life can be fun

By Jason K

Photography has done a lot for Jairus Pelayo when it comes to capturing views of sunsets or videos of whatever he thinks will be a memorable moment for him. He uses photography as a way to express himself into what he likes to do and the person who got him into photography is his mother, Pelayo said.

“My mom has taken a lot of pictures ever since I was a baby so I have a lot of baby pictures. That’s where I got it from…my mom…” is what Pelayo told us about how he got into being a side photographer.

Pelayo's favorite place to take pictures are any high top hills or mountains where he likes to capture the whole scenery and view of an entire area like San Jose for example; “So far, in San Jose, either downtown or Alum Rock. Like I said, it’s a big hiking place and you could go and take pictures of the Bay Area…”

Basketball has also been a part of Pelayo's life, as he grew up with his dad who used to play basketball when he was younger. Pelayo's dad was a basketball player in the Philippines, and he played on a regular men’s league team with his friends.

This inspired Pelayo into playing basketball and joining his middle school’s basketball team at Bridges Academy, where he would play the position of being a power forward.

“The most memorable one by far was the Bridges Academy basketball team. It was memorable to me because a lot of my friends joined the team and it’s my first ever basketball team I have joined and played for,” said Pelayo, who told us about what basketball team he used to play for.

Pelayo also follows up with the NBA, and his favorite team he loves to watch is the Golden State Warriors. “For my height, I don’t think I’ll be a center. I’ll probably be Stephen Curry’s height 6 foot tall point guard. So far, the Warriors, of course, 'cause I’m a Warriors fan,” said Pelayo when asked about if he wishes he would ever want to be an NBA player.

Another one of Pelayo's interests is cars, as he has been into cars for a long time. Pelayo's favorite car is the Mazda rx7 fd as he finds the car very unique for its triangular shape engine. It is his dream car that he has been wanting ever since he knew about it as he told us.

“My dream car that I’ve been wanting ever since I knew about it will be the Mazda rfx fd. It’s a very cool car because the engine is a triangle and it looks good even though it’s not reliable.”

Pelayo's interest in cars gravitates him into thinking about how he can become a car engineer if he chose to be one. “Of course, yeah, why not? That could help me modify my car and I wouldn’t have to go to a mechanic.”

From what we have learned from all of Pelayo's life hobbies and why being a photographer is fun, he told us why being a photographer is fun in a more in depth way by telling us that capturing beautiful scenery and moments with his friends puts a smile on his face.

“The thing that stands out to me is the lighting of the picture. It’s in between afternoon and night so it’s a perfect color for the background and image itself and pretty much the meaning behind it,” is what Pelayo told us about what really gravitates him towards photography and what stands out about it to him.

Onto the follow up question of his dad’s basketball experience and how that inspired Pelayo into playing the sport, he told us that his dad just played in a regular men’s league with friends and how they played against other leagues too.

Moving onto the last follow up question(s) about cars, Pelayo specifically told us why the Mazda rx7 was his dream car: “Of course, the Mazda rx7 is a unique car 'cause have you seen a car with a triangle engine before? I don’t think so, so that car is a very interesting car. Though it’s not reliable, it has a good look.”

That statement from Pelayo told us why the Mazda rx7 stands out to him the most instead of any other cars.

This all connects to the joy and connection that Pelayo feels when doing his hobby and being in his own flow with it. He feels the connection with the environment around him when taking pictures, he feels connection and belonging when playing basketball with others, and last but not least, Pelayo's joy into cars connects to how he feels when he’s very intrigued about all the car models he can think of.