Happy New Year!

I've thinking a lot about what image should I use to end up 2008. As this has been a rather strange year for me, not meaning good or bad, but just that: strange, unusual, different.

There have been loads of new images, faces, and places... and also farewells, but my friends have always been by my side. I don't have a picture with all of you in it, but this one should be a good example of the good times we shared this past year.

All I wish for 2009 is to be able to keep on celebrating life with all of you, my friends.

Wish you all the happiest year ever!

I'll see you around!

When life was easy...

...and everything was possible. Can you remember it? It really was...

Pearls before swine

Couldn't but post this comic strip from Stephan Pastis... Because it so perfectly expresses my feelings about photo albums. Guess how many albums do I keep at home... you guessed it right: none.

More Pastis under http://comics.com/pearls_before_swine/

Valerie

Must be that the end of the year is quickly approaching, or maybe it's just nostalgia... but I've been visiting my archive files lately. The result are the last 2 images I've posted. This one, is a portrait of Valerie.

I'm posting it because this picture stands out as my ideal of what a perfect portrait is. Absolute charm.

Not that it really matters but, Agfa Scala B&W slide film, a Pentax Super A with a 50mm f1.4, and Joe's Basement developed it...

PD.- If by any chance of destiny you're reading this and you happen to know Val, send her my regards!

The end...

...or the start of the race?

Sometimes you don't know if you're going towards to, or if you're coming back from...

Directions, welcome.

Betsy Pecanins

My camera run out of batteries that night, so this is one of the mere two images that I managed to capture before a blank screen made me long for my old, film, totally mechanical and trusty Contax S2b.

Can't understand how Canon could think that not including a battery charge indicator in the G7 was a good idea. Fortunately the G10 has one...

Anyhow, the performance was magical, and she was full of grace. Betsy's concert was part of Xcaret's Day of the Dead celebrations, this past November. It was the first time I saw her, and words won't do justice. If you have the chance to see her performing live, do not miss it.

THEhotel...

Somebody had a really hard time coming up with this hotel's name...

A night view from my room at The Mandalay in Las Vegas, captured a couple of weeks ago.

Lightworks

I have said it before... I've something about windows. I always find them incredibly romantic. I guess for a photographer they're, what would we do without light? Windows are exactly that... an opening for light.

This is from the Alhambra in Granada.

Tulum ruins at sunset

Trying out my new Nikon D300 and 18-200 zoom lens, at sunset in Tulum. Still playing with my new equipment, and very happy with the results so far.

Jardines del Partal

It's been a long time since my last picture. As life has been full of travels and changes lately. One of the good parts was being back home...

This is home for me. The Alhambra in Granada. A view of the Partal (a reflection in fact). And introducing my new Canon G10.