Photo map of Old San Juan. Click image for interactive map.

I was introduced to Old San Juan by Hurricane Maria. Our first trip to the Caribbean after returning from Oceania was cut short by the storm, which had formed while we were on the plane to SJU. We hadn’t even planned to spend time in Old San Juan (we wanted to go to Vieques), but ended up there killing time the afternoon before our rescheduled flight back to the mainland the next day. It was just a little taste, but enough to leave us wanting more. We got our chance in July 2021, and pitched a 24-hour city break.

I had been reading about the wonders of back-button focus, and wondered what all the hype was about. I had been doing fine with shutter half-press autofocus coupled with metering, but if everyone was this crazy about it, there had to be something to it, right? I decided now was the time. I reconfigured my back buttons, practiced a bit, then headed southeast to give it a whirl.

I was converted. Uncoupling autofocus from metering improved my exposure accuracy, and prevented me from losing focus on the recompose. Imagine you want to photograph an animal who is walking behind trees. With back-button autofocus, you can acquire focus on the animal, release the back button, and then take multiple shots as he walks through the trees without your camera refocusing on a tree trunk or branch with each shutter button press as you follow your subject. Priority modes, autofocus, and in-camera metering are tools, just as manual settings are. I felt much more in control of my auto functions with the back-button approach, and I adapted to it very quickly. I finally understood why “just try it and you’ll see” was the standard response of experienced back-button shooters. It’s hard to define, but you’ll know right away whether it is for you.

So back to Old San Juan. We arrived at midday, and checked into the Palacio Provincial Hotel in the heart of the Old City. We went down the street to a restaurant for lunch, and right outside a peaceful protest was taking place. These would be my first shots of the trip. I shot around the old town all afternoon, then grabbed a shower and a disco nap before heading back out for dinner and some night shooting.

I knew I wanted to be at the Raices Fountain for sunset. I was absolutely not the first person in the world to have this idea; I had seen sunset pictures taken there and wanted to take my shot. The fountain is on the southwest corner of Old San Juan and is beautifully backlit by the sun setting over the ocean at dusk. We barely made it in time, but that photo is one of my favorites of the trip, partially because I almost didn’t get it.

I did some more shooting after dark along the west side of the city, but I was running on fumes by then (really early flight that morning). We called it, with a plan to get up early and go down to La Perla for sunrise. This is a part of Old San Juan known for being a rough neighborhood, but also one of the most visually interesting parts of the city. There are colorful houses, coastal views, and just up the hill is the Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis. The sunrise was absolutely stunning, with Team La Perla boxing gym and El Bowl in the foreground. La Perla is a vibrant revelation, and absolutely not to be missed on any photo trip to Old San Juan.

Up on the hill at the cemetery, a rooster was perched atop a cross-shaped tombstone. He crowed in the rays of the rising sun, as if singing for the ancestors. The crashing waves of the Caribbean Sea and the garrison on the wall of the fort behind created an ideal backdrop. The cemetery is impressive and hauntingly beautiful in its own right, but that rooster gave these shots an existential contrast: announcing the start of the day among the echoes of the past, with a living soul among those who had gone before. I made the effort to roll out of bed and get there, but that scene was a gift.

A song for the ancestors at Cementario Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis.

Old San Juan taught me a few new tricks. One night spent translated to a wealth of experience and a card full of keepers. The Caribbean colors and the light of La Perla joined forces to infuse my photos with energy and emotion. This was just one small area of a large and varied island, and I can’t wait to see more. Ya regreso, Puerto Rico.

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