Nice places are for comfortable photographers

They come to Mexico and are staying in nice places, in neighborhoods like Roma, Condesa, Polanco. And then they photograph, mostly, those places. Result: an untrue or otherwise partial result of what Mexico City is.

Do you ever wonder what kind of street photographer you are?

I do it all the time. And the answer is: I take my risks.

Are you a photographer who only focuses on tourist areas? Prefer places that are safe for you and, therefore, your photography will reflect this. Guys, I just read yet another article by a foreign photographer who comes to LatinAmerica and wants to tell you which are the cool places to photograph. And clearly he recommends Roma Norte, a bohemienne place, even cool, but representing only a portion of what Mexico City is..

Don’t take me wrong: if you are OK with that i am not suggesting to go in unsafe places, but…if you are a street photographer pretending to talk about a city or giving tips about making street photos, well..you know… when I was in Los Angeles I also photographed in places where I was advised not to go with a camera alone.

it must be said that the historic center can also be misleading. If you go further along Eje Central suddenly you find yourself in areas certainly belonging to downtown but already not recommended for making photos.I know I do it with awareness, sometimes and only when I feel like it, paying attention but certainly not going with fear.

I'm not just interested in doing pretty street photography. I'm interested in the essence of a place. And if you think to capture the essence of a place only in nice neighborhoods then you have not understood what the city and the metropolitan area are.

It is important to know where we are headed.

But this post is also meant to be enough to believe those who tell you about street photography and Mexico City when they photographed in Roma Norte. You know, rich guys are afraid of popular hoods. Again: what kind of street photographer you are?