Top: This picture was taken at the party for my sixth birthday. My dad had given me a Fisher Price camera as a gift, and I pointed it at my sister. It is the first picture I ever took. Bottom: My sister and our father on a boat. I remember this day really well. I cried because I wanted to pretend to be a sailor, but it was SUPER HARD. When we returned to land our dad took us to our favorite sushi restaurant.
My dad gave me a beautiful old camera and we both tried it out immediately. I took the top picture of my mom, and he took the bottom picture of me at 14.
I was sitting on the couch reading when I noticed that my dog, Vinicio, was sitting in a very regal way and looked really. I didn’t have any dignified photos of Vinicio, so I ran into the other room to get my camera. When I returned I found that he had switched to a very sensual pose. I was like, “Vinicio, come on, go back to looking elegant!” But no, he wanted a sensual portrait of himself. So here’s my sensual dog, Vinicio. I hope you like him, he’s really handsome.
A weekend spent camping on the beach with my friends. Everything felt so easy and happy.
A day trip to León, Guanajuato with Kenia (pictured) and some other friends. We stayed in a beautiful old house on a little lake and talked and talked about everything. I think that trip was where Kenia and I got close.
Top: Carmiña. Bottom: Zaid. We were in Guadalajara, hanging out, taking pictures, and riding around in my car. Lovely lovely times.
Citlalli’s a botanist, and she’s always taking us to beautiful places. On this day we were in a forest, where she needed to collect some plants and mushrooms for a school project. It was raining a little bit, but we had a lot of fun and ate lots of things too.
More pictures from our day in the forest with Citlalli.
On this day Citlalli took us to the Nevado de Colima National Park, where there are two active volcanos. I remember that I was feeling kinda sad because my dad was sick, so I really needed to spend time with my friends. At one point we got really tired of walking and Zaid asked some nuns, passing in their car, for a ride, and they said no! Zaid was SO MAD, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
At El Nevado de Colima. We spent the rest of the trip playing in the snow, eating quesadillas and chocolates, and walking A LOT. I had lots of fun.
This is a later trip to the same park. We had a goodbye party for Citlalli, who was moving to another city.
Concerts with my friends.
More concert pictures.
That was when my dad died. I was feeling terrible, but Zaid was there with me. I was talking with him in the bathroom and we took pictures of ourselves, because that’s what I do—I take pictures. I was sad but I felt safe because Zaid was with me.
Some funny pictures with my friends.
We went to Tapalpa, a town near Guadalajara, for the weekend to celebrate my friend Ricky’s birthday. We danced, we ate delicious food, we had fun. I feel like I spent the whole weekend laughing.
We went to Papantla, Veracruz, for a Björk concert. We couldn’t find a hotel room; everything was totally booked because of Björk. But there was a camping area, so we decided to camp out. Top: Zaid with our tent. This was the last time we saw that tent, because Zaid somehow LOST OUR TENT. Finally we met a guy with a car who drove us around so we could find a hotel with a vacancy. We found a really gross room, but it was OK, because we were really, really tired. Those four days were really fun. Bottom: At the concert.
After the Björk concert we went to the beach in Veracruz. This trip was one week after my dad died, and it was really healing.
Citlalli’s Halloween birthday party. Citlalli was dressed as Carrie, but something went wrong and her dress turned PINK instead of blood-red.
Citlalli’s party.
Citlalli’s party.
My birthday party last year. Fera, Zaid, and I went to the beach for my birthday last year. It was a happy happy birthday with just my best friends and our dogs. Nico looks like a Wookie in that top picture.
23. Zaid and me on January 1, 2012. I’d just been through a really hard year, and Zaid was the most supportive and amazing friend. This picture represents our friendship that year.
We went to Mazatlan for spring break. Does it look fun? It was really fun.
Valentine’s Day 2012. My best friends and the love letters they gave me that day.
We went to a skate park in the middle of the woods in Guadalajara to take some pictures for my friend Gibran’s line of shirts. Fera and some of our friends skated while I photographed them. Then we broke for pizza.
New Year’s Eve, 2012/2013. We camped at the beach in Mazatlan. Ximena made a fire, we ate marshmallows and chocolate and gazed at the sea.
The next morning Citlalli and Fera were swimming in the ocean. They looked like mermaids, so I took their pictures. Being at the beach on the first day of the year always feels right.
We went to the volcano El Nevado de Toluca because my friend Leo wanted to take some pictures there. He’s a photographer too. I’m happy that I have a lot of photographer friends these days. Vinicio had lots of fun that day running all over the place.
El Nevado de Toluca.
My most recent birthday party. We celebrated at my house with food and drinks and friends and dogs. It was my first birthday in Mexico City, and it was awesome.I like my new friends, and my not-so-new friends too. I’m having fun here. I like my new life. ♦
25 Comments
you guys this inspires me so much and makes me really emotional. i’m going to go make something like this now. maybe i’ll submit it.
Please do!!
My favorites are 7, 8, 10, and 11. But, all of these are beautiful. María, you are a magnificent photographer!!! I always feel like you capture the emotions of your subjects very well.
This is so beautiful and lovely, i love you so much rookie and amazing work maria <3 <3
beautiful.
I always enjoy these “eye candy” photos! So pretty :)
i love this. it makes me kind of sad though, because i have no friends like this. you’re so lucky and i’m so happy for you, maria. you have incredible talent and strength.
This makes me feel like you’re a Cool Older Sister
these are so beautiful. I love how much they mean to you and I love the way they’re presented too <3
You take such beautiful photos!
This is so wonderful <3
You have such amazing friends! The little captions just make this so much better <3
I loved this so much! Thanks for sharing :) btw me encanta como todo mundo se toma una foto en esas escaleras en Tapalpa jajaja :)
you live such a beautiful life
you’re so lucky to have such supportive & wicked friends
One word, three letters: WOW. Every page is unique and beautiful. Were these all taken with a film camera? They have a vintage, timeless quality.
Me gustan mucho tus fotos María, ¿de qué parte de México eres? ¿tienes un sitio web propio? Me estoy iniciando en la fotografía y ver tus fotos me inspira. <3
i love these photos. They’re so amazing and personal. Thanks for sharing them x
-Aida
This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in my whole life
THESE ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AHHHHHHHHHHHHH <3
i love this so much. friends and love and memories, it’s all so beautiful
This is so beautiful. All beautiful pictures, they look unbelievably pretty. You see the happiness and everything.
I wish I had such cool cameras.
omg quisiera tener una vida tan interesante como la tuya, nunca salgo ni tengo amigos tan cools jajaaja :(
these are beautiful! so inspiring!
xxBianca
this is really beautiful and inspirational.. think i’ll make my own