Veteran photographer Javier Reyes Acuña passed away this Wednesday at the age of 97.
Reyes Acuña was named Favorite Son of Haría in June 2023. The mayor, Afredo Villalba, remarked at that recognition ceremony that "Javier Reyes Acuña has been and is the eye of Haría" and recalled that, among the various distinctions he has received, the Haría Award of 2005 stands out, the highest award given by the Institution, in gratitude for his invaluable contribution to the culture and heritage of the Island.
Reyes began to dedicate himself to photography in a self-taught way and it was popular requests that led him to take photographs professionally. Many of the residents of Haría saw it as an advantage to have a photographer in the town so they wouldn't have to travel to Arrecife.
He also worked in La Graciosa. Reyes not only consolidated his career in Lanzarote, but was also the first photographer to regularly visit the eighth small island. As in Lanzarote, Reyes covered portraits, weddings, baptisms and all kinds of commissions, while still capturing the daily tasks of its inhabitants, including domestic tasks, working in fishing, and interacting in religious events and festivities.
Being behind the camera was an addition as a professional, it was not the only task to which the veteran professional was dedicated. He also worked as an administrative assistant in the Haría City Council and collaborated in a family studio selling stationery and appliances. In 1972 he began working in a bank, so he had to abandon his complementary activities.
Between the forties and seventies of the twentieth century, during his professional career, Reyes achieved with his images a veracity and humanity and capturing the moments of leisure of the society in which he was. He dedicated himself to capturing the moments of friends, families or couples during their outings to popular festivals and dances.
There were several genres that the photographer developed. The photographic genre with which he became most familiar was portraits. Thanks to his contribution, it grew considerably on the island, also due to the imposition of the identity card as a mandatory document. His most significant and well-known works were based on capturing the humble way of life of a peasant and seafaring society.
