So last weekend I had this crazy idea to build an authentic photo collection showcasing Argentina locals – not those cheesy tourist shots, you know? Just normal Porteños living their daily lives. Figured it’d be easy. Spoiler: it wasn’t.
The Big Mistake I Made First
Grabbed my camera and charged straight into La Boca on Saturday afternoon. Baaaad move. Place was swarming with tourists doing that same awkward tango pose. Every “local” I spotted either turned away or started posing like they’re on a magazine cover. Even street vendors switched into “showtime mode” when they saw my zoom lens. Went home with 200 shots but deleted all of them that night – pure garbage.
Changing The Game Plan
Next morning, I tried something totally different: walking away from all attractions. Found this quiet neighborhood called Villa Crespo where locals were hauling groceries, walking dogs, waiting for buses. No souvenir shops in sight. Left my giant backpack at home too – just one camera body and a small prime lens. Sat at a bakery corner table nursing a cortado for hours until people stopped noticing me.
The Real Shots Happened Like This
- Pretended to photograph architecture while actually capturing the old man reading newspapers outside his kiosko
- Shot from waist level near the playground – kids chasing balls make killer action shots
- When making eye contact? Gave a thumbs-up and genuine smile instead of hiding my camera
Magic happened after that. The florist started arranging flowers extra slow for me. The butcher waved while hanging chorizos. Got natural smiles from abuelas chatting on benches when I gestured “is this okay?” with my camera.
Edit Like You’re Not Editing
Back home, I trashed every rule. No color-grading Argentinian flags to pop. Just lifted shadows enough to see market stall details and kept those gritty sidewalk textures. Cropped out anything that looked even slightly posed. The crumbs on the baker’s apron? Left ’em. The rain stain on the schoolkid’s backpack? Absolutely kept that.
What Finally Clicked For Me
Authenticity isn’t about hiding your camera. It’s about staying put until you become part of the street furniture. Let people live their rhythm – don’t make them dance to yours. That barista stirring mate? She glanced at my lens four times before ignoring it completely. And that’s when I pressed the shutter. No fancy tricks. Just patience and showing respect.
Yeah it took three full days to get seven keepers. But those frames? You can smell the facturas baking through the pixels. Mission accomplished.
