Why you should photograph your neighborhood

One of the things I've noticed, common to many street photographers, is that they don't photograph in their neighborhood. Or at least, they rarely feature pictures of where they live.

Acue - Mexico City, 2021

Many don’t do it because if they live in a suburban area they don’t consider it interesting. In addition, many believe that street photography is an activity to focus on the historic center. While it is true that the aesthetics of the big city help a lot in street photography, with that mindset we are not doing a complete work of street photographers.

In the suburbs there is a lot to tell. And even though the context may be extremely different and even more difficult, we shouldn't dismiss this opportunity. If we can tell the places that belong to us we will become better photographers.

Some do it because they find the places where they live boring. But that also depends on how your mindset is. Someone told me that the neighborhood where he lives is a residential area, a really boring place, considered a dormitory and little else. I can get it. But I have photographed also those places. i found myself also in Mexico and US and I photographed certain places that are completely flat, but…you can’t think to photograph like you do in downtown.

OK, the place is different and what? As a photographer you should be able to solve how to portrait it. Think to Mark Cohen able to photograph in suburbs. And another example is Blake Andrews.