Mexican Nature Photographer Irvin Andrés Fraire Ocaña
Documenting the Essence of Mexico’s Mountains, Streets, and People
Irvin Andrés Fraire Ocaña, known by his Instagram handle Vive y Late, has always been deeply influenced by his surroundings. His account name, which translates to Live and Beat, reflects his passion for documenting the heart of Mexico—its mountains, streets, and people. “CDMX has inspired me artistically since I was a child,” he says, reflecting on how his city shaped his creative vision. “From imagining movie scenes during everyday metro rides to visualizing photographs of sunrises with the volcanoes in the background,” these early inspirations laid the foundation for his passion for photography.
Irvin’s journey began with a love for painting and drawing. “Since elementary school, I’ve been drawn to painting and drawing,” he recalls. “I’ve used famous paintings as visual references, which I now incorporate into my photographs and videos.” His father nurtured this passion by introducing him to photography. “My father taught me to draw from a very young age, and at the same time, he showed me his cameras, which back then still used film rolls,” Irvin remembers.
Irvin’s greatest inspiration comes from real-life stories, the daily lives of the people around him and natural scenes that shift with the passing of time. “In that sense, I always try to draw inspiration from the real stories that people themselves share: their trades, the everyday moments of their lives, and the significant events that bring people together, such as Día de Muertos.”
“Similarly, when it comes to photographing the mountains or any landscape in the country, I let the passage of time tell its own story. For example, this year I photographed the last glacier remaining in the country, on Pico de Orizaba, and my plan is to return in a few years to document the changes that will have taken place,” Irvine shares.
Through his experiences, Irvin has learned an invaluable lesson: “The most valuable thing I’ve learned is that simplicity and consistency are worth more than the extraordinary and the rare. Instagram, and social media in general, push us to seek highly manipulated photos, unrealistic moments, and exaggerated edits as the ‘best of the best,’ but they end up being unsustainable, and most of those trends are forgotten. The mountains, streets, and especially people always have something wonderful to share, and a well-trained but simple vision is worth more than the former.”
In the early days of his career, Irvin followed the popular trends of city fashion photography, using wide-angle lenses and vibrant colors. But over time, his style became more intentional.
“I started by taking fashion photos of the city with wide-angle lenses and saturated colors, but from the very beginning, I’ve tried to maintain my own essence, highlighting something specific that helps my images tell a small story. Over time, my style has become more serious and consistent. I try to become more involved in what I want to convey.”
For Irvin, photography is more than an art form. “Photography is a powerful tool for the preservation of our culture and natural spaces. In my case, my goal is to inspire more artists to focus on these topics and show our audience places that may seem lost or far beyond our reach. The purpose of my photographic project Vive y Late is to encourage people to travel, but above all, to care for and respect nature, animals, mountains, culture, and people—not just in Mexico, but all over the world.”
Among his latest projects, Irvin has been exploring Mexico’s Neovolcanic Belt. “This year, I focused my photography on the Neovolcanic Belt, the most important mountain range in Mexico, which includes the country’s largest volcanoes. I’m about to finish this year with the highest point in Mexico City, the Ajusco volcano, and I will continue next year with several volcanoes that I still need to explore.”
Looking to the future, Irvin plans to explore the mountains and cultures of South America.
“My goal is to explore the northern Andes or the volcanoes of Guatemala,” he says. With so much left to discover, Irvin’s photographic journey is just beginning.”
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Soledad Quartucci, CEO, Latina Republic
Latina Republic envisions a world where the beauty and resilience of Latin American and Caribbean cultures are recognized and appreciated globally. By amplifying the voices of artists and cultural custodians, we strive to cultivate a deeper understanding of the region’s challenges and triumphs. Our goal is to inspire greater appreciation for the arts as a tool for empathy, unity, and transformative social change. Through our work, we aim to equip all stakeholders with essential insights for addressing regional challenges, ultimately enriching the global cultural landscape and portraying the victories and hardships of everyday life in Latin America.