Andrea & Stephanie’s course was about building an intimate photo essay.
Out job was to choose a subject, find the people who fit into that subject and get close to them in order to build a personal and intimate project.

I chose, for some unexplainable reason, to focus on the Emo youth around the city.
Together with one of my new friends, Elliot Taylor, I went out in search of Emos around the city in order to try and get close to them.

And you know what I learned?
That is bloody hard.

First of all- being new to Mexico City, I had no idea where to look.

Second - I don’t know Spanish, so starting a conversation with these kids was not easy.

Third - Since I was there to learn, I spent so much time in Shaul & Ben’s class and Stanley’s class. I hardly had time for the Emo project.

Forth - Since these are kids, they aren’t active in the morning (school time) or night (bed time), which left me with little time to search for them and meet them.

The result - Failure. Temprorary, but failure non the less.
For the first few days, every time I came to Stephanie for my daily edit I left with a feeling of uselessness.

Stephanie, who was very nce about it, told me off for:

• Not getting close enough.
• Not taking enough photos.
• Not hassling enough.

And she was right, but I couldn’t figure out how to get past it.

The problem is, I explained to her , that every time I go out I find a new group of Emos. I start talking to them in my Spanglish (half English half Spanish), the in their own Spanglish and we manage to have a basic conversation.
Within a half hour I run out of ideas for discussion with these kids, I get uncomfortable, so I say my goodbyes and leave.

In response Staphanie said: Wait… who got uncomfortable? You?

Me: Er… yea
Steph: And them? Are they uncomfortable?
Me: Er… I guess not
Steph: So whats the problem? If your uncomfortable, bite the bullet and stay there and just hang out.
Me: Er… ok…

It wasn’t until my last night, with the next morning’s final edit looming omynously, that I made head way.
On my last night out searching for emo’s I met at Insurgentes Metro station a small group of Emo kids.
As had been before I sat down with them, started talking to them. After fifteen minutes or so I found my self again, uncomfortable and out of questions.
Heeding Steph’s advice I just shut up and hang out with them… waiting for some unknown future which would help me get close… so I waited.
Afer a while, to my horror, they got up and announced that it was time to leave.
Dredding the next morning’s edit, I got up and saddly said my goodbye.

As they were walking away, a small miniature Stephanie dressed in angel wings and a halo jumpped up behind my ear lobe, knocked me on the head and said: Are you realy going to let them leave??

My imaginery instructor gave me a sudden jolt of energy, I run after the kids and asked the following:
Me: Where are you guys going?
Them: Err… to a party
Me: Can I come?
Them: Errr… hmmm… err… we guess so….

So the next thing I know, I’m on the metro with my new friends, to a private party.
As it turned out, the party was at the home of one of the kids, in the periphery of Mexico city.
I ended up spending the next 5 hours at this party, making friends with new Emo kids and getting a new life experience and a ton of photos for my project.

The next morning, at final edit, I left with an aching shoulder.
Why?
Because Stephanie (not my imaginary one, the real much more corporeal Stephanie) was very proud of me for progressing so far in such a short time and she felt she had to express her joy by repeatedly bashing my shoulder to smithereens.

But I was happy, and here is the final edit.