Sunset door

A last ray of sun caresses an ancient door at La Estancia. A beautiful restaurant in Cuernavaca, Morelos, not too far from Mexico City.

A beautiful afternoon and eve.

Sometimes, a glorious spring evening it's all a dream is worth.

Lucha Libre!

At the Arena Mexico, a couple of weeks ago. They don't allow anyone to take pictures, so I had to sneak this one. I was really moved by the entire atmosphere of the place. Can't really be described with words... It was my first visit, I'd to wait a long time before finally convincing my friends to go.

Have been thinking about doing something in the Arena. The place and the people are amazing. Would fit nicely on the exhibition about Mexico that I'm currently working on. Now all I need is to get a permit to get in there with my Nikon!

It has been a crazy month of March. Way too intense. Too much work too and no sight of slowing down.

Tulum's Moon

On a January eve, just after sunset. It's amazing what you can do with a handheld little digital camera these days... No teleconverter, or tripod, or postprocessing. Just a well worn Canon G7, in Manual Mode.

With crystal clear skies, Tulum is one of the best places on Earth to contemplate a full moon.

Albaicin, a window

I had forgotten how beautiful the Albaicin was, how full of little details, corners, passages, trees, towers, churches, plazas... is. Every little thing is in harmony with its surroundings. I guess that's why I love Yucatan so much. Something, a deep sense of beauty, of equilibrium, is present here as well.

And yes, I have something about windows...

That angel at the top of Granada's Cathedral

This is my first post in a while. In the meantime I've been to Mexico DF and back to Spain to meet my newly born nephew and attending my dad's birthday... Not to mention a very hectic period at work.

But I'm back and reloded.

More pictures to follow soon!

PD.- The image is of St. Michael the Archangel

Fellow travelers

A happy picture! We met fellow travelers Betina and Joel in Izamal. I went there with Ros and Frank on our way back from Rio Lagartos (as these two are avid birdwatchers), and we all stayed at the Green River. A little hotel with a lavish garden and charming staff (Francis is most helpful), I very much recommend it for its reasonable price and relaxed atmosphere. Rooms are a little past their best, but they're currently working on them.

Joel was not only a fellow traveler, but a keen tennis player and a certified car nut too, proud owner of a fab Mercedes 280 SL (Pagoda). So I could only but like him. We all shared lunch at the unique Restaurante Kinich (Bruce's eatery of choice when visiting these latitudes), and I helped them to find a hotel in Puerto Morelos. As I haven't heard back from them, I'm fearing that they didn't survive the treacherous drive through the storm... or that they completely hated the hotel I booked for them.

It's always cool when you meet nice people like them when you're on the road. Traveling is the single best thing in life.

Dia de la Candelaria

One of last weekend's faces... I love the colors and the expression. Izamal was celebrating the festivity of the Candelaria, and she was part of the parade that arrived to the monastery.

Rio Lagartos

I know, I have quite a soft spot for pelicans. And I find this image particularly charming for some reason.

On Sunday I took Frank and Ros to Rio Lagartos, for a boat ride and some bird watching. We got to see the flamingos, although from a considerable distance, and many other species.

It was a lovely afternoon spent by the sea...

Inca girls

After all the (unfair) criticism that Sebastiao Salgado received for his Refugee Children book and exhibition, I don't feel that comfortable exhibiting pictures of children. This one I took in Peru over 2 years ago, and for that same reason, I still haven't publish it.

Innocence is lost forever it seems. At least in the eyes of way too many beholders. Fortunately not in the smiles of these charming little Inca girls.

Henri Cartier-Bresson Interview

We all have a hero, somebody that inspires us, somebody we'd like to be. For me, and for thousands of photographers around the world, this person is Henri Cartier-Bresson.

He invented photojournalism as we now know it. We all are Henri's children in a sense, and even so he remained a remarkably subdued figure during all his life. Always refusing to appear in public or being photographed.

That's why when I discovered this one hour long interview I was so thrilled. To being able to see inside this giant of a man, it's a very privileged thing.

A wonderful interview by Charlie Rose, with the most enthusiastic introduction by Richard Avedon (another master). Don't miss it. It'll be your best spent hour ever.

Winged Warrior

This is a well known sculpture at Ek Balam.

However impressive as it is on the outside, it's the inside of Utik Kan Le'k Tok' tomb what it's set to change many of the views that we currently hold about Mayan culture.

Little has been published about what the archeologists have found, but expectations are pretty high. Much has been said about Ek Balam, but little is known for sure as it's a relatively new archeological site. Works only started in the mid-eighties, and 2 big structures have not been excavated yet.

This impressive winged warrior is one of the tomb's guardians. The entrance to the tomb is guarded by Kukulcan's fauces and it's meant to be an entrance to the underworld, probably used for initiation rites.

Today I met with Mario for the 1st time in months... Our Mayan project it may still have a future. More to come!

The Albaicin at sunrise

Cold January Day

Yesterday it was as cold as it will ever get around here... it really was chilly. Yet these kids were having a great time and didn't seem to be worried by the very cold sea water.

Went to Puerto Morelos for a fish meal and tequila (it was way too cold for beer). That pretty little place never fails to make me feel good.

This week...

...that rain never seems to stop... I can't wait for a bit of sun to get out, stretch my legs, and take some sunny pictures. It's even cold down here! And I miss the pelicans!

What the duck...

It's not that I don't have any new pictures to show... but yesterday I bought my 3rd external hard drive... and yes! space is becoming an issue.

Also my little homage to Aaron Johnson and his great WTD comic strip (see more at http://www.whattheduck.net).

More Ek Balam...

This is the Oval Palace at Ek Balam, as seen from the main pyramid. The fact that this building has an oval back, tells us about its Peten (Guatemalan) influence. Another peculiarity of this city is that it has strong defensive walls, unlike most Mayan towns. Quite remarkable too are their cisterns to preserve rain water. One of the theories about the Mayan demise it's actually that they suffered a very severe drought and its consequential scarcity of food...

Whatever the reasons are behind Ek Balam's architecture, the real truth is that this is a very special place.

It was a beautiful afternoon spent driving, walking, taking pictures... Today I went to change my truck's internal fluids and filters, as I can't wait to hit the road again and wanted to have a hassle free ride. Bronco is at 120,000 miles and never missing a beat. What is it with men and their old vehicles? Why do we get so attached to them?

Bronco Days

Yesterday I took my big and old truck and went for a long drive to Ek Balam, a Mayan site close to Temozon (around 20 miles from Valladolid and a 330 miles drive all in all).

This is one of my favorite archaeological sites as it's a pretty compact, and normally deserted (although yesterday the parking lot was full). It has some of the most impressive, and unusual, sculptures ever found in Yucatan (including winged warriors). Most puzzling are the hieroglyphics that can be found at the entrance of Utik Kan Le'k Tok' tomb, by looking at them you'd believe that you were somewhere in Egypt or the British Museum, not Yucatan...

After 4 hours and a hundred pictures I headed to the little Mayan community of the same name, that it's located just up the road from the site. I wanted to see if they could fit in my photography project, and was also curious to meet those crazy Italians that had decided to open up a restaurant and a hotel in the middle of that wilderness ("Dolcemente Ek Balam" it's called the place).

The Mayans and the Italian food proved disappointing (it was a rather sad Mayan community and the restaurant, ended up being one of those places run by people who prior coming to Mexico had never cooked anything), but the hotel was cute with well looked after grounds and clean rooms (but executed in a motel kind of style, without the boutique feeling that I was expecting). At least the meal was inexpensive.

On the way back it occurred to me that this was my first (non-business related) solo trip since I live in Mexico. I've done loads of leisure trips here, but always with friends. Next weekend will be the second, with a scheduled weekend trip to Yaxuna's Mayan community already on the books. That one should be exciting, it's one of the few Mayan sites that I haven't seen yet.

New Year's Eve in Playa del Carmen.

And first picture of 09. A kind of Mayan Riviera Times Square, but with no clock on sight to kick the year off... it was funny to see how each little group of people decided to start their celebrations at different times...

Happy 2009!

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.

Looking for dolphins

During a ferry ride to Holbox Island, a little girl and her granny look to the ocean, searching for dolphins. A high key image, but its color rendering is not that far out from reality. This is the 2nd image of this set that I'm publishing.

And finally... "Coox Janal Pixan!"

…I’m back!

A very busy October with loads of work and very little sleep is coming to an end. On the 30th, in 10 days, my exhibition with Mario will open its doors in Xcaret.

Has been a while since my last show in Berlin, so I can’t wait to see the pictures hanging on the walls. The quality of the printing was pretty good, in fact much better than I’d anticipated. I’d forgotten how much better printed pictures are (compared to computer screens).

Only 10 days more to go!