With the bakers

In late 2015 my wife and I were invited to join a friend and his wife --Juan and Esther-- on a two-hour excursion outside Mexico City in San Rafael Atlixco. For days he nostalgically took us on a tour down memory lane detailing his family history and upbringing against the backdrop a place that had once been very commercially active in the 20th Century; it had been the town's golden century, that is until the French operation went belly up. 

Knowing my obsession for meeting people and documenting life, Juan took me to meet the owners of a local bakery walking distance from his spacious and recently renovated weekend home.  

Proud but a bit shy

Finished and ready to go

Sweet bread in the Mexican tradition

"Would you like a cookie?"

"Take a cookie, but don't take a phone, please!"

A few for coffee, later

At the furnace

Scrub

An afternoon scrub after the rain somewhere along Canal de Miramontes in Coyoacán, Mexico City. 

Keeping things clean is a common struggle in this city. Sometimes, dust just seems to appear out of thin air within seconds of its removal. This sweeping and scrubbing of sidewalks is a practice that still intrigues me given 

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They Touched

Seen in Centro Historico, Mexico City - MEXICO

Darketo

A persona who is sort of iconic to Mexico City's downtown area. Don't be surprised if you run into him during a stroll in Mexico City's Centro Historico.

Contemplando

As a microbus passed by near Las Bombas and Cafetales in Coyoacan, Mexico City. 

La Banda

This image made in April of 2013 exemplifies some of the reasons I enjoy street portraiture. Regular candid street shooting involves no connection or involvement with the people being photographed. In a strict sense, it's almost --or well could be-- defined as exploitative, but this is obviously debatable and I won't get into a senseless discussion on the subject here. There are, however, street tog purists who will outright reject any photography that involves posing individuals. The claim is the photography lacks authenticity. I would rather not be called a street photographer if I am to be bound to certain rules that will keep me from enjoying something I do greatly: connecting, understanding, and getting to know others while following my passion for photography

Love Is In The Air

Francisco I. Madero - Centro Historico - Mexico City

Morning Grin

Kicking off the week after some unexpected weekend headwinds. Here's to a better one...

Morning Shadows

A morning shoot as I took advantage of what little time I had heading to work. I love how the sun brings out life in Mexico City at dawn and dusk. The shadows, the colors, the textures take up a character of their own mimicking the idiosyncratic personality of this urban scape. There is a magic to it, one unique to this city that has attracted me to it since my initial years in Mexico. 

Splash

It's been raining for days and we just got our first break of sun today in time for Mexico's election day. I guess it is one reason less not to vote. Yet there are some in Mexico who have called for exactly that: boycotting the vote to send a message to power that the citizenry is tired of playing along. I have spoken with many here who insist not one party or aspiring politician has a credible platform, much less a viable solution to Mexico's growing social and economic crisis which seem to worsen year after year. Sadly, democracy has brought little but party options to Mexico as each ideological bandwagon fights for a piece of the pie of power and influence that serves to nurture an entrenched and growing kleptocracy.