I have always been drawn to street portraits, but everyone who has tried knows the biggest hurdle – approaching a stranger and asking: "Can I take your picture?" The most intriguing faces often belong to the "weirdos" who seem unpredictable. It triggers that familiar stress and uncertainty – what to expect from them; whether I will be told off, or if things will take a turn for the worse.

In Mexico, it is a completely different story. There is this pervasive sense of ease, from the weather to the local way of life. It does not even matter that my Spanish is far from perfect; I ask before every portrait. Some just smile, greet me back, and nod; others start talking right away, and some simply do not care. Like this man. He sat there, unmoving, for five minutes before and after I took his shot. After all – what else is there to do in that heat?

Celestún, 2007