The Passion of Ghaffar

An American Retiree's Love of Photography In The Dominican Republic

By Paola Garcia And Ghaffar M'backe | September 9, 2019

Ghaffar M'backe is a sixty-seven-year-old retiree from the USA with a passion for photography. He has been a resident of Puerto Plata for a little over a decade. He shares with dominicansoul.com some of his photos, thoughts on living in Puerto Plata and his love of photography.

DSoul: It is our pleasure to welcome guest photographer Ghaffar M'backe to dominicansoul.com.

Ghaffar M'backe: Gracias. A pleasure to be here.

DSoul: Ghaffar, how long have you been living in the Dominican Republic?

Ghaffar M'backe: I have been living in the Dominican Republic for a little over ten years but I started coming here twenty years ago. My very first visit here was on a fishing trip vacation. I enjoyed it so much that I kept coming back time after time until I finally decided to retire here in 2009.

DSoul: What do you like most about living here?

Ghaffar M'backe: I enjoy interacting with the different Dominicans, Haitians, Europeans and Americans that live here as well as the wide variety of tourist that I regularly meet.

Ghaffar M'backe: I love the beautiful scenery here. The colors are so vivid. Mount Isabel, the beaches, the plant life, the landscapes you see in the countryside, the rolling green grassy hills, the gorgeous sunsets, etc. I could go on and on. It's truly a photographer's paradise.

Ghaffar M'backe: Also, the weather is very conducive to my health and you just can't beat the cost of living here. I've lived in some very nice places during my stay in the Dominican Republic and I've never spent over $600 a month for rent. I currently have a fully furnished, three-bedroom apartment with access to a huge swimming pool. A place like this would run $4,000 and up a month in a city like Miami, Florida. I save a ton of money living here in retirement.

DSoul: When and where did your passion for photography begin?

Ghaffar M'backe: I'd have to say that I really started to become immersed in my photography back in 1974. I was then living in Teaneck, New Jersey.

DSoul: What do you love/enjoy the most about your work?

Ghaffar M'backe: I love capturing precious scenes and the moments in time of people, places, and things in the form of pictures. Over my lifetime I've traveled all over the United States, The Caribbean and several West African nations doing this. I've gotten so much joy interacting, discovering and learning up close about other people's cultures. It's truly been a fantastic voyage and a blessing. I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything.

DSoul: Ghaffar, we thank you for your time and pictures.

Ghaffar M'backe: De nada Paola.

paola@dominicansoul.com