Highlights July 2021
A good month where I explored several situations on the street
In front of the supermarket checkout I found this naked mannequin and the complexity of the reflection. It is a typical Alex moment. And I love it.
I like how in this case I managed to handle the composition, with the characters deprived of the face. I approached to have the subject in the position I wanted, with that gesture. Basically the three dominant elements are his arm, his head in that position and the drink. It is an image revealing a lot of Mexico City everyday, with a worker making his job, still enjoying everyday life at his own pace.
The faces in the car, the face on the wall as a graffiti, people moving away into the background, which contributes to the depth of the image…
A 95% blurry photo that still gives you all the essentials you need. At close range (or by magnifying it as some would say) you can appreciate the vapor droplets on the glass.
The hands and the gestures. Taking the pace of the city and its minimal and insignificant events. Yet so revealing of the human condition.
The reason why I have chosen to include this image in the selection of the month is to offer a reflection of my photography during the pandemic. The crowded streets of Mexico City have never stopped being, and on weekends the center becomes full of people. I am there as a documentary and concerned street photographer. The girl on the right in her total black reminds me of certain images seen in Arab countries. His fixed and surrendered expression makes a certain idea. When a Street Photographer achieves to make a photo in the middle of the crowd, encountering expressions like this one can feel satisfied. At least I am.
No boundaries for my photography. When I find something that seems interesting to me I have to photograph it. Not depending if this is street photography or not. I love the colors and the composition on this one. I love the drama suggested by the clouds and how it works the shadow.
Mannequins again. The day I photographed this one it was the Lee Friedlander’s birthday. And I realized that only the day after. I think is a cool thing to know. I love how I solved the visual equation here…in the background you can see a small mannequin to say ciao!
It is forbidden to take photos near the American embassy. You have to be quick and inconspicuous if you want to shoot. I like the fact anyone is a woman here. Another chapter for my Pandemic Life project.
Recently I back to photograph in black and white. I still shoot JPG only but my Fujifilm cameras allow me to use the bracketing function for the film simulations so now it can be a way to go. Because certain photos I can only see them in black and white and this is one of those cases. That street is a magical light box where at any hour the light can give you stunning results so the merit in this case is very little on my part.
Notes
It was a good month. I really enjoyed myself this month. I photographed a lot in the streets of the center. It takes discipline to dedicate days to myself, taking them away from the many deadlines that are dotted around my business. This means that I have made a lot of photos, maybe even better than these ones, but if I chose the ones you see here it is because, in my opinion, they are the ones that can offer useful ideas to those who follow this blog.
