Instead of letting those experiences diminish his light, he’s using his artistry as a form of what he calls “silent activism;” making a conscious decision to take photographs that visually amplify the narratives of marginalized groups; with a central focus on communities of color and the LGBTQIA+ community. He’s worked on projects with several prominent institutions including El Museo del Barrio, the Museum of the City of New York, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and a host of other art spaces.

Natal-San Miguel says the true stories lie in the details. Whether it’s the gray rollers in a Bronx woman’s hair that match the hue of the sidewalk, a statement necklace that denounces racism donned by a woman from Brooklyn, or a tattooed tribute to a person’s beloved borough, these elements are what tell the tales of New York. For the past two decades, he’s gone on concrete pilgrimages across the Big Apple, walking from block to block to find these stories.