Hello world, my name is Rodrigo Bustamante and I was born and raised in Miami and typical of this city, I am a Cuban American. My dad was born in Cuba but had to leave at a very young age, as did my grandmother because of the dictator Fidel Castro.
My first two years of high school were normal but it was in the midst of all the stress and school work that I realized that it meant nothing if I didn't do something with everything I had been given. I didn’t want to just get good grades and do my sports; I didn't want to be normal or "go with the flow" but rather to live and leave my mark. I came to understand that my two passions were activism and photography.
My passion for activism manifested itself in a service organization I founded called Dando Pasos which means “taking steps” in English. I chose to call it this because I wanted to create something that would help the world take the steps, however small, to protecting human rights, the environment and all people.
My passion for photography manifested itself in capturing the things that make my life special. I wanted to capture the places, people, animals and moments that had changed my life and had left their mark on me. I had always loved photography. Since a very young age I was intrigued by National Geographic and the work of my father and aunt. They taught me how to use cameras and gave me all the cameras I have owned from a simple digital camera, to a kodak and now my Nikon. These cameras have been my tools to not only capture special experiences but rather to tell the story of my life.
Living in Miami has been eye opening and it has contributed to all I have been inspired to do; it has exposed me to different ideologies ranging from conservatism to liberalism and everything in between, and to tons of cultures and people, from Guatemalans to Argentines. Miami has not only helped me experience a range of political ideologies and cultures but also living here, has helped me become very interested in the environment and the world I live in. I get the best of the modern city life as well as a natural one.
I'm honored to be able to share my view, my city and my life with all of you.
My first two years of high school were normal but it was in the midst of all the stress and school work that I realized that it meant nothing if I didn't do something with everything I had been given. I didn’t want to just get good grades and do my sports; I didn't want to be normal or "go with the flow" but rather to live and leave my mark. I came to understand that my two passions were activism and photography.
My passion for activism manifested itself in a service organization I founded called Dando Pasos which means “taking steps” in English. I chose to call it this because I wanted to create something that would help the world take the steps, however small, to protecting human rights, the environment and all people.
My passion for photography manifested itself in capturing the things that make my life special. I wanted to capture the places, people, animals and moments that had changed my life and had left their mark on me. I had always loved photography. Since a very young age I was intrigued by National Geographic and the work of my father and aunt. They taught me how to use cameras and gave me all the cameras I have owned from a simple digital camera, to a kodak and now my Nikon. These cameras have been my tools to not only capture special experiences but rather to tell the story of my life.
Living in Miami has been eye opening and it has contributed to all I have been inspired to do; it has exposed me to different ideologies ranging from conservatism to liberalism and everything in between, and to tons of cultures and people, from Guatemalans to Argentines. Miami has not only helped me experience a range of political ideologies and cultures but also living here, has helped me become very interested in the environment and the world I live in. I get the best of the modern city life as well as a natural one.
I'm honored to be able to share my view, my city and my life with all of you.