People seemed to enjoy these, so here goes another one.
First, (again), I do not claim to be a portrait photographer. However, I do like to photograph the indigenous people where I ravel as part of my documentation and cultural context.
In 1995/1996, we lived outside the provincial capital "city" of Guaranda, Ecuador. Once an important center, it has been a little left behind, as it is on the other side of Mt. Chimborazo from the cities of Ambato and Riobamba, through which the Panamerican Highway passes. There is no single indigenous group here, like I described last time in the town of Salasaca (near Ambato), but rather different villages with separate identities (and different hats!). Guaranda is described in tourist books as the "Rome of the south", as it is build between 7 hills. However, the resemblance ends there!
We were house-sitting about 3 miles out of town. Next to us, across an empty field, was our closest neighbor. They had 4 childred who would come by and play with our two - ages 6 and 9. Children seem to transcend any language barrier and they often came around, especially the oldest one, "Elisabeth". By day she would look after the younger two while her parents tended to a 5 acre plot of corn. The eldest boy was often seen roaming around with his slingshot (around his neck in the photo). Like others we met, she always wore such a beautiful smile!!
Doug, you are not alone in your adeptness in portrait photog! I am a real master of disaster for this mode!
These look very well done to me! Nice smiles, good background, nice exposures!
Nice color also! It accents their skin color!
Dan
Ecuador to Montana....that IS a trek!!!
Danpbphoto wrote:
Doug, you are not alone in your adeptness in portrait photog! I am a real master of disaster for this mode!
These look very well done to me! Nice smiles, good background, nice exposures!
Nice color also! It accents their skin color!
Dan
Ecuador to Montana....that IS a trek!!!
Thanks, Dan.
Like I said, I just take photos of people when I travel, not portraits. I don't do poses or any set-up - I just ask if I can take their "picture". Sometimes I get lucky!
In reflecting, though, I am thinking I should do more of this - but if I find that if I think too hard about it, I usually ruin it - haha
The people in your photos look so honest and natural - it’s a breath of fresh air in a world of poses and selfies. Your stories really make the images feel that much more personal. Really top-notch work.
zuikolens wrote:
The people in your photos look so honest and natural - it’s a breath of fresh air in a world of poses and selfies. Your stories really make the images feel that much more personal. Really top-notch work.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
I have 2 or 3 more sequences to share in the future from Ecuador and a couple from Chile. I hope you will like those as much!
Like I said, I just take photos of people when I travel, not portraits. I don't do poses or any set-up - I just ask if I can take their "picture". Sometimes I get lucky!
In reflecting, though, I am thinking I should do more of this - but if I find that if I think too hard about it, I usually ruin it - haha
Doug
Portrait/photo...potato..potatoe..It is good no matter how defined "gt"!
graytrekker wrote:
.
Like I said, I just take photos of people when I travel, not portraits. I don't do poses or any set-up - I just ask if I can take their "picture". Sometimes I get lucky!
In reflecting, though, I am thinking I should do more of this - but if I find that if I think too hard about it, I usually ruin it - haha
Doug
These are great! I agree, if you think too hard, it can trip you up. If possible, I try to spend a little time interacting, then asking to take their photograph. Nothing helps you improve more than practice. You can start to see areas where you might make a few improvements and you'll absorb that and next time you won't even have to think about it.
What a wonderful experience for your family to have! We have been blessed by opportunities to travel to other countries not as a typical tourist. I spent a week in Nicaragua helping a farmer in a remote mountain village build a pig pen. My wife teaches graduate level nursing and frequently takes her students on medical mission trips to Honduras. She's also taken them to Tanzania.
I'm including a link to an interesting video by Zack Arias showing his style of working taking people photos in other countries.
dmacmillan wrote:
These are great! I agree, if you think too hard, it can trip you up. If possible, I try to spend a little time interacting, then asking to take their photograph. Nothing helps you improve more than practice. You can start to see areas where you might make a few improvements and you'll absorb that and next time you won't even have to think about it.
What a wonderful experience for your family to have! We have been blessed by opportunities to travel to other countries not as a typical tourist. I spent a week in Nicaragua helping a farmer in a remote mountain village build a pig pen. My wife teaches graduate level nursing and frequently takes her students on medical mission trips to Honduras. She's also taken them to Tanzania.
I'm including a link to an interesting video by Zack Arias showing his style of working taking people photos in other countries.
I was also in Honduras - taught a semester at a bi-lingual school in Siguatepeque. Loved my students and most peopler I met there, but Honduras is a scary country (murder capitol of the world they say). Very few indigenous people left there, unfortunately.
That was an interesting video. The music on it was outstanding! Thanks!
graytrekker wrote:
...but Honduras is a scary country (murder capitol of the world they say). Very few indigenous people left there, unfortunately.
Unfortunately, Deb has suspended mission trips to Honduras because of the instability there. Of course, there's been no trips anywhere because of Covid. When they went, they were always escorted by armed guards.
My introduction to Nicaragua was arriving in the evening to our walled compound in Managua. Our driver beeped the horn and the gate was opened by a man in fatigues carrying an AK-47. It was a little disconcerting and actually atypical. Up in the mountains at our destination the biggest threat was being pecked by a chicken.
Even with all that, I'd like to travel back to Central America. Costa Rica or Belize sound like good bets.
Yes, that's the way of most of Central America. I always felt safer in the areas of South America that I have traveled. Chileans were particularly friendly to us - and you can usually drink the water
