In the sprawling, unpredictable expanse of Mexico City—a place where “everything happens at the same time: noise, movement, combustion, energy, dissonance, and danger”—photographer Victor Hugo Hurtado García, better known by his Instagram handle @peatoncallejero, walks the streets with a quiet purpose. “I think it’s these very characteristics that made me want to photograph this great city,” he reflects.
“My father was a publicist, and I spent a lot of my childhood in the darkroom with him, developing negatives and positives,” he recalls. His grandfather, too, was an artist—a comic illustrator, blacksmith, and photographer who, according to family lore, drew some of the first Superman comics to arrive in Mexico.
Yet Victor didn’t step into photography with grand statements in mind. “Honestly, I’ve never wanted to say anything with my photos. I think photography lies in a way, and that’s why I like leaving the interpretation up to whoever’s looking,” he says.
His style, largely self-taught and intuitively shaped, leans toward street photography, although he began by shooting urban landscapes from rooftops and helipads. It wasn’t until 2018 that he dove deep into the streets.
His approach is refreshingly organic. “I don’t go out thinking about what I want to photograph. I just charge my camera battery and let the street guide me,” he says. “From motionless mannequins to people living on the street—whatever grabs my attention, that’s what I shoot.”
Victor’s series “Retratos del Subterráneo” (Subway Portraits), created with an iPhone in portrait mode, began by accident and became a cherished project. “It wasn’t something I planned. It emerged after noticing a pattern in about 250–300 metro photos I had taken,” he explains.
The result was a 14-image series, printed and exhibited at the Encuentro Fotográfico México in 2024 and later published as a zine. “What made it so meaningful was being able to print the images, share them in an exhibit, and create something tangible.”
While many photographers speak about their connections with subjects, Victor admits he’s different. “I don’t really talk to people I photograph. I guess I’m a pretty boring person,” he chuckles. Still, his photos brim with human texture and urban intimacy. Even without conversation, he captures something raw, unfiltered.
His career has seen notable highs—like shooting for the release of Sebastián Yatra’s single “Tacones Rojos”—but Victor is most proud of resisting the pressures of trend-driven photography communities.
“The biggest challenge for me is staying outside the social standards imposed by the photography scene here in Mexico. I try to avoid what’s trendy or popular,” he says.
Looking ahead, he’s working on a new long-term project, though he prefers to keep it under wraps for now. “It’s a year-long commitment, but I won’t talk about it until it’s finished,” he teases.
In 2024, he mostly took a break—what he calls a sabbatical year—but 2025 has him setting his sights higher, both literally and figuratively.
“I want to get into astrophotography,” he shares, “and travel more across the country to shoot street scenes in other parts of Mexico.”
Asked what advice he’d give his younger self, Victor doesn’t hesitate: “Drop the bad friendships.” As for aspiring photographers, he offers this gem:
“Do all kinds of photography. Use all kinds of cameras. And the more beat-up they are, the better. That way, when you finally get good gear, you’ll already know how to solve problems in the moment.”
And his dream project? “I’d love to photograph a mafia or criminal organization in their environment,” he says —proof that his creative curiosity remains as restless and alive as ever.
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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.
