Josue & Reiter's Books
When I first walked into Reiter's books I met Josue behind the counter in the back, looking at his computer screen through his thick glasses. Though he sounded serious and maybe a little shy, he was friendly. There was a noticeable Spanish accent for him, so most of our initial conversations were simple and quick. When I returned to the bookstore for the third time in the middle of the week, he greeted me like an old friend.
“You said you would come (in the) morning, but you no come amigo!"
He brought me to the back of the bookstore, where his photography studio is - he runs the passport photo business on the side. Out of all the places in this city, Reiter's sits right next to the Washington Passport Agency on 19th street. People coming in every morning asking for some last-minute passport photos or headshots brought the bookstore some extra profit.
With a setup as simple as a camera sitting on a tripod, a stool, and some background papers in the back, Josué takes about 40 customers every morning. Next to where Josue usually stands when he takes their photos, he wrote down the specific steps to take a photo, and the sizes different countries ask for. “I know most of the sizes, some European countries as for 35mm x 45mm, and Japan. If I don't know, I type, Google," Josué said.
Besides those who are here for their visas or passports, he also helps with government officials and diplomats looking for new sets of headshots. Once a while Josue would be surprised by a celebrity. Ana Ayora, a well-known actress who appeared in Marley & Me, The Big Wedding, and the new Captain Marvel movie, was also one of Josué's customers.
I asked him if he gets nervous taking photos for these politicians and celebrities, he shook his head. “This is easy for me, is nada. Before, I take action photos," Josué said.
- “Action photos? What do you mean."
“I was a war photographer."
Well, I sure did not see that one coming.
Josué came form El Salvador, a country full of gang violence and civil conflicts. When the civil war broke out, Josué was monitoring the situation with his friend, who was a war photographer. During a bombing, his friend lost his life, but that's also when Josue's photography journey started - he picked up his friend's camera gear, and onto the streets he went.
Looking for a safer life, away from the conflicts and gang violence, Josué came to America while his family stayed behind. “They (MS-13, the most notorious & violent gang in El Salvador) are bad, they ask for money, if no give, they kill." I asked him how his family is doing back home, he said members of the MS-13 gang would still come visit his mother and ask the money he has sends home. “I no go back now. It's bad. Too dangerous," said Josué.
When I was taking photos in the shop next door, Josue waved at me through the window. I came out wondering what I have forgotten in the shop, but found out that Josue had a book in his hands. He handed it to me, it was a book titled “El Salvador".
“Este. Is about El Salvador, you will understand what happen!" I opened the book to its first page, where it says: For the 70,000 that have died.
Josue never expressed too much sadness when we were talking about his home or his family. Rather, I saw a sense of happiness and pride when he was showing me the photos of the El Salvadorian army that he was with. He calls them the best in the country, they were the brave men and women that defended his homeland.
I returned to Josué's shop few days later, with a printed out portrait for him. When he saw the picture, it was the happiest I've ever seen him. He gave me a fist bump, and proceeded to write down his email on a piece of paper. “This is my information. You can find me. I love this, I will keep it forever. Thank you my friend."
This is the story of Sr. Josue Ayala, a war photographer that runs one of the last few small businesses in the heart of Washington, D.C. - His past, present, and his unspoken but immense love for his home that he might never return to.
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