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FollowOld Woman of Chichicastenango. Guatemala.
Old Woman of Chichicastenango. Guatemala.
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Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 22
Contest Finalist in Expressive Faces Photo Contest
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Contest Finalist in Street Portraits Photo Contest
People's Choice in Old and wrinkled Photo Challenge
Contest Finalist in Facial Expressions photo contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Exceptional Contrast
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is one of my favorite efforts at street photography. It was a busy market day in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. I stood in front of the four hundred year old church of Santo Tomás, watching as people moved about. In the distance, I noticed an older lady in traditional K'iche Mayan clothing quickly moving my way. I had time to get off four frames before she passed by. In the final frame, she glanced in my direction and I had my shot. A second later, she was gone.Time
The image was taken in the late afternoon. The market is very busy at that time and the odds of finding interesting peoples shots increases with activity.Lighting
It was late enough in the day that the lighting was not harsh. Since my photographs are always candid and spontaneous, I never use artificial lighting and work with whatever light is available.Equipment
The image was shot with a hand-held Nikon D90 and a Nikkor 18 – 200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. This is the only lens I use as it gives me amazing flexibility to photograph whatever is in front of me at the spur of the moment.Inspiration
I’m addicted to street photography, especially in the highlands of Guatemala, where the Mayan people still wear colorful traditional clothing and follow age-old customs. I try to blend into the background and let people be themselves. Candid street photography allows me to capture images of people that would not be possible by asking them to pose.Editing
The photography works well in both color and black and white. You can see the color version in my Viewbug portfolio, as well as the frame I shot a split second before this one. I adjusted brightness and contrast and sharpened the image just a bit. I then burned the edges slightly to make the rest of the image stand out. Almost always, I convert to b&w, simply because I prefer images without the distraction of color.In my camera bag
My Nikon D90 and my super zoom are the only equipment I carry in my bag. I keep my old Nikon D70 as a Nikkor 18 – 70mm f/3.5- 4.5 as a backup. I’ve also found that my iPhone can come in handy if I’m without my other cameras.Feedback
The highland villages of Guatemala are wonderful for capturing images of the Mayan people. However, compelling street photography can be achieved anywhere. The secret is to take photos in an environment your subjects are comfortable with. I strongly recommend that you learn to fade into the background and just let people be themselves.