Boarding Pass: MEX
Masks for sale outside Arena Coliseo.
New camera. Free weekend. Lucha Libre.
Mexico City it is, then.
This was the extent of the discussion before we jumped on the plane and headed to CDMX. My kit at that stage consisted of my Canon T6 and the EF-S 18-55mm and EF 75-300mm lenses that came with it. I carefully packed it all in the bag that came with it, made sure I didn’t forget my battery charger and SD card, and boarded the flight.
We arrived to an absolutely perfect day, sunny and 70°F. AKA typical Mexico City weather. For this trip, we stayed in the Centro Histórico /Zócalo area. Limiting our focus area allowed plenty of shooting with enough time to kick back at the hotel for a little while when we needed a break to rest and cool off. After checking in at Hotel Mumedi, we headed out into the streets with Jay watching my back as I got busy putting photons on the sensor.
My muscle becomes my model. Jay blends into his surroundings.
The sun was out, but it was RAINING cool shots. Everywhere. There were markets, architectural icons, and public art wherever I looked. Down every alley. Around every corner. That little 18-55mm lens got its first serious workout. My neophyte diligence for protecting my lens at all times was quickly consumed by the fear of missing a great image. Lens cap went into the leg pocket for the duration of that shoot, and every one after.
I fired away, not exactly spraying and praying, but definitely applying every composition option I could think of to each scene. Shoot ‘em all and let Darktable sort ‘em out. We stayed close enough to our hotel that I didn’t have to carry everything I had with me; returning to swap lenses was viable. There would be lots to cull when I got home.
Being new at this, I was working with the standard camera-strap-slung-diagonally-across-my-body setup. I soon found out that although my camera wasn’t going to fall, I didn’t love all the bumping against my hip. Most of the time, I was steadying my camera against my hip with my right hand over the end of the lens. Carrying styles are as individual as photographers themselves, and it wouldn’t take me long to find a better gravity insurance system that worked for me.
My photo map of Mexio City, Centro Histórico. Click image for interactive map.
We went to Arena Coliseo to see the wrestling that night. Certain venues host Lucha Libre on certain nights of the week, so keep that in mind if you want to go. Show up early enough to see the ladies fight. Arena Coliseo is the venue for Saturday nights, and its location figured into our choice of hotel and shoot location. It was a fun, wild time, and I’d definitely go again.
There was time for a little more street shooting the next morning, then we headed back to the airport around noon. As we climbed out of Mexico City, I wondered where my next shoot would be. Then I realized: it didn’t matter. I boarded the flight to Mexico City with the intention of dipping a toe into the photography pool; I boarded the flight home ready to cannonball off the high dive. You can see my Mexico City gallery here.
