The Level Up Live By Pexels

In this case, I’ll focus only on the one held in Mexico City, which was hosted by Alí Alcántara, Miguel González, Anya Juárez Tenorio, and Israel Salcedo, with guest speakers Eduardo Romero @lalobri, Nicole de la Mora @nyxpic, and Alfredo Rodríguez @alec_rolo.

“Level Up is Pexels’ free photography series. It covers fundamentals, composition, light, camera basics, editing, and how to find your style, and it’s designed so your Pexels profile grows alongside your skills. Level Up Live brings this series to life. Throughout August, we’ll host events in cities around the world, plus a global challenge anyone can join.” –Pexels

On August 22, 2026, an event called Level Up Live was organized in different cities around the world by Pexels, as part of the annual celebration of World Photography Day.

But first of all, what is Level Up?

I should clarify that all kinds of photographers and filmmakers were invited—beginners, experts, and even those who only do it as a hobby.

The event was divided into two main sessions. First, from 9:00 am to 12:45 pm, (@lalobri) Eduardo Romero gave his talk titled “Curiosity is the engine that guides me,” focused on storytelling, finding your style, and growing as a creator. In the afternoon, from 12:45 pm to 6:00 pm, (@nyxpic) Nicole de la Mora presented Visual Narrative, (@israyosoy) Israel Salcedo and (@alec_rolo) Alfredo Rodríguez covered light, composition, and model direction through a talk, theoretical session, and practical workshop. As a special activity, there was photo‑embroidery with Anya Juárez.

For this article, I’ll focus only on the morning session, since that was the event that interested me the most.

For me, lalobri is one of my main references when it comes to telling a story. While his talk focused on photography and his journey to finding his style, I got to know more of the human side rather than the “character” we usually see on social media. So, the key points I’d highlight are the following:

• Be curious.

• Don’t be afraid to try different types of photography, from experimental to product.

• Capturing the moment is better than planning a shot (especially in street photography).

• Editing matters, but good optics easily make up 80% of the work.

• The less friction there is in photography, the better the result will be.

• In street photography (especially when lighting doesn’t change drastically), his go‑to camera setup is: ISO → Aperture → Shutter Speed → Framing.

And above all, what really stuck with me were these phrases:

• Like a racehorse, focus on your own path.

• Eliminate prejudice.

• When you identify your pillar, everything becomes more genuine.

To wrap things up, the attendees were divided into colors and sent out to take photos focused solely on that color. In my case, I was lucky enough to get yellow—and here are some of the shots I managed to capture:

Photo by Bianca Isela @byblaan

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