El daguerrotipo de Toledo

As I recall discovering this book of photographs, I remember the sense of beauty and mystery that remains undiminished almost seventy years after its original publication. On a formal plane, one can easily understand how Man Ray manipulated the optics of the camera, juxtaposing near and far, object against object, space against object, and tactile against transparent. It is also apparent how he deliberately manipulated the process of photographic printmaking, using unusual tones of black, white, and gray to transform content into spaces, forms and surfaces. However, it is not simply how Man...

This is an anthropological essay that studies social dynamics of Mexicos city from the perspective of its inhabitants. An analysis about the relationship of their everyday life with the history of the city is made from questionnaires and the exhibitions of images to a group of people- taxi drivers, traffic cops, deliverymen of goods, students, housewives, street sellers and middle class motorists.

"Los buenos fotógrafos dominan su entorno. Los grandes fotógrafos saben cómo componer sus imágenes. Los mejores fotógrafos buscan sus propios medios, o "caminos", para revelar la verdadera naturaleza del sujeto. Este libro trata de esos caminos y de cómo encontrar el propio."--Back cover.

Fotografías personales del puerto de Coquimbo. El autor -biólogo de profesión- realiza un trabajo excelente de retratar lo que fue el "pueblo" de su niñez, mostrando la belleza, lo imprevisible, lo popular de la ciudad y sus habitantes.