ALEJANDRO GUTIÉRREZ
“When I go out to photograph I choose the afternoon’s light —-and if there’s something extra like a person, it’s much better. Light and color in street photography are very important elements to me.”
WHO?
I am Alejandro Gutiérrez, a photographer from northern Mexico currently living in the city of Hermosillo, bordering the state of Arizona, USA. I’ve been photographing for 20 years and I discovered street photography in 2012. Finding this genre was a turning point in my profession. The use of light, color and shadows from photographers like Alex Webb and Harry Gruyaert inspired me. From there, I started to emulate their work a bit. When I go out to photograph I choose the afternoon’s light--- and if there’s something extra like a person, it’s much better. Light and color in street photography are very important elements to me.
WHEN AND WHERE?
The city where I live is apparently safe for taking street photography, although one must take precautions: knowing when to raise the camera and when not, depending on the situation, the places and the time. I don’t trust the apparent calm of the city because there’s drug trafficking, kidnappings and disappearances as in many states in northern Mexico. In big cities like Mexico City or New York, I feel that people are more familiar to anyone holding a camera. Here in my city, it’s more complicated because people may ask why I am taking photos of them. On the other hand, I also feel that street photography is an untapped niche because not many people are doing this type of photography. There’s a lot of opportunities to take a street shot and show people the city I love. With that said, what I am looking forward to is for people to understand my vision through photography.
ABOUT A PROJECT
“Vaqueros a pie” is a project taking place in Sierra de Sonora, Mexico. It has a lot to do with my roots; the hat is a symbol of identity in many parts of Mexico and Latin America. The hat is for work, but it's also fashionable -- not necessarily like the image of the Malboro cowboy with a ranch and horses. It’s a tribute to workers who may not be country people. I am very pleased to take this kind of photos, it’s exciting to be in this place. This project is a tribute to my childhood, like bringing it back to life when I am doing these series. I am more passionate about it than any other series I have done so far.
“the hat is a symbol of identity in many parts of Mexico and Latin America. The hat is for work, but it’s also fashionable — not necessarily like the image of the Malboro cowboy with a ranch and horses. It’s a tribute to workers who may not be country people”
ANECDOTES
I took this photograph last year (2019). It’s part of a series of photographs documenting the beach by Sea of Cortez, which is approximately one hour away from my region. This photograph is about the way the individuals were presented through their haircuts, the car and the light. Those kinds of scenes are thought of in milliseconds. I thought I could get in trouble, but it was quick and I just shot it. Of course, they questioned me and demanded to show the photograph, luckily it didn't go further. It’s really all about those decisions when you think of whether or not to take a photo. I found the scene very interesting because one of the individuals had an intimidating vibe. I thought he could have asked for the camera. Anyway, that’s part of the everyday life of street photographers! I really like the image because of the look and the strong expression of the individual, obviously upset.
(1)
Violence in border states such as Sonora and Chihuahua has been around for many years. This picture of children playing with guns may illustrate it. This happened in a park and it was a curious scene because these children were very well dressed and did not bring an iPad or a cellphone. They were simply playing with a toy gun. It caught my attention of course, they were going to mass a block away from church --which I emphasize--since this image does not have anything to do with merely religious aspects. To give even more information about the context: a child playing so normally while having fun with his friends. I like how the photo is balanced, the first, second and third shots of the boy fleeing in the direction of the park. The truth is that, unfortunately, we are very familiar with violence from a young age in my country.
(2)
The Las Vegas photo (3) was taken around 2015. It seemed to me that this woman was out of place at first. It was the first thing that caught my attention. I was coming down the sidewalk, she was walking towards me and the entire flow of people was heading down a different lane. I was interested in her outfit, assuming she was Muslim, so with the context of Las Vegas as “the city of sin” made me wonder why she was walking around that area by herself.
(3)
PROJECTS
I am currently editing a platform called Calle Adentro and I am working on a website. Undoubtedly, the approach to street photographers to create documentaries has made me a better photographer and a better person because I have met good people through this medium. Street photography was a turning point like I said before; I think and hope to do it for the rest of my life. I am very passionate about it and that’s what I always think when I go outside, to take pictures. Discovering the genre makes me happy -although I had been doing other types of photography for many years- street photography has given me a totally different perspective.
CONCLUSION…
THE PHOTO THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO TAKE AND THAT I NEVER COULD DO!
One occasion, I was doing photography coverage in a place suitable for street photography. Suddenly, armed people showed up and if I had raised the camera, it would have been a risk to my integrity; taking that photo would have possibly endangered me later. I would have liked to take it and publish it; but first things first, there’s other priorities.
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