Welcome back, mi gente, to Sombra Y Cultura. I’m your host, and today we’re heading deep into the world of Mexican photography — where tradition meets emotion, and the ordinary moments of daily life become something extraordinary.

It feels great to be back with another episode,and today’s story is one that carries light, humility, and a kind of sincerity that’s hard to find in modern photography. Today, we’re talking about a photographer who doesn’t just capture images — she captures truth.Her name is Carmen Sánchez, and her lens has been telling powerful, honest stories about Mexico for over a decade.

Carmen Sánchez was born in San Bernardino Tlaxcalancingo, a small town in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico — a place known for its deep cultural roots and breathtaking mix of modern and indigenous heritage. And like many great photographers, Carmen didn’t start with a formal background or fancy training.

She’s actually self-taught — a detail that says a lot about her determination and love for her craft.

Her journey into photography began back in 2011, when she started documenting community events for the municipality of Cosoleacaque, Veracruz. At that time, it wasn’t about exhibitions or competitions. It was simply about recording her surroundings — people, moments,celebrations, and the heartbeat of everyday life in Mexico.

And that, right there, became the foundation of her voice — a voice that tells the stories of people and traditions that often go unseen.

Now, one thing I find inspiring about Carmen’s story is how she never stopped learning. She attended the Encuentro Fotográfico México in 2016, where she studied under Bruno Bresani, a respected name in Latin American photography.

That experience shaped how she saw composition, emotion, and the power of context in an image. By 2019, she wasn’t just learning anymore— she was teaching. She led her own workshops in portrait and basic photography during the very same Encuentro Fotográfico México event.

It’s a beautiful evolution, right? From student to educator, from local photographer to someone giving back to the community that shaped her.

Carmen’s work has this special emotional honesty to it. She doesn’t rely on big studio setups or elaborate staging. Instead, she focuses on what’s already there — the natural rhythm of life, the textures of land, and the silent strength of her subjects.

Her first solo exhibition, titled “Everyday”, ran from April 2022 to May 2023 at the Fiscalía General del Estado de Puebla. The title alone says so much — “Everyday.” It’s a reminder that there’s beauty in what we often overlook.

Carmen’s lens turns the ordinary into art — whether it’s the curve of a smile, the movement of a market, or the wrinkles of time written across someone’s face.

Her visual storytelling has earned her major recognition, including:

·       Third place in the Health Without Pause Patients competition at the Ibero-American level in 2020.

·       First place in the Sorority category of the 1st National Photography Contest: InMujeres.

·       First place at the 1st Biennial of Pyrotechnic Photography in Tultepec, State of Mexico, in 2022.

And then there’s “Ancestral Texture” — a deeply poetic body of work exploring territory, heritage, and identity. This series was exhibited at the Centro Cultural Casa Olinka and won first place at the International Image Festival 2023.

It’s a project that speaks about connection — connection to the earth, to ancestry, to belonging. You can feel the layers of story in her photographs.They’re not just images; they’re reflections of memory.

And in March 2023, she also presented a collection titled “FLORECIENDO”,in collaboration with Puerta Violeta and the Institute for Substantive Gender Equality, as part of International Women’s Day. That work celebrated the resilience and power of women — a recurring theme in her photography and one that deserves every bit of recognition it’s received.

Carmen Sánchez represents the best of what photography can do when it’s led by heart instead of ego.

She reminds us that you don’t need to travel the world to tell meaningful stories — sometimes the most powerful images are right outside your door, in your neighborhood, or at the family table.

Her success is also proof that being self-taught doesn’t limit you. In fact, it can give you a more personal and unfiltered connection to your vision. Carmen’s work celebrates community, womanhood, and Mexican identity with a tenderness that feels both nostalgic and empowering.

And that’s exactly why her presence in the photography world is so important — she’s a living example that passion, humility,and consistency can create lasting cultural impact.

You know, as I was reading and revisiting Carmen’s journey, I kept thinking about how easy it is for photographers like her to be overlooked — especially in an industry where the loudest voices often overshadow the most authentic ones.

Carmen doesn’t need shock value or controversy to make her work meaningful. She doesn’t rely on trends or spectacle. What she creates is timeless. It’s emotional honesty — captured through patience, respect, and love for her culture.

And that’s something we desperately need to keep alive in art.

To me, Carmen Sánchez represents the soul of Mexican photography today — a blend of truth, roots, and raw emotion. Her photos breathe life into the idea that ordinary doesn’t mean unimportant.

So if you haven’t already, go check out her work. You can find her on Instagram (just click here)

Before we wrap things up, I just want to say — thank you. Seriously. Every time you hit play, every time you share an episode, or even just listen quietly while driving or editing photos — it means more than you know. Sombra Y Cultura has been growing one listener at a time, and it’s because of people like you who care about art, history, and those stories that often go untold.

We’ve now opened up the option for listener support — nothing big, nothing pushy — just a way to help keep this project alive if you ever feel like contributing, you can do so by clicking here. But honestly, your time and energy already go a long way.

If today’s episode resonated with you, please leave a quick review on ApplePodcasts or Spotify, share it with a friend, or give it a like. Those small gestures really help this show reach new listeners who love photography and culture just like you.

I’m your host, and this was Sombra Y Cultura. Until next time, keep creating, keep feeling, and never stop seeing the world with heart.

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