AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com

We street photographers are like hunters; often we roam the streets, stalking the city for candid, naturally looking, images. Other times, we seat or stand in a corner until we become invisible or at least until the people around us become oblivious about us. We set the light, aperture, and shutter speed ahead of time so we are ready to capture the fleeting images into our camera oscura. Of course, the hunter can also become game!

The best thing about street photography: serendipity
—Philip Greenspun (source: Photo.Net)

“Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long.” —Walker Evans (source: Photo.Net)

It looks like I am not the only one who enjoys photographing corners. Here I captured a fellow photographer who was photographing the opposite corner and this sun-powered clock.

Visiting the El Carmen ruins folkart market is among the top things people do on the weekends and holidays in La Antigua Guatemala.

Here’s a little secret. One of things on my to do list is to capture through time-lapse photography the contrast between the stark, almost monochromatic muted colors of the El Carmen ruins and cobblestone streets and the colorful handicrafts sold at the market.

Can you imagine watching the time-lapse video beginning with just the ruins and cobbled streets as backdrop and then how the color is added as each new vendor sets up shop and displays the colorful Guatemalan handicrafts?

One of the things that most people notice when they get to La Antigua Guatemala is the large quantity, critical mass really, of people riding bicycles. This is even more true if one ever walks around town between 5 and 6 in the morning when all the workers are coming into town from their homes in the surrounding villages.

Have you noticed the all the ciclistas around town?

Yo creo que es hora de regresar a nuestras clases de español (I think it’s time to come back to our Spanish Classes).

What question and answer can you invent for this photo?

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Yes, believe it or not Guatemala is quite modern and Internet capable.

Yes, Guatemala has 3.5G wireless Internet Access network in mayor cities and Edge-capable networks in most of the country.

Yes, there are iPhone-capable networks from the three main carriers: Telefónica, Claro and Tigo. As a matter of fact, most of my web-savvy friends have iPhones and iPod Touches to access the web either via the 3.5G networks or the free WIFI access points available in restaurants, commercial centers and parks.

Bill recently asked, “Can I put a local sim card in my iphone from US?”

Here are the answers pulled from the Antigua FAQ:

First of all, if your telephone terminal, i.e. iPhone, has been flashed, jail-broken, zapped, cracked, or whatever word they use in your neighborhood, you can bring your telephone and just purchase a chip, sim card, from either Claro, Telefónica (least expensive to call back home), and/or Tigo (best reception all around).

You can only put a local sim card, “chip” as they call it here, if your phone is flashed, jail-broken, cracked, et-cetera. If your phone is jail-broken, then bring it and I recommend you buy a Tigo chip which has the best reception anywhere.

Also, you may purchase a 3.5G Internet-ready chip and be able to have internet access everywhere there’s Tigo signal. The 3.5G Internet-ready pre-paid packages rates are: Q5 for Hora, Q25 for Día, Q100 for Semana and Q325 for Mes. Make sure you get clear instructions on how to buy the pre-paid packages for your terminal. The best of all, you can do this without contracts!

So, yes, you can update your Facebook account and send Twitter updates as you make your way around Guatemala just like the Guatemalans do

If you are in Guatemala, please share with us how you get on the Internet!

Normally, every photo at AntiguaDailyPhoto.Com comes with a caption, a narrative or even a story. Not always, the story is about the photo itself and almost never the narrative is the story behind the photo. Today’s an exception.

I went to one of the banks around Parque Central to do some mandados, errands, and when I was done, I went to get my shoes shined before heading back to the office. I found a nice spot with shade near the fountain of Las Sirenas, and began making small talk to the lustradores, shoe shinners, while one of them work hard. Then, I noticed the young woman above right across from where we were sitting taking photos of the shoe shinners and the indigenous women selling artesanías, handicrafts, on our side. She was timid and pulled her camera swiftly, took the photos and put it away before anyone can say cheese. Not extraordinary here; this happens dozens of times any given day in Central Park in and around La Antigua Guatemala. It was only until she picked up Nuestro Diario, Our Daily literally, the most sensationalist newspaper in Central America and the one with biggest distribution between Mexico and Colombia, that I decided to pull my own camera and record the extraordinary vista. I took my time since I am little more experienced at this photo taking business, you know, I captured perhaps six or seven different shots. You have probably seen some of them in the Antigua News Tweets. Oh I really like the feel and movement of this image for a number of reasons.

As I have said before, “Well, I don’t have enough words to describe the feeling or “puncture” I derive from this photograph as Roland Barthes calls it in his book Camera Lucida. The interesting part about photography is that we are all affected or tickled by different things. This photo might not do anything for you.” It punctures me dearly!

If you walk around La Antigua Guatemala, quite regularly, you come across groups of tourists taking tours of the city to learn about the streets, the ruins, the museums, the art galleries, the legends, and of course, the history. There are plenty of businesses in town which provide Antigua tours. Have you ever taken of these Antigua tours yourself?

Often, also, I have wondered what is the difference between a tourist and a traveler; can you help me understand?

For a long time I did not want to take the same shots from Antigua Guatemala that everybody else does. Also, I did not want to take touristic photos since you can find those everywhere in the internet. Well, who the hell am I do decide what photos you should see and what images you should not look at, really?

Well, I am taking it as a challenge to do the same old boring photographs, but with a twist or an interesting obscure trivia to justify giving you more of the same. Now, if I get the Universe to cooperate, perhaps I even come up with an alluring vista or two. Wish me luck!

Web site down aside: It seems like the AntiguaDailyPhoto.com (LAGDP) is over growing its present hosting account; which is good and bad at the same time. Good because it means more people are finding pleasure and comfort in the photos or useful background information in all-things-Guatemala. Bad because it means I going to have to upgrade to a more expensive hosting account or switch to a more reliable hosting company.

Please, be kind with me if you see that I fall behind or if you see that the LAGDP is not coming up; you can always try later or subscribe to receive the updates via email, rss or Twitter (@AntiguaDP). Check on the sidebar for the options right above the calendar. Also, please, let me know when you see things going awry either through the contact form or by writing to rudygiron[at]gmail. The “awry” part only applies to the technology aspect of the web site and not to my off-the-wall opinions and remarks; I already get enough grief for that!

Elizabeth, I am telling you, he’s going to be regretting it when he also receives this photo with the line: I wish you were here too, honest!

Oh I do agree with her: Life is too short not to travel to La Antigua Guatemala during the Winter/Spring season to enjoy the superb weather and mystical experience of Cuaresma (Lent) in and around Antigua Guatemala.

Elizabeth, watch I am going to take this photo and send it to him with only one line: I wish you were here, honest!

Honest, I wish ALL of you were here to enjoy this wonderful weather and those captivating sunsets of the Lent season; don’t you wish you were here?

The winter weather in Antigua Guatemala has been wonderful: a little chilly, a little windy and a little warm, all in the same day; heck in the same hour sometimes. But, the winter weather in La Antigua Guatemala has been comfortable enough to entice strolling around town; especially around Antigua’s Central Park.

As you can see above, I was lucky enough to capture a group of young tourists as they listen to the guide explain and put in context the wonderful things filling their young eyes.

Of course, you know that you can always check the weather conditions, in real time, of Antigua Guatemala if you scroll down a little to almost the end of the second side bar.

On the same side bar, you will find the Premium sponsors of La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo. Please, if you get a chance, go check them out and if you can, please use their services next time you come to La Antigua Guatemala. The premium sponsors are making it possible for me to continue providing and maintaining the daily updates. Also, thanks to their support, next week I will start using a better camera so I can bring you even better photos. So, please, go check their services as soon as you can and please let them know you learnt about them in La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo.

I don’t know how Barak Obama does it, but he shows up everywhere! Obama showed up in La Antigua Guatemala for my birthday. More recently, Obama appeared in billboards inside a video game for the iPhone/iPod Touch (remember I received one as my birthday present from my sisters). Now Obama showed up again in La Antigua Guatemala, right outside of my office; I even got one of those Obama button you see in the picture above. Thanks! you know who you are.

To quote a recent article on Reuters: “Unprecedented in US presidential politics” (or anywhere I may add). I have to tell you that Obama did pull an ace off his sleeve with the campaign advertisement inside the game. All the blogs and twitters in Spanish-speaking world were talking about it. The same for the English-speaking world of blogs and web sites.

I don’t know about the other guy running for president of the U.S.A., but I can tell you the general perception among young and not so young adults is that he looks very old, antiquated, outdated, too much of the same thing; kind of like he belongs the the past century. [UPDATE: And I am not taking about his age.] That’s what I perceive from all the buzz around the web in English and Spanish. What are your perceptions?

Some of you may still remember the image behind the Typical Post Card from La Antigua Guatemala, right? Well, today’s entry is yet another classic post card from La Antigua Guatemala.

Okay, let’s dissect the vista above into its architectural elements and tell me how many of these pieces are needed to be present to turn a photo into a classic post card from La Antigua Guatemala.

Boy oh boy, I am losing it… now the best I can do is to capture post card worthy images.

Here I was walking around Antigua with a smile on my face mulling about how lucky I was to be able to share my printed photos with more people (really, how lucky of me to have other people hang my photos in their home or office.) then out nowhere I saw a fellow photographer with not one, but two cameras exactly like mine.

I could not resist and I started to stalk this poor fella for about half of block (between the Muni and Museo del Libro Antiguo) trying to figure out why he needed two cameras, was he not confident that one camera could do the job? Well, my curiosity won me over and finally I approached the photographer and asked why he was taken photos with two identical cameras. He was very kind and slowly he explained to me how by taken two photos at the same time with a remote shutter he was able to create 3D photos or stereo photographs.

I was able to give the photographer one of my cards, but I was not able to get his name or email address. I hope that he will visit the La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo and share with us his 3D catches. You need a special “crossed-eye” technique to view the stereo photographs though.

Have you ever seen 3D photographs?

SPECIAL OFFER ON 11″x14″ PRINTS: For this week only I will be running a special offer on 11″x14″ prints on whatever paper you like (yes from Kodak Endura Matte to gorgeous Kodak Metallic) for $20 per print; five minimum order. That’s as much as 60% off the regular price ($45 for matte and $50 for metallic paper). I will also pay for the shipping within the U.S.A. for those ordering 5 or more prints. This special offer will expire on August 31st. Take advantage of this blow up prices and get the large prints you want to decorate your home or to give away as presents. Contact me right away for details and to place your order.