November 15, 2007. Tomorrow I leave for Guatemala at 11pm from LAX. My guide, Manuel Barrios, and I plan to head north on Saturday to Todos Santos in the far north of the country. After a couple of days in the Mayan Highlands we have a shoot planned at the Hotel Sebastian in beautiful Antigua, the colonial city that lies in the shadow of a volcano in the mountains above Guatemala City. I plan to photograph models/actors using the interiors of our friend Ruiz’s hotel in downtown Antigua, which is chock-full of Guatemalan antiques and religious iconography. The project is called “Legends of Guatemala,” and tells a mythic tale featuring a modern-day version of Blood Moon, a famous Mayan goddess of the Popul Vuh. (Don’t ask where I get these nutty ideas.) In this case, I got my inspiration from Asturias’s famed Guatemalan novel, Men of Maize.
Anyhow, we’re schlepping the mini-studio with us and the Lumedyne system. I decided to go with the Pentax 67 system with the Pentax 645 for action stuff. The Contax G1 will be there for journalism, and the old Fuji S1 will be handy as a polaroid tester. Oh, and I’m packing the new Fuji 6×17 as well, for it’s maiden voyage in hope of grabbing some panoramics of the range of mountains that runs along the north of the country. I’m bringing nearly all of the 67 lenses: 35, 45, 55, 75, 90leaf, 135, 200, and 300. For the Contax, the 28, 45, and 90. The 6×17 has the fixed 105 lens.
Part One: Nebaj and the Ixil Triangle
After a night in Nebaj at a decent posada that cost $7 a night, we ascended a dirt road into the Cuchumantanes mountains and visited some fincas in an absolutely beautiful valley surrounded by high pine-covered ridges. The photography was excellent with perfect early morning light marching up the hillsides faster than I could reload the 6×17. I captured one great panoramic shot here before we ventured into the little Ixil Mayan town below. I can’t tell you exactly where we were since I have decided to buy a retirement finca here myself as soon as I can afford to do so, while the land is cheap and before the road gets paved (as promised by the new president when he campaigned here recently). No matter, you will find your way…as scenic beauty here is everywhere.
We later traveled the “Ixil Triangle,” visiting the small and delightful villages in the high mountains. In these places I was sure to ask to photograph people before shooting, and I carried only the little Contax G1, the most inconspicuous and high-quality camera imaginable. The portraits of the local butcher, the huipile makers, and an albino Ixil girl look like portfolio pieces and I will start posting these as the scans come back. For those of you who don’t know, you see albino Mayan people with great frequency in these areas. They are usually girls and have very pale faces with often long golden blonde hair. The tragedy is that they age twice as fast as non-albino people and so by age 30 the person looks literally 65 years old. Their life expectancy is much reduced as well. This area is highly recommended for photogs, but mind your manners and ask before shooting.
Part Two: Todos Santos
(to come soon)
