Featured Project: Nina Manandhar’s Reforma
We caught up with London-based photographer Nina Manandhar about her latest project. Reforma saw Nina travel to Mexico City to photograph newspaper sellers. Ambitious, different, and wholly relevant. Check out her comments below.
We think your Reforma project is fascinating. Could you tell us a little more about why you chose to photograph newspaper sellers?
I was initially drawn to the bright colours of their outfits, which were so striking in the Mexican sun. They are sold on a street called Paseo de la Reforma, hence the title of the series. I like to see street life and public culture in cities, which these sellers are part of.
When I did more research about one of the papers, Reforma, I found out it has an interesting history. It’s sold on the streets because the Mexican paper carrier unions initially tried to ban it from newsstands when it was launched in 1994 because it published more challenging political viewpoints. The paper has an ‘open journalism’ model, made up of editorial boards which contain members of the public alongside politicians and members of NGOs.
Do you have any thoughts on the current climate for self-publishers or those who want to produce their own content?
My dad is a printer and I actually started out doing zines with friends! Self-publishing is really empowering. Having both self-published lots and worked with a publisher for my book What We Wore, both modes are good for different types of projects. The main thing is making quality go work to go inside and having the perseverance to keep it up in the hard times! There are so many more great print options now for small runs too.
