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Without a doubt Ermita de La Santa Cruz is one of the more dramatic and enchanting venues in La Antigua Guatemala. Especially after it gets dressed up with spot lights and projecting imagery on the façade.

Below you will find two more behind the scene images prior to the concert of Bach en La Habana by Tiempo Libre and Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil Municipal. You will also find a video clip about Tiempo Libre’s Bach in Havana new album.

If you were in La Antigua Guatemala this weekend you might get a chance to dance to danceable marimba music at Parque Central as part of the Valentine’s Day celebration. There will be marimba ensembles from different regions of Guatemala. The marimbas will begin playing at 3 p.m. at Antigua Guatemala’s main plaza.

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Not the normal way you’d think about contrasts (politically speaking), but I just love it when you just try to challenge lighting conditions and you get experiments like the picture above, which I took at Las Capuchinas convent. Mix lighting conditions are always a challenge; what do you think about the results in this picture?

text and photo by Arturo Godoy.

Since Eric mentioned the fantasmas (ghosts) in the comments of San Agustín Ruins by Night, I figure I ought to share a ghost evoking image as a follow up.

La Antigua Guatemala is famous for being a town with many ghosts. I don’t know when La Antigua Guatemala became known for its ghosts and aparecidos, but I am sure it was sometime when its name was Santiago de Guatemala. Many people swear to have seen La Llorona (weeping lady), La Siguanaba, El Sombrerón and other such Guatemalan legendary characters.

Would you like me to do a series on the ghost and Guatemalan legendary characters?

I believe this is the second time I share a photo of Ruinas de San Agustín with you guys. Interesting enough, both images have been night photos. The first photo appear in Dramatic Illumination of San Agustín Ruins in June 2007. Comparing both images I noticed that back 2007 there were more spot lights illuminating this ruins. Also, I believe I did a better job back in 2007.

I think this piece of architecture is absolutely gorgeous. Especially with those sellers and colorful textile products from Mercado De Artesanos El Carmen in front of it, it looks more lively. Next time i visit La Antigua Guatemala, I will try to get some more background information about this building.

text and photo by Pinar Istek

XelaDailyPhoto Aside: We have good news for you. Since Pinar is living in Xela (short for Xelajú or Quetzaltenango; pronounce like sheella) she has decided to launch the XelaDailyPhoto on November 1st to complement what AntiguaDailyPhoto is being doing for years and bring you a much richer and rounder picture of Guatemala. Pinar will delight us with daily post cards and stories from our sister republic of Xelajú. We wish her good luck and will provide the necessary support to make it a more enjoyable photographic tour through Los Altos.

An earthquake struck Guatemala on July 29, 1773 and had an estimated epicentral intensity magnitude of 7.5 Mi. It was followed by numerous aftershocks which lasted until December 1773. The series of all these earthquakes is also referred to as the Santa Marta earthquakes as it had started on the feast day of Saint Martha. With an intensity of approximately 7.5 the Santa Marta earthquakes destroyed much of Antigua Guatemala, at that time the colonial capital of Central America. About 500 – 600 people died immediately and at least another 600 died from starvation and disease as a result of the earthquake.

Spanish authorities had already considered moving the capital to a safer area after the devastation of the 1717 earthquake and decided after the 1773 event not to rebuild the city again. Thus in 1776 the capital was moved to the new city of Guatemala of Asuncion, known today as today Guatemala City. (source: Wikipedia)

Las ruinas de La Recolección still stand as they were left after the earthquake of July 29, 1773, thus the ruins served as testimony and document of the powerful forces the quakes of Santa Marta. It’s sort of Antigua Guatemala’s time capsule.

Have you visited the ruins of La Recolección?

I am sure you were already thinking of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.

Gotcha!

Well, this is really a literal snapshot or think of it more like a tickler vista so you revisit Whitman’s poetry. I know I will read a few poems of Hojas de Hierba this week; if you do the same, please share with us which poems you read. Deal?

Do you believe this couple will also record their names interlocked inside a heart as proof their present love?

The Convento de Las Capuchinas is among the best preserved ruins in La Antigua Guatemala. Every nook and cranny of Las Capuchinas presents a photo opportunity. If I was a professional fashion photographer, I would often use Las Capuchinas as backdrop.

Here’s once again my dear friend Nelo being such an accomodating model for my take on Antigua Guatemala’s version of El Mariachi (Desperado).

I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts either way!

Win a custom-made post card from one of the photos from AntiguaDailyPhoto by providing the correct name and exact location of the colonial church ruins shown in AntiguaDailyPhoto today. Only the first person who gives both correct answers in the comment area of AntiguaDailyPhoto wins. Good luck to all the participants.

The game is on!

The Santa Clara ruins is among the most popular wedding destination venues. And even if folks don’t decide to celebrate inside Santa Clara, the ruins are used almost every weekend as a backdrop for wedding photo sessions. Photographer who are interested in weddings find the Santa Clara ruins very appealing and photogenic. If you want to find shelter from all the processions during Holy Week, I recommend this garden inside the Santa Clara ruins, just a few steps from the Tanque de la Unión.

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?

The wonderful celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the National Council for the Protection of Antigua was held on Nov 20th at Capuchinas ruins. The evening began with warm words on behalf of different members of the Council. They covered the history of the Council and also included words for the future.

Unfortunately I arrived late to listen to all the words, but you could see the smiles on many people that were present. Everyone payed attention, and of course, how couldn’t you, Antigua is what it is because there is people that truly care to keep this City as it is.

And, as if words were not enough, the Procurador de Derechos Humanos and other public figures were present. The words of Dr. Sergio Fernando Morales provided an even more warming atmosphere, talking about our challenges, our opportunities and of course our future as Guatemalans.

The Orquesta Sin Fronteras amused the night even more. People were hypnotized, as I simply tried to focus on working my camara to capture the moments. It was amazing, great music, great choreography, all combined with great lights.

The evening was just perfect, it was a tribute to Antigua itself, by people that just love it.
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The night of Friday, November 6, was the successful inauguration of the first exhibit of the Club Fotográfico de Antigua. There were a large number people interested in seeing the photographic work of the club members which in only 4 months have amassed a large quantity of imagery.

There are close to 80 images hanging from the cloister walls of Convento Las Capachuchinas showing emotive portraits of elderly people and working children, macro shots of flowers, captivating images of happiness and freedom, and, of course, literal and allegorical pictures of ruins and churches.

The evening’s spectacular and eclectic soundtrack was spun by virtuoso DJ BradElectro, who also lent his dancing shadow for today’s entry.

If you’re or will be in La Antigua Guatemala for the next three weeks, don’t miss the chance to stop by Convento Las Capuchinas ruins to check out and support an local charity through the purchase the photographs hanging at the cloister.