked onto the light hitting the water, and got the shot.
It wasn't until the next day—while we were already en route to our next 'must-see' location—that the jungle left its mark. A massive red spot had bloomed on my left arm, with a tell-tale red line beginning its slow march upward. My wife, always the voice of reason amidst my creative fervor, looked at it and gave me the ultimatum: 'You’re going to die if we don’t address that arm.'
We detoured to a small local clinic. Within 90 minutes, for less than $50, I had seen a doctor, received a shot, and walked out with the medications I needed. It was a brief 'side adventure' that reminded me of two things:
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Puerto Rican hospitality and efficiency are second to none.
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The 'Revelation of Light' often requires us to push through the shadows—and occasionally a spider web or two.
I look back at that waterfall image now and don't just see the water; I see the grit and the adventure it took to stand in that exact spot. Every piece in my gallery has a story like this—some involve 1.5-hour clinic visits, and all of them involve a passion to bring the unreachable back to you."
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