Hometown Living At Its Best 19
not about the equipment or the studio or the setup and the
staff. It was my work that people wanted when they came
to my business. I had to be physically there, doing the
shoots.”
Closing the business caused Dominique to come to
a definitive decision to stay in the U.S. At the end of five
years, he was approved for citizenship. America was now
officially his new home. The oldest of his five siblings, he
said, “Except for one married sister who visits with her
children at least once a year, all members of my immediate
family are here in the U.S.”
After five years in New York apart from his family,
Dominique decided to return to Georgia and anchored a
base for his professional photography work in Atlanta. “My
immediate family in America lived in Georgia, and it just
made sense to me to come back to be close to them. Even
though I had built a budding network in New York, I didn’t
really want to be that far from my family.”
When his father had passed away, Dominique
immediately returned to Vidalia to care for his mother.
“The longer I stayed in Vidalia,” he said, “I looked around
and started picking up some great work. However, I
thought Vidalia needed something more. I was restless. I
felt there was something I could do to contribute to the
area.”
It sounded so simple, but it was a profound statement
from a true artist. Many have abandoned a dream because
of a comparison mentality rather than honoring the
contribution of others. With his camera in hand again,
Dominique was reminded of the love that had first
captured his heart. He began with pictures of historic
places in downtown Vidalia, which he posted online for all
to enjoy.
After his return, Dominique also discovered an active
Filipino community in Toombs and the surrounding
counties. “In the Philippines, people get together twice
Views of South Georgia