“I feel proud to be Mexican because the everyday life of my people is truly special,” Berenice Ferrell.
Berenice Ferrell’s path to photography is a story of gradual discovery, shaped by her childhood observations and later fueled by a deepening personal connection to her surroundings. Born in Mexico City and raised in the coastal city of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, she found herself captivated by life’s subtleties from an early age.
As a child, she spent much of her time observing the world around her. “I was a solitary child, and in a way, this made me observe the social world from a different perspective. I was fascinated by the moments in people’s lives and enjoyed watching their lives from a distance. At that time, my desire for photography had not yet been awakened,” she reflects.
At the age of 17, Berenice took the first tangible step into photography. “I bought a 35mm compact analog camera. My first steps into photography were thanks to that camera. It was exciting to go out into the streets and photograph monuments, streets, and objects. I remember waiting to get paid so I could buy rolls of film, and the thrill I felt when I picked up the developed photos. I enjoyed those photographs, even though they were unstructured, they were special to me,” she recalls.
“My passion for photography developed in recent years. I am self-taught, and it all started as a hobby,” she says. “It has been a process of discoveries, like understanding the camera settings, slowly learning what makes a quality photograph, and training my eye. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from great photographers, studying their work, observing their compositions, and listening to valuable advice. Many times, I made mistakes and lost good shots, but I’ve learned to let go of my fear. I have received good suggestions, and have also learned from reading photographers’ biographies.”
One such piece of advice, from the iconic Manuel Álvarez Bravo, resonated deeply: “To create a good photograph, we must remain calm, without hurry.” This advice helped Berenice to relax when going out to take photos. “It inspired me to let the moment flow,” she explains. “For me, discovering photography was also about discovering myself and realizing that I could do something incredible if I set my mind to it.”
In terms of styles, Berenice’s passion lies in documentary and street photography. “I really enjoy documentary and street photography. I find it incredible to capture the everyday lives of people—their outfits, the reasons behind a situation, capturing a look, a smile. It makes me imagine and fantasize about what their lives must be like,” she says.
Through her lens, she aims to create stories that speak to the shared human experience, showing the beauty in the mundane. “What I aim to convey through my images is what most people overlook—those unique, magical street scenes that will never be repeated. It’s about capturing the essence of a person, discovering what lies within them, as if through a photograph we could see into their soul and create a story. My photos seek to freeze time in moments that may seem insignificant but are part of everyday life. I aim to create those moments where someone can feel connected to a situation or a person.”
When it comes to her creative process, Berenice prepares herself mentally before going out into the streets. “In a way, I mentally prepare myself to flow with the moment. When I step out onto the streets, I try to disconnect from everything and focus my eyes on what’s around me,” she explains. There’s a fluidity to her work, an openness to letting the moment unfold.
Her work has a cinematic feel, capturing emotions that go beyond the moment and evoke nostalgia. “I want to recreate that feeling you get when you look at old photos of your grandparents, as if their soul is captured in them.” This approach turns everyday scenes into timeless images.
Among the lessons photography has taught Berenice, is that time is finite and fleeting. “When we see a memory captured in an image, we become aware that life is constantly moving forward, and those moments are unique. It’s a privilege to capture life and those fleeting moments that will never come back.”
“The second lesson is that photography lets us express ourselves without words. When we capture a moment, it gives us the chance to share an emotion or situation that goes beyond language. Photography is a powerful form of communication,” she says.
If Berenice could advise her younger self, she would say: “Find your talent, focus on it, study, practice, and don’t be afraid!” She’s learned that embracing her craft has been the key to unlocking her potential.
One of her ongoing projects involves capturing street portraits, a genre that has become especially meaningful to her. “What makes it special is being able to capture someone in a moment of their life,” she says. The spontaneity of these encounters—whether a person on their way to work, running errands, or waiting for someone—makes each photograph unique and filled with untold stories.
Looking back, two special photos shifted her perspective on what was possible with her camera. “There were two photos that marked a turning point,” she explains. “For the first time, I captured people looking directly at the camera.” One of these was a young man in downtown Mexico City, riding his skateboard, who locked eyes with her just as she clicked the shutter.
The other was an older man in the Zócalo, who, just like the skateboarder, met her gaze. “It was a revelation for me,” Berenice admits. “I realized my photos could be more daring—they could capture not just a scene, but a person’s essence. I had the power to bring them into the frame.”
Reflecting on the role of gender in her own journey as a woman photographer, Berenice shares that “men tend to be very practical about their approach and they have a clear sense of the standards,” and sometimes, “It’s a challenge to keep up.” However, she also sees being a woman photographer as an advantage, particularly in street photography.
“Women carry a different sensitivity, and we tend to generate a more subtle trust,” she reflects. “People respond more kindly when a woman asks to take their picture, and I’ve noticed that people often open up more easily.”
Throughout her journey, Berenice has met a variety of people, each encounter leaving an impression on her. One such encounter involved a woman she spotted working in a fabric store, dressed in a unique outfit with striking makeup. “She was different, and that’s what made her special,” Berenice recalls. “To me, she was beautiful. Her peculiarity made her stand out.”
When Berenice approached her to ask for a photo, the woman responded enthusiastically. “In life, we often forget to look beyond appearances,” Berenice notes. “Looking at someone with dignity, can make them feel special,” she reflected.
Street photography, for Berenice, has been a deeply personal journey. “It’s been a way to discover myself,” she says. “I didn’t know I had this sensitivity to find and capture moments that many people might overlook.”
In thinking of the ways in which photography has contributed to her personal growth, Berenice reflects, “It has undoubtedly been a personal discovery in many ways. First, because I didn’t know I had the sensitivity to find and capture moments of everyday life that, for most people, become mundane.”
“I’ve also discovered that I can transform the way I viewed the world as a child and encapsulate it in an image. Through photography, I’ve discovered myself. When I look at my photos, I often see the nostalgia of my personality reflected in them. Photography allows me to express who I am and feel free, to express those emotions that so often overwhelm me. The tones that make up an image—a black-and-white scene—are my way of seeing the world, in a deeper, more profound way,” she explains.
Her relationship with the streets, the people she photographs, and her country has been shaped by her growing pride in Mexican culture.
“I feel proud to be Mexican because the everyday life of my people is truly special. I feel more connected to the customs of my community, and there’s an excitement in sharing them with the world. For example, when I visit a ‘Pueblo Mágico’ in the region, I often see women wearing a rebozo as part of their attire—a tradition deeply rooted in Mexican homemaking culture. Being able to capture and showcase this custom is meaningful to me. These women use their rebozos to keep warm, to carry their babies, and often, to feel secure by covering part of their bodies. These are treasures of the culture we have, and it fills me with pride to be able to immortalize them.”
Looking ahead, Berenice has dreams of capturing women and their emotions in a project that would explore the spectrum of female experiences—from moments of joy to deep sorrow. “There’s so much we carry as women,” she reflects.
“The project would capture through photography what they feel—whether it’s a woman filled with joy, laughing out loud, or that empty gaze where sadness can invade her soul. I hope to create images where many of them can express, through a photograph, what they hold inside.”
While she would love to travel to photograph internationally, a dream project involves photographing and traveling across her vast homeland. “The truth is, I believe that my Mexico, as a country, has so much culture to offer. Exploring and traveling across the country, capturing each town full of customs and unique people, would be my dream.”
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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.
