A Street Photographer Year, best shots and a balance
This year has been a special year. I explored new places, discovering new spots. I enjoyed my time spent to make my street photography. The city has been a precious ally for my visual research. through this post I share with you my balance sheet for this year.
About the selection of the 10 best photos realized this year
It has been difficult to choose, but I made it. For the blog, for the vlog and for myself. An intense year, of those that few happen like this. An apparently resigned year due to little traveling, but isn't making street photography travel anyway? With your feet and with your mind. In a year then in which I found myself on the street never trodden, places explored for the first time, pushing myself further and exceeding the limits, especially the mental and therefore self-imposed ones.
Change. Or mutation, the Chinese would say.
This year of equipment change, streamline a lot and finally I find myself working again with the focal length congenial to me. No longer listening to anyone but myself, in a newfound full freedom. Benefit derived from being above all a lone wolf and only chasing my dreams. Awareness sharpened by the certainty of the super creative dimension that has led me to be extremely prolific by virtue of a new phase.
The city. I moved restlessly, snappy and cautious. I immersed myself to find myself in places that allowed me to enter a new dimension of existence. This translated into images means meeting a new visual life. Without fear of changing on the run, of tearing up ideas to jot down new ones, lay the foundations for what is to come.
No more hesitating or hiding. Rather in the new dimension I have really clarified who I am and where I'm going. I fearlessly declare intent. I grab everything that is now offered to me, from day to day, from event to event, from photo to photo.
It is a year full of photography and life.
The broadcast
Finally the best shots of 2022
2022, my balance
The list of results obtained was simply different. Something perhaps more intimate than public but which lays the foundations for a bright future. I worked a lot on myself, convinced that first of all improving as a photographer and as an individual is essential to achieve the goals I set for myself. And then it was a year full of sacrifice and study.
ABOUT VIDEOS
This year I have studied hard to add video making to my knowledge portfolio. Although I can't count yet either with the equipment or with a lot that I still have to learn, I think the results are highly visible in the YouTube channel which this year has shown an evident maturation of the content and also an increase in subscribers, with at the time of writing the achievement of 500 subscribers. Even if the first really important milestone of the 1000 is still far off, I'm in no hurry, of course I'll get there. With THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CHANNEL I have a very important tool to spread the culture of street photography and at the same time present myself in a way that few were used to before. Those who follow me appreciate a lot and that's the only thing that matters.
ABOUT TRAVELLING
I said I traveled little, it's true. Unfortunately, I'm only counting on a three-day trip to the state of Hidalgo this year. But it was a good experience. Where I cooked for nearly 100 people. And I got paid for it too. A satisfaction since cooking after photography is my great passion. And having done this practically alone and receiving so many compliments is further proof that I'm not a bad cook. During that trip I obviously also photographed and for the first time I visited a mountain community in Mexico. Seeing and photographing another Mexico, with the fog and cold typical of a mountain place was a fantastic experience.
ABOUT BEING A PHOTO COACH
The workshops were many and all different from each other. I have shared my experience as a street photographer with boys and girls of all levels of footgraphic experience, from the absolute beginner to the very advanced photographer. In general, they were all private courses, of the one-on-one type in which I exalted my role as a photo coach. But this year I have put a completely different street photography workshop on my curriculum and in my heart. I had the honor of giving a basic course to a class made up of former homeless people, people who are making an important journey of reintegration into society. Seeing how street photography can be introduced into a social discourse of this kind has given me the measure of how important what we do is, guys. And it gives clear nobility to our way of doing photography, which is often mocked in academic circles. Just like 2 days ago I have seen with an attack to my photography on twitter:
ABOUT LEAVING OUT THE CONTROVERSY
The unfair operation performed by the guy was to extrapolate two photos of women from all the work done this year to accuse me of questionable behavior. I can’t tolerate this and of course I blocked him. But this is the only issue on the web this year, in fact, I kept myself away from controversy, avoiding sharing too much even on my political thought.
ABOUT PHOTOJOURNALISM
This year I have focused on my photography more than anything else. And I also took a break. I did little news coverage, almost nothing. I'm a bit fed up with certain agency dynamics. So I am selling my documentary work by myself. I am not supporting the globalist narrative. And even if this is not a convenient choice I remain consistent, maintaining my integrity so that I can look in the mirror, something that many cannot say. With that said I became recently a Getty contributor. This is not going in conflict with the things expressed here because I focus my work on everyday life with videos and photos.
But this analysis of myself is leading me to consider something that I previously refused to see: I'm moving, or perhaps the correct term would be taking refuge, in the more artistic side of my business. My photography does not sit well with all that is the world of reporting as sold by the mainstream media. And I'm tired of seeing too much iniquity against those who carry on a discourse of real facts when the mainstream only brings to the fore manipulation for the masses, giving a perception of the world that does not correspond to reality.
ABOUT A MORE ARTISTIC VISION
I can see more distinctly where my path is going.
This year I focused on single shots, but projects are still contemplated in my research. And they arise suddenly. I have one active and I'm posting anonymously on instagram. For the best to find it. Or just yesterday a new project started at home, photographing objects and light. My photography is moving towards new research goals that move away from the journalistic experience, even if they don't deny it, to find a home in something that has more to do with art.
ABOUT THE NEW CAMERAS
And this year apparently calm and fitting for 2023 has seen a personal revolution that has an ancient flavour: I sold all the fujifilms and now I shoot with Canon. To be precise, I returned decisively to photography with a reflex. With 2 DSLRs, Rebel T3 and T7. And I purchased my first Canon mirrorless, the M200. The pleasure of rediscovering photography with an optical viewfinder, and understand that I'm more of a reflex and less of a rangefinder. Needless to deny that the photography I do today is also thanks to the use of these cameras. For 8 dollars I also found a Canon SLR at a market nearby. It needs a fine-tuning but I plan to use it in 2023. However I also have a new approach with cameras, more disenchanted and less faithful to everything. I deleted the Canon logo on my cameras, and I won't be faithful to a brand anymore. If you ask me I would love to work with the Nikon Zfc, a superb vintage piece that I would use a manual third party lens with.
ABOUT EXPLORING THE CITY IN DEPTH
Never like this year have I taken risks for my own safety.
I have photographed in several places that are absolutely not recommended to go alone, as a foreigner, especially with a camera and do street photography. This experience has given me, in addition to a consistent photographic work, a different perception of the city in which I live. To the point that today I feel I love Mexico City even more.
ABOUT BEING A MEXICAN CITIZEN
Since June 14 I am officially a permanent resident in Mexico, something that I should have achieved a long time ago but administrative difficulties led me to that date. But this is part of the great results achieved this year.
ABOUT THE PRIVATE
Not everything has to be public.
And so I'll keep certain things private, of course. I can only say here that this has been a tough year, personally and for the family. Even though the social world often dictates that you only present the winning aspect of yourself, I say that life itself includes tragedy. This year has been a roller coaster year for me. From an emotional point of view, an extreme year. Taking photographs in this state of mind was difficult but also preparatory to the results achieved.
I found myself photographing with an internal fear, with anger but also with joy. I pushed my limits as a photographer and as a man.
ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
There have been changes. obvious. But only the most attentive among you will have noticed them. And they express everything said before about the vocational change of my business. The alex street logo goes in the new direction. I changed several things and the layout. Now the decisive focus on street photography is even clearer.
ABOUT THE FUTURE
Who can imagine it? I can only say that this year there have been many important changes, even if not as evident as other years. I am looking forward to starting the new year. Odd years are always the best for my wife and I. I am also convinced that I have sown a lot this year and therefore I hope to reap more in the new year. Yes, definitely 2022 was a year of sowing. Now I'm ready to harvest.
Let me know about my photos. Do you like them? What is your favorite one? What about my considerations? I want to read your thoughts.
