Mexicali Hip Shots
After shooting with my 8” by 10” field camera in the suburbs of Mexicali, I wanted a change. So I took my 35 mm to Mexicali's downtown/border shopping area and walked with the camera hanging at my waist, my thumb on the shutter release, and the focus set on a maximum depth of field.
The area is vibrant with life. Shooting without holding the camera to my eye gave me the opportunity to shoot what I saw happening rather than prompting people to pose or possibly object.
The hip shots, especially, provide images which spark my imagination. What happened before I saw them — at the moment I hit the shutter release — that made them happy/sad/tired/worried, etc?
The feel of these photos is more arduous than the large-format photos of people at home. Though the large-format portraits provide some visuals of homes and home life in Mexicali's poorer suburbs, some of these hip shots are testimony to the difficulty and stress of living their lives, a fact which is less apparent in the large-format shots.
I enjoy the loose framing and the spontaneity of these photos. However, my heart sinks when I try to imagine what their days are like, and how little life has given to them.
Gallery
Mexicali Hip Shots
