I am a landscaper and do not often take portrait photos. However, someone recently posted an older Kodachrome image which made me think - I have a few of those from 6 months I spent in Ecuador in the mid-nineties. I originally posted this in the Nikon Manual Focus lens forum, and beg your indulgence to cross post here.
Salasacan Weaver by Doug Stevens, on Flickr
Nikkormat FTN; Nikkor 50mm HC f2; Kodachrome ASA 64, scanned on a 15-year old Minolta Dimage
Here is "Victoria", a weaver from the village of Salasaca, central mountains of Ecuador. She graciously posed for me in her traditional Salasacan dress while carding wool by the light of the window of her studio/shop. Upon my return, 6 months later, I was able to catch up with her and give her an 8x10 print I had made for her - she was very appreciative, but you could tell that she was rather puzzled that an American "tourist" would make the effort to do that for her. I only took one photo of her.
As a side story - when the Incas conquered an area, they would bring in "settlers" or "pioneers" from other areas of the empire. The Salasacans came from what is now the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. Some 500 years later, many still dress in a manner that is tradition from their home area. For the Salasacans, the most noticeable is their specific hat (you can tell which area of Ecuador someone is from by their traditional hat), and the fact the men wear their ponchos not straight across like most indigenous people, but rather with the corner down in from of them.
Thanks for looking - Doug
Mar 12, 2021 at 04:53 AM
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