2024: A Year of Important Achievements and New Beginnings

As I look back on 2024, I’m filled with gratitude for what has been an extraordinary year for my career and creative growth.

From unforgettable assignments to exciting new tools that have enhanced my work, this year has truly been one to remember. In a crescendo almost like an epic symphony, the year has allowed me to change a lot, grow further and take my photography into a new dimension.

Starting the Year with Carnival in Oaxaca

The year began on a high note with a magical expedition to Oaxaca, where I documented the Carnival of San Martín Tilcajete. This vibrant and deeply rooted celebration offered endless inspiration, reminding me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. We made it great, we made it different: an entire week in Tilcajete, accepted by the community, a clear demonstration of the difference with expeditions of other photographers, even famous names, who however have a colonialist look, not really interested in people and culture but focused on getting only photos, staying only one day. And that does not work for me and for those who participate in my experiences.

Because I live in Mexico. And because I am not a snob going to photograph. It is my everyday life living in the reality of a popular neighborhood, in the north side of Mexico City. And this marks the difference. After the Day of the Dead some months before of the Carnival Experience, in 2023, where we made it in public trasportation another great experience for photographers that are real travellers and good human beings.

From the technical point of view, I was sufficiently mad to make the entire expedition with only 2 cameras, my old Olympus Pen, one set in color and the other in black and white. This choice put me in a different condition and a mindset linked to difficulties, but helping the process, facing the limitations of such cameras especially at night. Despite I was without my main cameras that I use for journalism and assignments I nailed the expedition with some photos that are remarkable of this year.

A Major Assignment for L’ÉQUIPE/FRANCE FOOTBALL

One of the most thrilling milestones of 2024 was my assignment for L’ÉQUIPE/FRANCE FOOTBALL. It was an honor to collaborate with such a renowned publication, capturing powerful imagery that merged my passion for storytelling with the dynamism of sports photography.

As a professional, the client portfolio indicates the size. And this is the demonstration that I am going towards the right path. I have made many sacrifices, but seeing this repaid through such an important confirmation is the best thing that could have happened to me.

This is the best answer to detractors and those who thought they were putting a spoke in my wheels. The best revenge against those who thought to discriminate against me because of my ideas.

My official website declares anything, not at all reticent, because this way I think a professional needs to present his work: there is the list of major brands that are/were my clients, there are my rates and there is a powrful portfolio showing all my specializations as a photographer.

Entering the world of sports photography has been a success from a professional point of view and now I feel even more ready for the next proposals. Thanks to L’EQUIPE to believe in me and offer me this job. When you see that an important brand does everything to put you in the best condition so that you only have to think about doing your job and you see how much money it invests for you, it repays all the effort that my business often involves.

Commercial Growth and a New Tool

This year, I invested in a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a fundamental addition to my gear. This full-frame camera has become the cornerstone of my commercial work, delivering the quality, depth, and precision I need for both portraits and environmental photography. This upgrade reflects my commitment to continuously refining my craft and delivering the best to my clients.

I don’t look, as you know, to the newest gear on the market, but I prefer to invest in something reliable, allowing to make my job as I want, respecting the workflow during even an entire day. I worked from morning till night with a camera with a noisy shutter sound, an optical viewfinder but the sensation has been all the time fantastic, something that I never felt with my mirrorless cameras.

To choose to work with a DSLR in 2024 is another open challenge to the market pushing for new cameras. And also going against the idea we need a certain kind of camera to make street photography because I will make also street with this camera, especially when soon I will have with me the 40mm lens.

A Banner Year for the Experiences

2024 was also a record year for my Mexico City Street Photography Experience. It’s been a joy to share my approach to street photography with participants from around the globe. Guiding them through the vibrant streets of Mexico City and seeing their enthusiasm and growth has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my year.

2024 experienced a boom for my street photography workshops. As a photo coach I have over ten years of experience, having started offering the first workshops way back in 2011. Today, after so many years, with increasingly refined and unique proposals, different from anything else on the market, many people decide to rely on me.

Why does this happen? The answer is simple. I have certainly noticed that it depends on the photographs I take and this year, honestly, I have a lot of really good photos. But it's not just for this. My workshops have the right price, but compared to many proposals that can be found around they have a significantly higher cost, and despite this I have recorded a significant increase in sales in this year that is coming to an end. If I have been giving workshops all year long and it even started with the expedition to Oaxaca in February for the San Martin carnival, in the last few months, from September to December, with even one already scheduled for the 30th, the private experiences have continued to sell non-stop. To the point that, due to professional commitments, I have reluctantly had to say no to some interested parties.

The reason, obviously, is not only related to the photographs I take day by day. The portfolio on the website clearly shows the level of my photography. But it is not just that.

On the homepage of my website there is a list of the most important clients with whom I have worked and with whom I collaborate. People faced with an enormous offer all over the world have begun to understand that choice is fundamental. Because there are so many improvised people. And there are so many who are not photographers but, at most, do photographers. In their free time, because their job is another. And we are talking about photographers who have often won at most some awards at a street photography festival. And who perhaps ended up in some magazine/fanzine that is very close to self-production. But they are not really published photographers. And they do not work for large, important brands.

So explain to me what is the point of being taught by people who cannot sell their photos, by people who have never really been published, by people who do not even know what it means to be contacted by an important newspaper and have never worked with a news agency? Who do not know how an assignment is carried out? Who do not count with a client portfolio? Who do not know the dynamics of how to approach documentary work in an authorial way? Who have no idea how to organize a job that is requested of you by a client? Because, be careful, even if we are talking about street photography it is important to have as a coach someone who is not some kind of brat who plays at being a photographer for Instagram.

The truth is that this world is full of improvised people, with little visual culture, who pretend to give workshops because that's the only way to earn some money with photography. And going beyond street photographers and dynamics in which they masturbate among themselves, a true photography professional has a significantly more important baggage of experience.

Black and White: My Creative Core

My decision to work exclusively in black and white has continued to shape my creative approach. This choice allows me to strip away distractions and focus on the essence of emotion and structure in my work, whether on the streets or in the studio. It’s a decision rooted in my passion for storytelling, and it defines every image I create.

Of course if the client asks me color I will do it. And I showed to manage it good. From time to time I will also use color for my street photography, to keep practicing with that language as well.

My choice with black and white is but it is without hesitation. as you know I only shoot in JPG and this means that when I shoot in black and white I can't go back. Because for me an image must be seen constantly in black and white at every single stage of the creative process.

A Big Year for THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL

One of the most exciting developments this year was the growth of THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL on YouTube. After reaching monetization, my next big goal is to expand the audience and achieve the first awards from YouTube. This channel is more than just a platform; it’s a space where I share my passion, knowledge, and vision with a global audience. The journey so far has been incredible, and I’m eager to see where it goes in 2025.

Looking to 2025

As I close the chapter on 2024, I’m filled with excitement for what’s ahead. With new projects, workshops, and collaborations already in motion, 2025 promises to be another extraordinary year.

To everyone who has supported me: clients, students, collaborators, and the incredible audience of THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL, thank you. Your encouragement and trust inspire me to keep pushing boundaries.

Let’s make 2025 a year to remember!

Warm regards,
Alex Coghe