In The Background

Photography by Miguel ‘Chromatic619’ Valencia

Documentary photographer Miguel ‘Chromatic619’ Valencia shares his ongoing project, “The Other Side of San Diego.” He discusses his passion for capturing Chicano gang life, neighborhood identity, and preserving a lifestyle that is often looked over in popular culture.

San Diego, USA

What is your history as a photographer?

My history as a photographer is something I never actually thought about pursuing. I was enrolled at an art institute, learning programs for design and graphics. To be quite honest, I felt like I didn't fit in and I didn't feel the realness of anything like I did when I took the elective 'photography'.

I had never shot a photograph before my first assignment, which was "Go out and shoot anything your eyes see". I went to the southeast San Diego, particularly the streets of Ocean View blvd and Shelltown and started photographing 5/9 Brims, and gangsters of Shelltown. I just walked around and did that and it felt good; I felt like this is what I was made to do. Unfortunately, I stopped and a couple years later I came back to it and took it serious the second time.

I really don't call myself a photographer; I always think I’m someone that goes out into the street and connects with what I do or who I know. I’m not sure I’ve earned that title yet but ill leave that to the people to say.

How did you get into documenting Chicano gangs and the community?

When I was little kid, I was always drawing pictures of things I saw. For example, I would sit down and draw pictures of people selling drugs or people strung out; no different to what I photograph now, just in the form of charcoal drawings. My background with growing up with certain people and the things I’ve seen in my life time; its always been there. I’ve left to do other things and come back and then I still see how things here are worse or never change.

So like I said before, a couple years ago I said, “Fuck it, i'm going to cop me a camera tell some stories and publish some things I think could do well.” I started out photographing just scenery: couches tossed out in the street, gang graffiti, and people strung out on the sidewalks. I realized I needed to get with certain people; the kind of people that are hard to get to or build relationships with.

Why is this type of documentation important? What kind of story are you trying to tell?

This kind of documentation is important because it preserves what was and what is still going on in the background that nobody gives a fuck about. I think that’s also why sometimes it's difficult to get exposure to what I do. I want to inspire the community, share the raza culture, and tell the stories of those people that are actually really living that lifestyle. Some of the people in my photos are no longer alive, or they are locked up doing life or other things.

In what ways has your eye changed and grown since you first started shooting?

My eyes have definitely changed and grown in terms of perspective angles of a shot: capturing the personality and weight, body structure characteristics of a person or a long, wide or vertical shot and how that is received. I’ll take a good handful of shots and I’m only happy with maybe 4. The background in my shots has to be as good as the focal point, and then weather; gloomy days, sun sets, and how the lighting reflects a gritty attitude for how I want to shoot.

What do you look for now versus when you first started?

I look for story and with legit people of the area and scenery how everything else surrounding can be incorporated to that lifestyle, but also I gotta know who Im around now Im either introduced or I'll know ahead. Everything I do is a lot more careful now. when I first started it was just bam I got out the car and that was that.

What is the story behind one of your favorite images?

I have quite a few stories behind many of my images, there are a few that stay in the back of my mind. The one I will submit of an older man with his shirt off super lit and sucked up from a meth addiction as he told me; he would rather be locked up in a hotel room smoking fat bags of meth. I made it a point that day to find somebody of that nature well I found it, the image says so much and to see someone suffer that way to choose that lifestyle makes me get up every morning and be the best version of myself Im not perfect at all by no means.

How has being a photographer shaped and changed your life?

There is a lot ways I can answer this question what I will say it has shown me my potential in creating a project a body of work that is true to my self. The support and backing I have from particular people makes me push this project even further and to finish it because at one time I was going to stop. Some of these people have become very close friends of mine helping me put this together the right way while letting me shoot how I want to do it.

What's next for you?

I have two projects in development one is in the early stages about people high up there in the drug game I have a very unique way of shooting it. The other one is about 90 percent finished it is called "The other side of San Diego" and whats next is meeting with a few more key people and then trying to find a publisher and that part has been difficult because Im not an established name my photos are hard to market too because of the concepts so just need to find a publisher or someone on the business side willing to take a chance and mess with me on this.