[en] July: Hands at Work

When I came up with this photo essay, I wanted to show the diversity of jobs that converge in Chapultepec. From vendors and artisans to musicians and delivery people, my idea was to focus on the details of their hands and how they tell the story of their work. More than the results, I was interested in observing the actions performed by these people.

For this, I decided to bring a Canon AE-1 Program, a light camera that would allow me to move quickly thanks to its size and automatic functions. With the 200mm f/4 lens, I could get close to the details while being as unobtrusive as possible. I used a roll of Reflx Lab 400 Daylight film, with its vivid colors and a sensitivity that gave me confidence in different lighting conditions. With that gear, I wandered through Chapultepec, searching for the hands that shape the daily work in such a popular space.

As I stopped to observe, I discovered details that had previously gone unnoticed. A Huichol artisan patiently assembling a tiny design with beads, surrounded by hundreds of people. A florist, completely at ease, carefully folding the paper for a bouquet while watching a series on her phone, amidst all the noise of the avenue. Or the particular way someone held a notebook and a piece of paper, a unique manner resulting from years of repetition. These are small actions, but when looked at up close, they contrast with the chaotic environment of the city.

After developing the photos and seeing them all together, I understood that the vast majority of these trades are not only manual but also profoundly creative. Each person infuses their own style into what they do: how they hang their colorful monkeys (iconic of Chapultepec) at their stall, how they serve a cup of chili-covered mangoes, how they arrange the souvenirs they sell.

I realized something else: I have passed by this place and these stalls many times without stopping to look. In my prejudice, since these are trades practiced mainly on the street, I didn't think of them as creative endeavors, but as routine activities. It was only by observing closely that I discovered that silent creativity. And there, in what I had previously considered mundane, I found the true meaning of this small project.