Benizi Santamaria, Smoke in the Clouds (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2026)

A young man, drapped in his fish trap, indulges in a few puffs of his cigarette by the beach. It's one of his few joys before heading out to the mangroves. Here he sets his trap. By dusk when the tide is low, he returns to his trap. There might be a crab or fish. When he returns to shore, there is his task of plucking out plastic waste from his net. He discards these back on the sand without thought. For most of the day, he rides his bike, ferrying tourists to and from beach cafes and the shops. His day is ardous, trecherous in the rain and the midday heat. For now, he is unmarried, no children to feed. His weekends is spend on multiple beers, sitting amongs tourists, perhaps wanting to know what it feels living a better life.

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