I remember being so in awe of all the vintage VW Beetles I kept spotting when I visited Mexico City for the first time. And I didn’t realize a photo of an old blue one “squished” between two larger cars against an orange yellow wall that I shot during that trip would become one of my favorite photos of all time.

When I returned to Mexico City several years later, I saw Beetles EVERYWHERE. Once you spot one bug, that’s all you see. There’s one…and another…and another! I would go out not just wandering, but “bug hunting” to try to find different colors and cars parked against interesting backgrounds. I remember photographing a red VW van against a pink building daily, finding different angles and using different films and cameras to capture it.

My visit to Oaxaca last year was just as fruitful for “bug hunting” as the country’s capital had been, maybe even more so. Once again, I found a favorite car to return to over the next several days of my trip (it was also red but with a yellow top). I even found one decked out with The Beatles—Paul, John, Ringo and George’s faces lining the windows.

There’s something nostalgic about the classic VW Beetle, a reminder of a time when cars were small, colorful and fun. A symbol of free spirit and free love. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to photographing them.

This post is inspired by an article I read in The New York Times about a northern Mexico City neighborhood, Cuautapec, aka Volcholandia, whose residents are keeping the spirit of the VW Beetle alive.

Here is a collection of my own photos of VWs spotted in Mexico City and Oaxaca.

The original, full shot of my “El Carro” print.

A very tight squeeze to get into these!

I named this shot “Love Bugs” because they are snuggled up against each other.

The Beatles Beetle—I took this photo for my dad!

Kodak Gold, Kodak Ektar, Expired film, iPhone…I shot this van many, many times during my time in Mexico City.

During our visit to Mexico City in February 2022, we rented an apartment in the neighborhood of Escandon, which lies just south of hip Condesa. Its proximity and short walking distance to areas like Condesa and Roma, while still remaining slightly outside the tourist sphere, was what drew us to stay here. I spent many mornings and afternoons just wandering around, and even though it’s not a large neighborhood, I kept finding things to discover. The main commercial street, Avenida Jose Marti, was always bustling and I enjoyed walking up and down watching locals go about their daily business. Escandon still retains its middle-class roots, though as in much of Mexico City, construction can be found all over. I found Escandon a charming, lively neighborhood. Here is a look at life along Jose Marti, captured on film.

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Expired Kodak Ultramax 800

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak Ultramax 800

Kodak Ultramax 400

Kodak Ultramax 400

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak Ultramax 400

Since the first time I visited in spring of 2018, I knew I had to make it back to Mexico city one day. That day was back in February 2022, when my husband and I decided to take a “work-cation” for a week in Mexico’s capital. He worked remotely while I wandered around with my camera—also working! One of the main things I sought to capture once again were the vibrant colors of CDMX as seen on the streets. And this time, capturing those colors on film. Here’s a sampling of the rainbow of hues that saturate the city on 35mm film.

Expired Kodak Ultramax 800

Kodak Ultramax 400

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Gold 200

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ultramax 400