Guanajuato - Mexico circa 1975

Photographers have an advantage over artists who paint. I cannot understand how those artists survive the fact that they no longer have the painting they sold. We photographers even though some of us are artists (people tell me I am one) keep that original negative, transparency or digital file.

So when a photographer loses a cherished negative, slide or digital file it can be a tragedy.

When we arrived in Vancouver from Mexico City in 1975 I was not able to get a photo job until the new French CBC TV station hired me in 1976/77. By 1978 I was gainfully shooting photographs for Vancouver Magazine. I believe that it was around 1979 that I decided to have a show of my Mexican photographs. In those days restaurants welcomed framed photographs. I had a show in a nearby restaurant to Vancouver Magazine which was on Richards and Davie. One of the framed photographs is what my Victoria friend Gerry Schallie would call it a signature shot.

I took the photograph from the steps of the University of Guanajuato. I was able to shoot it immediately when I saw the man because I knew the sunny 16 rule. I shot it with KodakTri-X at 1/1000 at f-11. My camera was an Asahi Pentax S-3. The lens was a Komura 85mm F-1.8.

Until today I can say I lost that negative. Today in my family files under Mexico before 1975 I found it and what you see here is scan that I did today.

I will never understand Canadians who flock to Porto Vallehrtah (that’s how they pronounce it) to enjoy a beach with margaritas when there are so many lovely cities with culture, etc.

I am joyfull today and I believe this may spur me to return to Guanajuato and take some street photographs.