The Fixer

Maguito Luna (Margo) is a friend in Mexico. She does a lot of stuff, but mostly she fixes things. 

Photographers and filmmakers all over the world know the word “Fixer”. On many assignments and projects, without them, nothing gets done. They’re the locals you call when you need access to a location, or you need something to happen right this second, and you don’t have the time to do it, or can’t do it, because you don’t know how to do it, or you don’t know the territory, or maybe both or maybe more. Because of their efforts, all you have to do is show up and do what you do so well. But without a fixer, often, it ain’t gonna happen, which means you and your work ain’t gonna happen, which means you got nothing to show to your client, which means you don't make a house payment. That would be a good example of what it means to be a commercial photographer, and what it means to simply take pretty pictures for the hell of it. If you're a pro, often you need a support group, and you need a fixer.

“I’m Mr. Wolf, I solve problems." Wolf was a professional fixer. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Mr. Wolf (Harvey Keitel) walking into Jimmy’s house in the Tarantino movie Pulp Fiction, with 40 minutes to clean up the “problem” dead body, plus all the bits and pieces and blood splatter from the gunshot spray embedded into the back of that white car. That’s the nature of fixers. They get the car cleaned up while drinking a cup of coffee with “lots of cream and lots of sugar.” Normally, you would not expect it from a Mexican, but Margo has that attitude in her blood.

When Deb and I first came to San Miguel, Margo gave us a tour of some of the important areas of the city, and she helped us set up the logistics of how to live day to day in San Miguel. She is critical to our collective infrastructure in Mexico. Something about her personality suggested she could help me do the off-the-radar cultural photo stories I want to do. I don’t speak Spanish, so I needed an interpreter to help me get into locations. I needed somebody who could open doors and get me permission to shoot and be an interpreter on my interviews with local artists, shop owners, and subjects of my stories. I was hoping to create a personal fixer I could work with, but I got more than that. Without Margo, nothing happens. Because of her professionalism, and determination to figure things out, she hands me the opportunities to do what I do. She bridges the cultural gap between me and Mexico. No worries - I just fill in the blank spaces with words and pictures.

Margo was born in Mexico City. A student of history, she has been an English teacher and continues to teach Mexican clients online. Currently, she and her gringo husband, the fine artist John Willams, rent a place in San Miguel and run the art gallery Galería del Impresionismo. She loves and has never left Mexico.

Over the years, I’ve known production coordinators who could walk through concrete walls. Margo doesn’t do that. Margo builds from the ground up. She’s what I would guess Julia Child might be like after smoking a joint. Almost chirping, infectiously enthusiastic, friendly, and positive, Margo walks about eight feet ahead of me smiling, chatting it up in Spanish, and within ten minutes, the location owner, whom we never met, is showing photos of their kid’s birthday party. She neutralizes any hesitations and concerns. These folks don’t even know they’ve been seduced, and they’re having a great time. I just stand there, smile, and look at everyone like I’m providing something positive to the moment. She knows what I do and why I do it, and she’s able to communicate that to people, so all I have to do is be respectful and polite and not speak. At a nod of her head in my direction, I slowly start to speak, she interprets and sometimes alters what I say so it doesn’t sound too gringo stupid or offensive in Spanish, and before long everyone is having a great time doing a small shoot with a goofy white guy wearing a weird hat, which they remember the next time I see them. In the following few days, I make small prints to give to the new “models” and they love the whole process. Often, no one has ever made them feel important in their work, and nobody has ever given them photos of them doing what they do - something they can show their family and their friends. The key is respect for a fellow human being. If I can do that much, I have communicated all that is necessary. I have made new friends, we start to evolve a bigger picture, and I get serious about shooting and writing their stories. Nothing happens without Margo spinning her friendly webs.

So here’s a tip of my hat to all the fixers out there in the world. All those people behind the scenes who use their talent and personality to make difficult things seem easy and make bumpkins like me look like we know what we’re doing. But shooter’s all over the world know the truth. A lot of the time, the fixer leads the way. For me, I just follow Margo through the corn maze/puzzle. I’m constantly searching for a way. It's what I do. Margo already knows, or she finds the way. It’s what she does.

A few before and after photos from our past projects follow: