Though most of our adventures in Mexico this December immersed us in the flora and fauna of Tulum, we did venture into the town of Tulum to experience the day-to-day of the locals.
Above, an open-air market displays a wide array of local pineapples, bananas, lemons & limes, squashes, and melons. In the background, two men talk and rest at a taqueria on what was a particularly warm afternoon.
Like the beaches, much of the industry of downtown Tulum revolves around tourism. Most of the storefronts compete for tourist dollars by displaying stereotypical Mexican wares... hammocks, colorful blankets, blue talavara vases, and sombreros. Because we were in Tulum during an extremely slow week, most of the store owners paid little attention to us, resigned to the fact that it was not a moneymaking week.
Since my trip to Montreal, I've been experimenting with shooting from the hip... literally. When photographing, I find myself obsessed with capturing moments during which the subject in the photo is completely unaffected by my presence. Though I have had marginal success with this technique, the downside is that it is extremely difficult to ensure sharpness in the setting. The above photo is a good example of the pros and cons of shooting from the hip. You can get extremely close and capture intimate shots, but the composition is less than perfect and the overall shot is blurry. I think I've decided to abandon this technique, but I am drawn to the visual mood that shooting from the hip creates.
I really love the above photo (and the next photo) because it gives equal emphasis to the individual in the photo and their environment. This woman is carrying a bowl of tortillas. Behind her is a precariously complicated network of cables and a dizzying collage of English-reading signs, advertising affordable food and lodging for tourists.
There are a lot of elements in the above photo that are in conflict with each other. I think that's the reason I am pleased with the outcome. As seen in other photos in this set, the physical environment surrounding the boy is a bit heavy. Again, we see the obtrusive power lines and phone poles. There is construction dust and machinery. Seemingly oblivious to all this is our youthful focal point... a young boy running excitedly through the street. To underscore the youthful elements in this photo, a florescent ice cream cone hangs in the background.
On our last day in Tulum, Catholic Mexicans nationwide celebrated the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe. In Mexican tradition, a vision of Mary appeared to a young man named Juan Diego in 1531. In the vision, he was instructed to gather roses in his cloak, and upon doing so the above image miraculously appeared on his cloak. This image is ubiquitous in Mexico. I purchased the above pigment printed cloth at a artisan gallery.
As we were driving out of town on the interstate highway, traffic halted for a procession of hundreds of feast day celebrators. On many of the processors shirts, the icon of the Virgin of Guadalupe can be seen.
The above photo is of some of the youngest processors. The girl in the center and the boy on the far right (donning an amazing painted-on mustache) noticed me as I jumped out of our shuttle to snap some shots.
On Tuesday, January 20th, I will be one of the millions in attendance for the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. I've been waiting almost four and a half years for this day, and for others, the events on Tuesday have been generations in the making. Please return to The Viewfinder in a couple weeks for an inauguration post. Don't expect any photos of the man himself as I won't be anywhere near him. However, I hope to piece together a nice photo essay of the people there to witness the day.
Barack Obama speaking in the Boston Common, October 23, 2007.
The crowd behind the stage on the night that Sen. Ted Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, and Sen. John Kerry officially endorsed Obama.
Though horribly out of focus, the movement in this photo really captured the electricity in the hall.
"The fierce urgency of now."
Ron English is an American pop artist who joined the many artists who created visual street art in support of Barack Obama. The above photo is a shot from the now iconic piece, "Abraham Obama" that was installed in the South End in Boston this fall. Though I'm not a big fan of his other works, this piece is genius. English deconstructed the classic portrait of Abraham Lincoln to include the likeness of Obama. A graffiti-ist added the eye patch. The overall feel makes me a bit uneasy, but the concept is classic.
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