We are excited to introduce Oscar Reygo – a self-taught photographer born and based in Mexico City, who picked up a camera at fifteen and never looked back. Oscar's work is defined by his eye for dramatic yet soft light across cityscapes and architecture. 

Come "Behind the Shot" with Oscar as he shares stories behind some of his favorite photos in Mexico City Dreaming.

Ángel de la Independencia (The Angel of Independence)

When Trope told me about this Behind the Shot piece, this was the first image that I knew had to be in it. This shot means a lot to me, and now that it is the front cover of Mexico City Dreaming, it means even more. I shot this back in 2023 in one of those random and loosely planned shoots with a very dear friend of mine. It was a sunny and very hot spring day, and a few clouds came in just before sunset, adding the exact amount of drama I needed to have my favorite conditions. Honestly, I think everyone who owns a drone in Mexico City has shot this iconic composition, but the light conditions I got to shoot in were mesmerizing, at least for my own editing style. I knew the potential in this photograph right after shooting it, but I didn't rush to edit it. It sat on my hard drive for almost four months before I felt the exact amount of inspiration and creative flow I needed to retouch it — and yes, when I did, I recognized I couldn't ask for a better sunset scene. The light of the sun from the right, bathing the statue in a gorgeous golden color, and creating a hazy flare in front of the buildings, while keeping the shadows dark and dramatic, and a dark blue sky with some colored clouds that add texture to the composition. This photo became one of my favorites of my portfolio right away, and it still is after three years. It will be hard to top this one, so hard that I haven't even tried in all these years. Honestly, The Angel of Independence is the landmark I have photographed the most in my whole career, and I can say that this specific image is my favorite. Now, this shot is a worldwide ambassador of Mexico City by being the front cover of the book, and it’s the first impression many people will have of my city. I couldn't feel prouder about it.

Encima de la Ciudad de México (Above Mexico City)

Now this shot is another one of those moments when I reflected about life and how I got to where I was. I think all local photographers can agree that winter is the best time to chase sunsets and sunrises in Mexico City. The lack of air pollution, clear skies, and high-speed winds creates a perfect atmosphere for colorful skies. I shot this image back in December 2024. It was actually part of an annual workshop I host where I teach everything behind my work: from how I set up my camera, to my complete workflow in Photoshop. What makes this photograph so special is the place where I took it from: the iconic Latinoamericana tower, one of the oldest and most representative skyscrapers in the city. Standing right in downtown with a height of 165 meters, it has a public viewpoint with a 360-degree view of the whole city, but it doesn't open until 9 am. Luckily, I made a deal with its marketing team and got a special permit to be there at 5 am and shot the sunrise with my whole workshop. We had the place all to ourselves.

Before 2024 I used to focus only on the main subject of my compositions, meaning that in a shot like this, I would have zoomed in to shoot only the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes, but I discovered that I just loved to include the city in my foreground, even if there was not an interesting monument or skyscraper in it. I thought it was a great way to showcase the high density of the city, especially when it had some artificial light, just like in this shot, to add some texture. This image became one of my favorites of 2024. It's an all-rounder for me with a privileged location, stunning sunrise, and one of my favorite ways to compose the city, with the two volcanoes that are iconic to everyone who visits or lives here.

Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park)

This photo had to be included here. I shot it in one of my favorite places in Mexico City: Chapultepec Park, one of the largest urban parks in the world. And once again, it came out from a random and loosely planned shoot with a friend, Vidal, whose work is also featured in Mexico City Dreaming. We've been shooting together for many years and helped each other grow as artists. He's one of the most cherished friendships that photography gave me. Even if there are no iconic skyscrapers or stunning architectural monuments in Chapultepec, I love the calm atmosphere all around the park. It's like an oasis of peace inside the chaos of one of the world's most populated cities. It was a cold but sunny winter day, and we just agreed to walk around Chapultepec Park and see what we could find, and oh my, did we find something. There are four towers like the one showcased in this image. I'm honestly unaware what they mean or represent since there's very little information about them, but what makes this image so special are the lenticular clouds that can be seen at the top of the frame. These types of clouds are extremely rare in Mexico City to the point that several years can go by without spotting one. That day we got lots of them, and they were huge. I didn't hesitate to try and find a good composition to shoot them, and this was my best attempt at it: a road covered in dry grass, leading to one of the previously mentioned towers, surrounded by cacti, and the whole scene framed at the top by these rare clouds, while the sun was still peeking through the distant trees just a few minutes before sunset. As I've mentioned before, I just love to shoot this contrast between soft golden light and dark shadows. The clouds were an incredible cherry on top that made this image much more special to me.

Mexico City Dreaming will be available June 2nd. Pre-order your copy today and stay tuned to hear from the other photographers featured in the book.