It all started out as an optional school activity. Fifth grade, a lot of energy, curiosity about things that surrouned me and a poor quality camera (which was actually a present from... I don't even remember). At that time, I didn't have the luxury of thinking digital. It was all raw film, long and heavy lens kits and a great teacher.
He thaught us all about photography. I was one of the few who took his classes. It was there where it all started. At first all of us thought it was boring. All the gear, the darkroom (and the famous red light) and the ill-smelling substances. All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy.
But then, the image appeared. Out of paper and light. And that was the magic. That was the spark that was about to turn upside-down an entire horizon of concepts. That moment, that unique slice of time I cannot get to describe with all my present linguistic skills.

"Fiat lux!" he said, turning his eyes towards us. "Behole... the magic of Daguerre!"

What followed was sheer silence and amazement. Sunk in a watery pool, the paper begun to show lines, contours - faces! Eyes and lips, emotions, smiles... happiness. The image was born. Words could be no more. We coulnd't utter anything else but sounds, not if our lives depended on it.

It all comes back now, as an old sepia image, torn and burned by all the time that passed. Torn, but not forgotten.