“Perhaps what has influenced my path as a photographer the most has been walking, but not the simple physical act of moving from one place to another on foot. I mean wandering the streets, walking aimlessly,” César Sánchez Palacios.
César Sánchez Palacios, known in the artistic world by his pseudonym Sainte-Terrer, has always been a traveler at heart. Born in Mexico City, but never truly settling there, César has lived in multiple cities throughout Mexico, including Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Guanajuato, as well as spending some time in the United States.
He describes himself as a trashumante, a wanderer of sorts, always moving from place to place. “It’s difficult to say exactly where I’m from,” he shares, acknowledging that his nomadic lifestyle has shaped much of his perspective on life and photography. “In a way, I have been a wanderer: moving from one place of residence to another every so often.”
Growing up in a variety of environments—ranging from the hustle and bustle of the city to the quiet, serene pace of small towns—César developed a deep connection to the world around him. This diversity in living situations, he reflects, has influenced how he perceives life, but it is the act of walking, or deambular, that has truly impacted his photography.
“Perhaps what has influenced my path as a photographer the most has been walking, but not the simple physical act of moving from one place to another on foot. I mean wandering the streets, walking aimlessly, simply observing and discovering the territory, the street, the landscape, the urban or rural space, without any rush, with calmness.”
For César, walking isn’t just about moving from one place to another. It’s about exploring, observing, and discovering the world at a slow, deliberate pace. He quotes Rebecca Solnit’s Wanderlust: “Walking is, ideally, a state in which the mind, body, and world align, as if three characters finally converse, three notes that suddenly form a chord.” For him, this “chord” resonates with every step, every corner, every unnoticed detail that might otherwise escape the hurried eye.
“I believe it is essential to learn how to wander, because when we walk in a rush and without paying attention, we miss the aesthetic potential of what is right before our eyes,” César says. To elaborate, he draws on a quote from Henry David Thoreau:
“‘In the course of my life, I have known only one or two people who understood the art of walking, or rather, of taking strolls, who had, so to speak, the gift of sauntering’—that is, the ability to wander. Sometimes, I believe this ‘gift’ is something we are born with: a natural inclination that makes us enjoy wandering. Thoreau also says, ‘Ambulator nascitur, non fit’ (the walker is born, not made),” César references.
“It is for this reason that I identify with the term ‘Sainte-Terrer,'” he explains, “which I use as a sort of pseudonym, because it is from this term that the English verb ‘saunter’ derives: ‘a slow, relaxed walk’—in other words, wandering.”
César attributes his passion for photography to these walks. Though he once entertained the idea of learning to draw, the practicality and immediacy of photography became the perfect fit for his exploration of urban landscapes.
As he explains, “I would have loved to learn how to draw as well, so I could capture on paper everything that caught my eye; and if that had been the case, I believe I would have become an urban sketcher instead of a street photographer. But it was photography that captivated me; its practicality, speed, and relative ease in capturing the everyday moment fit perfectly with the dynamics of wandering the streets, that is, walking as an aesthetic exploration of urban space, just as the flâneur, the 19th-century city stroller, did.”
César describes his approach to photography as akin to that of the flâneur, the 19th-century figure of the solitary urban wanderer. As César cites from Susan Sontag’s On Photography, the flâneur “explores, stalks, and crosses the urban chaos—a voyeuristic wanderer who finds beauty in the extremes of the city.”
When it comes to themes close to his heart, César’s work centers on the beauty of the everyday, the mundane. His street photography captures moments that most people overlook—the beauty in the ordinary.
“I’m interested in discovering the aesthetic potential in the simplest things, in the daily spaces, objects, and situations that often go unnoticed because of their excessive familiarity,” he shares.
His series, Andares y Cotidianidades (“Walks and Everyday Things”), encapsulates this philosophy. As an example, he quotes Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass:
“I believe that a blade of grass is no less than the journey of the stars, and that an ant is no less perfect than a grain of sand,” highlighting his belief that beauty lies in the most overlooked and insignificant aspects of life.
Among his many projects, César holds one especially dear to his heart: Hago Falta (“I Am Missed”). This project documents the activities of the Support Network of San Luis Potosí for the Indigenous Government Council (CIG) during the 2018 election campaign of María de Jesús Patricio Martínez, or “Marichuy,” as an independent candidate for the Mexican presidency.
The experience broadened his understanding of the social and political issues surrounding indigenous communities and also deepened his connection to the struggles of these communities.
“During the process, my understanding of my country’s social and political situation grew, helping me better appreciate the importance of indigenous peoples’ historical struggles and resistance movements. After the electoral process ended, the CIG asked for feedback on our experience as a final activity for the support networks,” he recalls.
“One of the questions we were asked was precisely why we had decided to participate. In response, the title and words from a fragment of the poem Hago Falta by the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Alfredo Zitarroza came to my heart.”
The experience culminated in a journey to Chiapas in 2018 to witness the 25th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising. Being part of this historic celebration shaped his work moving forward.
“It was a pivotal moment in my career as a photographer,” he says, reflecting on how the Zapatista movement’s 25 years of resistance and autonomy influenced his perspective and his art.
“Being there, interacting with people from different parts of the country and the world, and witnessing 25 years of struggle, resistance, and autonomy of the Zapatista peoples was a fundamental experience in defining the direction of my work in my photographic practice.”
This project became a collective exhibition at the Instituto Potosino de Bellas Artes (IPBA) in 2019, and later evolved into a photobook, which he presented in 2020.
It was during his time in Chiapas that César made a life-changing decision. Just before his trip, he left his job to pursue photography full-time, dedicating himself entirely to his craft. But as with any major life shift, the road ahead was not without its challenges.
“The series of photos that marks a before and after is precisely the one I did in Chiapas because just before traveling, I quit the job I had at that time with the goal of dedicating my life to photography. So, when I returned, I began to forge a new path.”
César recounts how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic just after his return made the early days of his independent career particularly difficult.
“However, it wasn’t an easy start; on the contrary, that year came with great challenges, and one of them was the global COVID-19 pandemic, which had a strong impact on those of us, like me, who were just starting to develop an independent career.”
“Even so,” he says, “other opportunities came up that I hadn’t anticipated and have allowed me to continue developing professionally,” he recalls. Despite the obstacles, César’s commitment to his work only deepened, and his career began to take shape in new and exciting ways.
One particular photograph stands out for César. Taken in the early days of the pandemic in March 2020, it is a simple, quiet image of sunlight streaming through a kitchen window, illuminating everyday objects on a table.
“It was in the morning, I had just finished breakfast and was sitting at the table finishing my coffee, reflecting on the uncertainty of those days. Then, when I turned my head to one side, I noticed the sunlight coming through the kitchen window and falling on the kitchen objects placed on a small table. It was a scene without much meaning, but it powerfully captured my attention: for me, that image perfectly encapsulates the idea of ‘the charm of the everyday.'”
As he describes, “That image, which I took with my phone, resonates deeply with me because it captures the essence of how I view the world: finding beauty in the ordinary.”
The photograph was later exhibited in a group show titled Pandemia in 2021, affirming its universal appeal and the way it spoke to others during such an uncertain time.
Today, César is focused on completing his studies. As he puts it, “Currently, my ‘project’ consists of my postgraduate studies; I have just finished my Master’s degree in Aesthetics and Art (MEyA) at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), and at the moment, I am developing my thesis to present my graduation exam soon,” he celebrates.
Reflecting on the importance of studying, he adds, “Although in the last two years, during my studies, I have paused my photographic practice a bit, I consider my academic work to be a fundamental part of my growth as a photographer because I have discovered that photography is not only about taking pictures; there are many other aspects surrounding it: its history, theory, criticism, curation, conservation, dissemination, teaching, etc. That is why my future plans, in addition to continuing to practice photography, involve approaching it from other angles, such as research and teaching.”
If given the freedom to create any project without limitations, César dreams of traveling throughout Latin America, capturing the essence of life across different countries.
“Definitely, if I could undertake a project without restrictions, I would love to travel across the entire country, even throughout Latin America, and create a photographic project similar to Americans by Robert Frank. In doing so, I would have the opportunity to understand our unique conditions and life circumstances as Latin Americans and document them through photography,” he says.
Reflecting on his journey, photography was always there, as far back as he can remember. “In a way, photography has always been present in my life. My mother’s two older brothers learned the craft and opened a photography business in the town. This meant that we always had family photographs, and some compact cameras came into my hands,” he recalls.
“Also, the specialized magazines my uncles acquired were a sort of ‘visual training.’ However, the first time I took a photography course was in the summer of 2001 in the city of Puebla,” he says. “At that time, I still didn’t have enough money to buy a reflex camera, but I had a small compact camera that I used to document family moments. It was with that camera that I practiced for the course.”
With those basic skills learned, he continued taking photographs of my everyday life. “A couple of years later, I bought my first digital compact camera, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I decided to buy my first digital reflex camera with part of the money I saved working in the United States.”
When César returned to Mexico, the first thing he did was take a small camera handling course to learn how to use all its functions. “After that, I took photography courses at the Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí, as well as other courses offered at the Francisco Cossío Museum in the same city,” he recalls.
Later, César spent two years studying photography at the Instituto Potosino de Bellas Artes, in addition to other workshops and courses with various photographers and artists, including Juan Pablo Meneses, Lourdes Almeida, Dulce Pinzón, Gerardo Montiel Klint, Ramón Portales, and Mauricio Alejo.
“Each and every one of them, along with others I haven’t mentioned, have been mentors to me and have greatly influenced my growth as a photographer,” he appreciates.
César’s journey as a photographer is deeply connected to the idea of deambular—wandering through life and cities with a mindful eye, finding beauty in even the smallest details. When asked about his place in the street photography scene, he shared:
“I don’t think my street photography has a ‘unique’ style; rather, I have a different concept and approach. When I do street photography, my focus isn’t on ‘narrating stories.’ More than ‘saying’ something, I’m interested in ‘showing’ something, which is a very different approach.”
“I believe that photography in general, but particularly street photography, does not have the narrative capacity of ‘verbal language.’ The image theorist Gottfried Boehm states that the power of the image (the iconic-figurative representation) lies in ‘showing,’ in ‘saying,’ and this also applies to the photographic image,” he clarifies.
As César details, “Images ‘communicate’ in a different way than verbal language, but in an equally powerful way. In that sense, I think that ‘narrating stories’ belongs more to the realm of documentary photography, which also interests me and I consider important. However, specifically when talking about street photography, my focus is on ‘showing’ the aesthetic capacity of the mundane and everyday.”
When asked for advice for future street photographers, he offers this:
“I would tell them to learn to wander the streets, calmly and without haste, to learn to enjoy the everyday and appreciate its aesthetic qualities. To explore the streets, every corner of the city or town, in a mindful way, without any particular goal, so that walking becomes an aesthetic exploration of the urban territory, the flânerie, so that walking becomes an aesthetic practice in itself.”
“After all, it is the space where light and shadow are configured and re-configured, thanks to the architecture in conjunction with nature, the ‘constructed’ and the ‘unconstructed.’ The urban space is essential for the street photographer who, through the act of walking, explores, perceives, reflects, and, if something has particularly caught their eye, captures in an image what drew their attention.”
César would also encourage them to read more, “not just technical books,” he says, “but others as well, even theoretical ones, because that way they will come across authors like Georges Perec, who in his book Species of Spaces invites us to observe the street even with ‘systematic care,’ to do so calmly, and even take notes of our observations; to write down what we see, what we consider important, what catches our attention, because if there is nothing that attracts the gaze, it is because we still don’t know how to see.”
“If that is the case, then it is important to slow down even more, ‘almost clumsily.’ What matters is to see with simplicity, to discover the rhythm of what happens on the street, ‘to decipher a piece of the city,’ the curiosities of the neighborhood.”
As he puts it, “My main advice would be to learn to look, to experience, and to reflect more consciously on the street, whether you are interested in the experience itself, or whether it becomes the trigger for other processes which could be aesthetic or artistic.”
To Learn More Visit:
César Sánchez Palacios, @sainte.terrer
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.
