The language on the street
Raw, gritty, nasty and exciting
The city thrums with a life of its own, a symphony of destruction, chattering crowds, and the rhythmic beat of my footsteps.I am a street photographer and I am in the stage. By being on that stage comes with its own unwritten rules, a language you learn through experience, sometimes the hard way.
"Guero, do you want marijuana?" – a reminder that the city's energy can be raw, unexpected. Then came the annoyed scowl of a young woman, clearly ruffled by having her moment captured: “Que haces? Pinche guey”. I am a photographer and I do my job.
But the street has another side, a side that surprises you. Just as quickly as I dodged a potentially hazardous encounter with a drug addict, And immediately after that I found myself drawn into conversation with a curious boy. His innocent question – "Are you a photographer?" – opened the door to a new interaction. While busy in that conversation, a man with a cane approached, eager to be a part of my visual narrative, asking me to portrait him.
TYou gotta dance with the chaos, or get trampled.. It's a career path paved with challenges, from dodging aggressive encounters to navigating fleeting moments. How much you are available to take the risk? The rewards are immeasurable. It is worth to make it, to be a street photographer in the chaos of Mexico City.
A slice of life, unfiltered and raw. We're all meat puppets on this asphalt stage, playing out our tragicomedies.
When he got that I take candid photos he try to stage. But is not what I want, so I ask for a portrait and that is. Not scheduled and made without overthinking. He asks me where the photo will end up and I answer in the world. He's happy just for posing.
My experience on the street is a mix of pure street photography (unstaged) and portraits. I love this, because I am essentially a street documentary photographer but also a portrait photographer. When I ask the permission for a portrait I can see how usually the photos result better, so I have to improve in this: to have a different mindset and becoming immediately interested in the subject. Of course in this case I was busy in a conversation and I know the portrait could be better than this, buut that’s OK. Anything is part of the experience. I am deeply connected with the city and the humans who animate it.
