23-SEP-2011
Language School, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
An integral part of our stay in Cuenca was Spanish instruction at the Simon Bolivar Spanish School. For the other 29 members of our tour group, learning basic Spanish was a major goal. All of us had our own guide/teacher to immerse us into the culture and familiarize us with the language. I used my own teacher, a young man named Angel, primarily as a photographic resource. He helped me get photographs I would have otherwise never made. I would meet him every day at the school, and instead of retreating to a classroom, he would cheerfully say “Vamos” and we would be on our way to another photographic adventure together. One day, I was waiting for Angel to arrive, and noticed the school’s poster, featuring a huge portrait of Simon Bolivar himself, blockaded by rhythmic stacks of plastic chairs. The name of the town itself is even larger here than Bolivar, and I thought this image would make an excellent opener for my in-depth series of impressions of this seductively beautiful city.
04-SEP-2011
Central Square, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
A heroic statue of one of the heroes of Ecuador’s struggle for independence from Spain stands in the center of Parque Calderon, Cuenca’s main square. I photograph it here in silhouette, framed by the enormous pine trees that give the square much of its identity. In the background is the white dome of the Neocolonial Church of San Francisco, one of the many churches that stand within a few blocks of the square. I shot this image many times over my stay – I liked the look of the sky in this version.
23-SEP-2011
Inca legacy, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
The Canari Inca, Tupac Yupanqui, founded the city of Tomebamba in what is now Cuenca around 1470 – it was said to have rivaled Peru’s Cuzco in its splendor. All that is left of Tomebamba are a few ruins and this monument to him just south of those ruins. I photographed the monument from behind, throwing the thrust of his lance against a spectacular cloudscape.
16-SEP-2011
Inca ruin, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
Most of the Canari Inca ruins in Cuenca are carefully restored, set amidst lawns groomed as if at a country club. But a very small section of the ruined city of Tomebamba can still be seen under more primitive conditions, tucked behind a tiny museum. There I photographed this old colonial water mill built with Inca stones, its trough running towards us. My wideangle perspective makes it seem as if its stones are on the march, gradually growing larger as they approach us.
13-SEP-2011
Looking towards downtown, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
My teacher/guide took me to one of its more distant neighborhoods known as Rafael Maria Arizaga. From there, I could view much of the city’s downtown area, and photograph the steepness of the hill upon which it sits. The tile roofs are typical of much of the city’s colonial architecture, and the blue steeples of San Alfonso church, in the heart of Cuenca, make a striking landmark. I shot this image under leaden skies – the taillights of the cars lead our eyes down the hill and into the old city.
15-SEP-2011
The great cathedral, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
My apartment in Cuenca was adjacent to the city’s great cathedral. I made this wideangle photograph from my balcony, on a very rare sunny morning. The warm light seems to embrace its turrets, domes, and one of its twin towers. I was told the tower was to have been topped by a steeple, but that plan was scrapped when it was discovered that the earth below the cathedral was not stable enough to hold its weight
21-SEP-2011
Morning in Parque Calderon, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I often started my days with a half or so of shooting in the park that fills the city’s central square. There were always things happening in the park – it is a place where its residents often meet and share some time together under pleasant circumstances. I saw these men talking, and one of them gestured towards the cathedral across the street as he talked. The old wall of the great church provides a perfect backdrop for the gesture, and well as the man’s silhouetted profile.
03-SEP-2011
Evening light, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
We only had a handful of days with lovely evening light in Cuenca. I make the most of it here, as the gilded luminance of the setting sun defines the elegant 19th century stonework on one of the several fountains in its central square. The play of light and shadow on the structure of the fountain is intensified by the curtain of water droplets stopped in full flight by my fast shutter speed of 1/320th of a second. It is also repeated by a softly focused shaft of evening light illuminating the decorative column on the building in the background.
19-SEP-2011
Schoolchildren on parade, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
They approached me as a giddy mob of kids. I photographed them as they as they advanced, and as they chattered past, but my most expressive shot was this one, made after the children had moved on by me. Most of the pay me no heed – they are on their way to an adventure that has nothing to do with me. But two of the children turn to look at me as they pass. The closet child to me looks bemused, while the other schoolgirl looking towards me is also trying to figure out why I am making their picture. I liked the way the colonnade in the background swallows the entire parade as it vanishes into its darkness. The river of children becomes a stream of uniforms on the move, except for the two kids who linger a second, trying to figure out what the tall American holding a camera is trying to do.
15-SEP-2011
Where old VW’s go to die, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
People seem to keep their cars forever in Ecuador, particularly old European models. I found this trio of old Volkswagens lingering in a neighborhood scrap yard – amazingly sporting the three primary colors of yellow, blue, and red. The years in the Andes have not been kind to them, but here they are, still hanging around, waiting to die.
02-SEP-2011
Panama hats, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Cuenca is well known for its hat factories. These tightly woven straw fedoras are not just for tourists – they are a staple of Andean fashion. I photographed them en masse here, sitting on their crowns, and converted the image to black and white to emphasize their severe traditional design.
30-AUG-2011
Friendly farewell, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I found these men carrying on a conversation on the street, and made many images of them as they chatted together. I moved my position in use the motorbike as a foreground layer – its dual wheels echoed the two figures standing behind it. At the end of the chat, they lifted their hands in this farewell salute – the moment that best told my story.
30-AUG-2011
Street scene, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Vivid colors bring Cuenca’s neighborhoods to life. This blue building, adjacent to our Spanish school, always drew my eye. Along with its blue façade, one of its doors was always framed in brilliantly colored children’s products. I used this building as a backdrop, and photographed many people approaching and passing it over the month I was in Cuenca. This particular woman proved to be one of the most striking pedestrians. She carries her baby in her arms, bundled in a bright pink blanket. She strides with self-confidence, head held high and baby held firmly. (It should not be too long before her child will be carrying a backpack such as those decorating the doorway she approaches here.)
30-AUG-2011
Preoccupied, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I regularly photographed these old doors on a 19th century yellow building only a block from my apartment in Cuenca. I was fascinated by how they evoked the past yet served the present. They made a perfect background for street photography, because they provided a rhythmic backdrop for pedestrians as they moved past them. I was fortunate to catch this particular man walking past them, obviously preoccupied at the moment. He seems to be holding his head with one hand as he walks, as if he was trying to think, or in despair. In any event, he never notices the array of doors that speak of the city he lives in.
28-AUG-2011
Cuenca brass band, playing on the equator, Quito, Ecuador, 2011
I made this image in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, during brief layover prior to our connecting flight to Cuenca. Ironically, after I had shot it, our tour leader told me that this brass band was from Cuenca, and was in Quito for a special performance. I shot many images of their performance in the covered courtyard located directly on the equator, just outside of Quito. This one caught the spirit of the players, a group ranging in age from teenagers to seniors. It expresses the energy, effort, and concentration it takes to make music together as a cohesive unit.
13-SEP-2011
Neighborhood monument, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This column, commemorating the anniversary of one of Ecuador’s military victories in its 19th century war of independence with Spain, stands in the middle of an intersection in a busy Cuenca neighborhood. The religious statue on top of the column seems to be blessing those standing below. I used a 24mm wideangle lens to make this photograph, while standing very close to the base of the column and shooting straight up at the statue overhead. My perspective lends great thrust to the outstretched arms of the statue as they extend outwards -- a threatening sky of churning clouds fills the frame behind them. Two narrow celebratory banners are attached to the column as well, and I place one of them emerging from the upper left corner of the frame to complement the base of the column, which enters the picture at the lower left corner of the frame. I get the feeling that the statue is doing its best to hold back an oncoming storm.
15-SEP-2011
Shattered hand, Cuenca cemetery, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The detail tells the story here – one of the hands on this marble tomb monument been broken by either time or vandals, yet what remains of it is still locked in a grieving embrace with its counterpart. One of its fingers has been broken in half. Another finger has been re-attached. The softly focused face of the figure reflects the sad tone of the image in the background.
18-SEP-2011
Cathedral, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
As in any South American city, the primary cathedral is at the heart of it spiritual life. Cuenca is no different. Its huge “new” cathedral, built in the 19th century, dominates the skyline and stands at the center of the town. I photographed it inside and outside over my month long stay, and this image proved to be my favorite interior. I was struck primarily by the cathedral’s sheer scale, and how light played within its vast archways. When the cathedral opens its doors, daylight flows in and adds luminous arches of its own. I made many images from this spot, catching worshippers as they walked towards me – I wanted to find a row of them, gradually decreasing in terms of size and spacing, and this is the image that worked most expressively.
04-SEP-2011
Worshippers, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The five men were standing in the back of San Alfonso Church during a Sunday mass. I found their facial expressions and body language nicely expressed how they felt about this moment in time. It was a somber, reflective scene, and I converted the image from color to black and white in order to intensify the mood.
16-SEP-2011
Layers, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city, is not on its tourism circuit. Visitors to Ecuador generally go to places like Quito, the lovely colonial capital, its nearby Avenue of the Volcanoes, the offshore wildlife sanctuary in the Galapagos Islands, or its exotic Amazon River rainforest. Yet Cuenca is probably Ecuador’s best-kept secret. Its ambiance is seductive, often shrouded in implied mysteries. I layer this image in such mysteries – framing the Calle Francisco Borrero in the overhanging tile roofs of its colonial buildings. Two churches punctuate the massive array of rainclouds overhead. I liked the way small splashes of sunlight penetrate the cloud layers, illuminating the red tile roofs, as well as the blue steeple of the San Alfonso church, and backlighting the venerable bells of the Monasterio de las Conceptas, founded here in 1599.
18-SEP-2011
Market woman, Paute, Ecuador, 2011
Paute is known for its vast Sunday market, serving an Andean valley about an hour out of Cuenca. This woman, wearing a traditional Ecuadorian Panama hat, is giving me a critical eye. Her red scarf charges the picture with energy. She brings baskets of fresh vegetables to sell at this market and probably has been doing it for a very long time.
08-SEP-2011
Mercado 9 de Octobre, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Between 8 and 9 in the morning, this market is maelstrom of activity. I stood on a stair landing just over its central court, where a line of entrenched women in traditional costume was selling fresh vegetables and other foods to buyers. They have earned the best location in the entire market. I was struck by the body language of the women sitting just below the religious icon within a glass case. Their arms suggest great patience, while the saintly figure in the case incongruously uses an energetic gesture to rally support for the sellers.
22-SEP-2011
Student chef, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this portrait of a young university student, who most likely is studying the culinary arts, at a Cuenca pastry festival held in the city’s central square She is surrounded by her fellow students, garbed in a pristine white uniform and hat. She folds her arms, and looks expectantly at her colleagues as I made this photograph. It is a portrait of vulnerability -- a youthful talent learning a trade, slowly gaining the self-confidence that comes with knowledge and experience.
01-SEP-2011
Mercado Feria Libre, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This woman is selling potatoes at Cuenca’s largest wholesale market. I liked the glowing blue tarp that defines her working space, the straw fedora, and the heavy scarf at the neck. She was saying something to me as I photographed her – I think she must have been asking me to buy some potatoes or to take my camera elsewhere. I made this shot and moved on, delighted to capture the gruff, no-nonsense approach to business indelibly defined here.
13-SEP-2011
Protecting the bananas, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
In some markets, merchants cover their fresh fruit under plastic covers, keeping them cool and preventing spoilage. I found the cover on these bananas to be a powerful abstracting tool. It seems as if the fruit within it is embedded in ice.
18-SEP-2011
Baskets for sale, Paute, Ecuador, 2011
Small mountains of baskets are being sold to shoppers and merchants alike in this regional Sunday market. I move behind the pile, instead of standing in front of it. I waited for a shopper to stop and bargain for a basket with another basket already in hand. When this one obliged, I was able to make this wideangle image. Her basket seems to extend the pile of baskets on sale in the foreground into the background as well.
22-SEP-2011
Roasted pig, Sayausi, Ecuador, 2011
This image is all about color. The flesh of the pig on the spit has turned from flesh color to yellow and then red. Those brilliant colors work in turn with two other spots of primary colors in the image – the blue and yellow panels on the stove at left. The bright green grass adds it own signature to the picture as well. The pig will soon feed a lot of hungry people in the village of Sayausi.
13-SEP-2011
Slow business, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The merchants in this Cuenca market spend a lot of time waiting, particularly after the early morning rush. This man seems to be even more alone -- he is surrounded by more than 30 large bags of rice, beans, and grains. Even the background is stacked with packages awaiting potential customers. He is ready to sell all of it, yet nobody has come to buy. Yet.
01-SEP-2011
Wonderment, Mercado Feria Libre, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I loved the vivid colors, shapes, and textures of her vegetables, but it was her expression, and the play of light on her face, that made this picture work for me. She presses her hand to her mouth, and stares at me silently – I can almost hear the wheels turning in her mind. “Why is he photographing me,” she must be thinking. Yet her expression never changed. She never acknowledged the moment. And I will never forget this image.
08-SEP-2011
Overview, Mercado 9 Octobre, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I seldom photograph overviews. More often then not, they may describe, but do not define, the nature of a place. However, in this case, an overview works as an expression of an idea. A food market is place of great diversity. It holds an amazing array of natural products. In this case, the shapes as well as the colors of nature are on display from an overhead vantage point. Two people are working amidst the array of colors, which range from purple and deep red to orange, green, yellow and brown. There are even touches of blue, coming from the women’s clothing and some of the packaging.
14-SEP-2011
The angel, Santo Domingo church, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
An angel is often regarded as a mythological guardian, protector, or good luck charm. Just inside the entrance to this church, a huge angel stands in the shadows. It is large enough in scale to dominate the scene, but since it hides in a dark corner, one must look for it in order to find it. This man is stepping into a pool of light as he enters the church to pray. He holds his hat, and does not seem to notice the angel watching over him. Yet his body seems to unconsciously acknowledge its presence– the position of his arm, brilliantly illuminated in rim light, echoes the sharp angle of the angel’s wings. His thoughts may be elsewhere at this moment, but his position and body language are in protective custody.
10-SEP-2011
Big swing on broken bridge, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I found this woman swinging from the remnants of Cuenca’s famous “broken bridge.” Called the Puente Roto, it is the remaining third of an old stone bridge that once spanned the Tomebamba River. This woman looped a very long purple band of fabric around the old stones, and has made a huge swing out of it. As she turned upside down over the cobblestones far below her, she threw her head back and appeared almost as if she was in trance. I framed the image so that the purple bands enter diagonally from the upper right hand corner, while the old ruined bridge curves diagonally away from it. The cobblestones follow the thrust of the bridge, as does the outthrust leg of the woman. It is a very musical image, full of whimsy, and a hint of danger.
19-SEP-2011
Contrasting emotions, Cuenca, Ecuador, 201
I found this couple talking on a bench in Cuenca’s central square. I noticed that the man was extremely animated, while the woman masked her emotions quite well. It was a promising opportunity to make an image rich in incongruous contrast, and that was how it turned out. After photographing them from a distance for several minutes, the man suddenly threw back his head and grabbed it with his hand. His mouth flew open as he completed the gesture. Meanwhile, the woman did not even look at him, staring resolutely into the distance. It was a wonderful contrast in emotional response, and I was fortunate to be able to catch such contrasting human values here.
16-SEP-2011
Everyman, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This groundskeeper, working on the paths among the ancient Inca ruins that are part of a museum in the center of Cuenca, offered a silhouette that symbolically represents all who work at manual labor in this South American city. I photographed him with a long lens from a spot along a hillside far below. Earlier I had photographed the same man with a wideangle lens, framing him within the rectangle formed by ancient Inca walls. ( See
http://www.pbase.com/image/138696383 ) In this image, my long lens features him, rather than his environment. The ruins behind him echo the diagonal angle of his broom, while the thrusts of his arms and hands pick up the thrusts of the tree beyond. I converted this image to black and white to reinforce the stark, simple form of the content.
03-SEP-2011
Concert, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I zoomed in on the brass section of this neighborhood Cuenca band in concert at a church bazaar. I can almost hear the music playing as I look at this image. The first two players are softly focused. The horn of the third player, who is out of view here, seems to be playing in a lower key, as it dominates the lower half of the image. Meanwhile, the horn of the final player – the man wearing sunglasses – seems to be playing the loudest, its brass bowl neatly filling the upper right hand corner of the frame. The fellow in the sunglasses is the only person clearly visible here. He seems to be putting in the most effort, as well.
04-SEP-2011
Red, white, and blue, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This stern portrait of a Cuenca woman wearing traditional Andean clothing was made with a long telephoto lens from across the street. She was standing motionless next to a cross that was part of the San Angelo church. The diagonal sweep of her blue poncho echoes the pair of diagonals in the triangle around the cross behind her. I liked the way the wall changes from gray to brown on the left hand side of the picture -- the line between the two colors joins the base of the triangle holding the cross, and also joins the spot where her bright red skirt meets the blue poncho. The white Panama fedora, meanwhile, echoes the nearly white cross next to it. The figure and the background seem to be a perfect fit for each other.
07-SEP-2011
A brief moment with an angel, Biblian, Ecuador, 2011
The skies had been gray, with a light drizzle falling, during much of the long religious procession that commemorated the Virgin of Rocio in this small mountain village about an hour from Cuenca. My photographs of the parade were colorful, but devoid of lighting contrast. As the long procession neared the end of its two-hour route of march, the sun finally made a brief appearance. I was shooting from the town square with a long telephoto lens as the head of the parade suddenly appeared in a street far below my position. At the head of the parade, a young girl dressed an angel, carrying a basket of small red flowers, hesitantly stood for a moment in a pool of rare sunlight, surrounded by red and green balloons. I was able to make this shot an instant before the marchers closed ranks, and the angel was swallowed up in the crowd. I had at least one image of the procession where the light was able to make all the difference.
15-SEP-2011
Protest, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2001
An angry political protest swept through the central square of Cuenca in a massive parade of chanting citizens. I was photographing in the square as the marchers appeared and made this shot in the late afternoon light. The dark shadows abstract the marchers, while the rim light illuminates the profiles of two of them bearing an organization’s red and white banner. One of the men is shouting, while the other claps. Later, there were a series of speeches, and the crowd dispersed. When I asked our tour leader what it was all about, she told me simply “It’s a dispute about community van services.” It was an anticlimactic definition of a turbulent afternoon.
20-SEP-2011
Joyful rider, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this image from the balcony of my Cuenca apartment, overlooking the central square of the city. A cavalcade of double-decked busses rolled below me, carrying members of a local civic organization. Carrying balloons and singing songs, the busses passed directly underneath my camera, allowing me to shoot straight down on them. As one woman saw my camera, she extended her arms towards me and shouted something. I could not hear what she said but this image tells us how she felt.
13-SEP-2011
Traffic woes, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I was waiting to cross the street, but the traffic was too heavy to take my chance. Cuenca’s streets were designed for horses and carriages. They are still paved in cobblestones, and are very narrow. There are stoplights, but often cars are backed up for blocks and pedestrians can cross only at their own risk. Turning cars are even more hazardous – you have to look in three directions at once while crossing a street. (One member of our tour group did not see a turning taxi while trying to weave her way around a stopped bus during a downpour. The taxi’s driver did not see her, either, until it snapped her leg, and abruptly ended her trip.) I tried in this image to express how the drivers must feel as they navigate the dicey streets. I shoot two vehicles virtually abreast. The red car is moving quickly, while the driver of the white truck, featuring a large advertisement about sausage making, slaps his own head in frustration. The two drivers look forward, while the sausage maker in the ad looks backwards. The flow of energy moves in two directions at once, catching the viewer in the middle.
21-SEP-2011
Dogs at play, Paccha, Ecuador, 2011
I think I saw more dogs than people while visiting Paccha, a small village just outside of Cuenca. They run freely in packs through the town, expressing themselves in every possible way. Using a long telephoto lens, I found three of them running down a curving road, happily jousting with each other as they raced along the concrete. I was able to find a moment in time where they were dodging each other, yet each looking in a different direction. I had been waiting for a bus back to Cuenca. However it departed without me, since I was otherwise occupied, photographing dogs at play. I used the bus as background for this shot.
03-SEP-2011
Waiting for customers, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This café, known for its Spanish tapas dishes, is part of Cuenca’s Inca Real Hotel. The hotel and café were built 20 years ago within a 19th century colonial home. I was passing during a light rain, and found this man looking through the glass window of the café’s door. His body language and the gleaming brass doorknob drew my eye, and I made this portrait of him. He seemed lost in his thoughts. I liked the way his white shirt echoes the white lettering on the window. He waits for his customers with dignity and patience.
01-SEP-2011
The pink sash, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Even from far across the street, her pink sash commands our attention. She was waiting for a bus, impassive and immaculate in her appearance. The brown fedora, along with the golden chains and earrings, complement the pink sash, adding up to a costume that defines my own perception of Ecuadorian fashion.
22-SEP-2011
Gourmet, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This man has just finished tasting one of the desserts being served in the city’s main square during a culinary festival. His expression seems to tell us that he is still making up his mind about the treat he has just sampled. The incongruity of the miniature napkin also helps illuminate the moment.
09-SEP-2011
Alpaca, near Cajas National Park, Ecuador, 2011
As we arrived for lunch just outside Cajas National Park, an alpaca greeted our bus by rolling on the puddled driveway right in front of us. It seemed to enjoy scratching its back on its gravel surface. Some of us initially thought it was a llama, but I subsequently learned that alpacas are smaller than llamas, and are not bred to be beasts of burden. They are bred for their fiber, which can be turned into knitted and woven items similar to wool.
09-SEP-2011
Cajas National Park, Ecuador, 2011
I spotted this quartet of climbers standing on a high ridge under an enormous cloud. The scale of the ridge and cloud, compared to the size of the climbers, is massively incongruous. Cajas National Park, about 20 miles west of Cuenca, is in the Andes Mountains. Parts of it soar to nearly 15,000 feet. It gets nearly 3 feet of rain a year, providing 60 per cent of Cuenca’s drinking water.
11-SEP-2011
Laughing llama, Ingapirca, Ecuador, 2011
While Ingapirca is the site of Ecuador’s largest known Inca ruins, it also hosts a herd of llamas, one of which apparently finds visitors very amusing. Others in the herd sprawl on the ground near the curving Inca walls in the background.
11-SEP-2011
Temple of the sun, Ingapirca, Ecuador
The temple of the sun is positioned so that sunlight will fall into the small chamber on top of the temple at exactly the right time of day during the June and December solstices. The temple and the walls that surround it were built without mortar – the stones were carefully chiseled and fit together perfectly. While the temple itself dominates this image of Ingapirca, the massive clouds that hang over the complex, as well the intricate network of foundation walls that surround it, add striking context, and create a layered landscape that defines the site more expressively than a close up view of the primary structure.
18-SEP-2011
Monk, Order of the Magnificat monastery, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 2011
I photographed this monk in his chapel. His hooded robe, crucifix, and the emblem of his order define his world. He looks at us with a steady eye, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. It is a portrait of self-confidence and stature. In this case, I chose a neutral background to keep the portrait as simple and clearly defined as the calling of the man himself.
03-SEP-2011
Matriarch, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this portrait at a neighborhood church bazaar. She was sitting on the street in front of her church, being serenaded by a brass band concert. When the music ended, she knew it was time to leave. People were coming to help her. I caught this image as she grasped her walking stick and was about to rise. She has lived a long life, and that life is etched on her face. I liked the blue scarf around her shoulders, and the way the light catches her gray hair. Given the attention she received at the bazaar, she almost certainly is among the most respected senior members of this tightly knit community.
02-SEP-2011
Hat maker, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Like many visitors to Cuenca, we were given a tour of a hat factory, in this city famous for its straw hats. I found this fellow dipping the straw into a steaming vat with a paddle. Just as he extracted the paddle from the water, he shouted something. At that instant, using a column of hot steam to abstract the scene, I made this shot. The working portrait is full of vitality and drama. He certainly puts a lot of himself into his work.
23-SEP-2011
Singer, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This woman was singing to our group as we celebrated the culmination of our four-week visit to Cuenca. I used a relatively short telephoto lens (90mm) to make the picture from well across the room, and later cropped it into a tall vertical frame. She has a powerful voice, and at this moment, she has closed her eyes and tilts her head back as she reaches full volume. Her voice filled the room, and the tall frame symbolizes the strength of her performance. Her red scarf and dark background add to the dramatic tone of this portrait.
02-SEP-2011
Improvisation, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I found this young man checking his carefully created hair-do in the rear mirror of a parked car. It was sprinkling rain at the moment, yet it did not deter him from his mission. We can see the reflection of his hand in the window, and the intensity he brings to the task. His improvised mirror adds another layer of incongruity to the extreme nature of his hair-do.
17-SEP-2011
Urban scene, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
A mother and son match strides as they take a younger sibling for a ride in a stroller through the streets of Cuenca. The dripping orange graffiti on the wall complements their red outfits and the toddlers orange pillow. All we can see of the young child are the white shoes, which are spotless. The mother seems briskly self-confident as she navigates her young family through their urban neighborhood.
20-SEP-2011
Smoky street, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this picture through the front window of a bus as it moved through the streets of Cuenca. In neighborhoods such as this one, street food is cooked on the sidewalks, creating a smoke-laden atmosphere at certain times of the day. I liked the way people are moving through the smoke – the smell is tantalizing. The focal point of the image are the silhouetted people clustered around the food itself – they seem to be either making or buying a meal, or perhaps both.
07-SEP-2011
Procession bound, Biblian, Ecuador, 2011
As we waited for a religious procession to begin in this mountain village, I noticed many people arriving from rural areas. Some came in the back of trucks, such as these people. I made this image as one of them rumbled past me. The woman in front sees me, but displays no emotion. The people behind her, three of them wearing traditional Ecuadorian fedoras, add important context to the image.
07-SEP-2011
Body language, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I enjoy shooting in cities when it is raining. I usually wait the rain out by standing within a covered entrance to a store – and often photograph other people as they do likewise. Such is the case with this image. This image is all about contrasting body language. I liked the way this woman leans back against a wall, and clasps her hands as she does so. The man in the poster opposite to her seems to be bending towards her, almost as if he wants to dance. The body language relationship between the woman and the figure on the poster might not be noticed by passers-by. I am sure this woman is probably not thinking about the figure on the poster, either. However, when I express such a relationship in a photograph, it is obvious that I am calling special attention to it. The woman may be ignoring the poster here, but those who view this image will see her unconscious response to it.
22-SEP-2011
Contrasting efforts, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The man pushing this cart of empty propane tanks has a physically punishing job. He can’t see what we can see – the man coming towards him just around the corner carries only a small bag in his hand. Meanwhile, two models are pretending to work in an advertisement overhead. They are doing nothing more difficult than holding a piece of paper in their hands. The propane tank man does not look at the advertisement, either. He cannot see the contrast of physical effort that we can see in this image. I also liked the play of color here – the man wears blue clothing, the wall is painted bluish gray, and two of the propane tanks are blue. Even the background in the advertisement is a shade of blue. The entire street scene seems to work together, supporting my contrast of effort idea.
06-SEP-2011
Differing worlds, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
These men, both wearing suits, were having a long conversation within a colonnade that borders Cuenca’s central square. They cannot see the reaction of the woman who tends her knitting a few feet behind them. In this image, she seems to be listening to them – we wonder what she may be hearing at this moment. She represents another realm of Ecuadorian life – the world of craft. Meanwhile, the men in the suits seem to suggest the world of business, and its attendant economic power. They talk, she listens, and we look. We must draw our own conclusions.
22-SEP-2011
Schoolgirl, Sayausi, Ecuador, 2011
She stands at a rural bus stop, still studying. She does not notice the people who pass her along this street, nor does she seem to see me. She is so involved in her schoolwork that she has time for nothing else. I made many images of her – this one best makes the point about self-absorption and diligence.
23-SEP-2011
Bus riders, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The big blue busses that make up Cuenca’s public transportation system are everywhere. They cost only 25 cents, and carry passengers to every corner of the city and to outlying villages. I often photographed people waiting for buses. Although most of these people probably do not know each other, they seem to become a family group here, sharing a common routine and experience. They gather around the “recargas de bus”sign – marking the place where they can renew their bus passes. The bus will stop here as well, but nobody seems to be sure as to when it will happen. Most of them seem resigned to the daily ritual of waiting for the bus. All it takes is time, patience, and 25 cents.
10-SEP-2011
Coachman, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Yes, there still are horses and carriages in Cuenca. This coachman waits for customers near Cuenca’s central square. The coach ride is brief, and largely a tourist attraction, but the costume and expression seems to fit the vintage ambiance of Cuenca very well. So does his posture – he sits on his bench with an almost regal bearing.
12-SEP-2011
A personal matter, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Four people gather to pray in an intimate chapel. Each of them worships here, yet with varying degrees of intensity. They are together, yet ultimately alone, in their prayers. They are praying within a very small place. There are no awe -inspiring altars and naves, no choirs singing, and no priests preaching. Faith comes down to a deeply personal matter, and each of them expresses it in their own way.
04-SEP-2011
Pollution, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Cuenca’s air quality, as in most Latin American urban areas, can be poor at times, depending on the season and the weather. The culprit is not heavy industry – it is traffic. Busses, cars and trucks cause ninety per cent of Cuenca’s pollution. It is particularly difficult to breathe in the oldest part of the city – the traffic is heavier, and the busses spew plumes of black smoke as they start their engines. In this image, I express the vulnerability of the town’s residents – I don’t show pollution itself, but rather a nun emerging from a convent with a facemask in hand. She draws back the elastic band, ready to start another day in Cuenca.
15-SEP-2011
Grave marker, Cuenca Cemetery, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Nearly all of the graves here reflect the traditions of the Catholic Church. Yet there are also about 25 Jewish people buried in this cemetery, most of the burials dating back to the 1940s and 50s. Cuenca’s Jewish community apparently no longer survives, and this section of the cemetery offers the only reminder of its former existence. This is one of those 25 graves. A single withered leaf rests on the headstone, lending a temporary touch of gold to an abandoned grave.
12-SEP-2011
A touch of Art Deco, Cuenca Cemetery, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I liked the slender Art Deco style of this grave monument – I juxtaposed its delicate vertical form against the curving limbs of a massive tree. I contrast the work of man to the work of nature here, as well as pair a memorial sculpture with a massive example of vitality.
18-SEP-2011
Luncheon drink, Paute, Ecuador, 2011
This child was sipping his juice in an outdoor restaurant. I was having lunch at a nearby table, and made this image of him as he lifted his eyes towards the humming birds that made their home in the nearby trees. I liked the play of light on his cheeks, and the masses of curly hair that frame his face. A softly focused branch of flower blossoms in the background creates a fanciful halo over his head. His hands still grip the straw that he will soon use to extract the balance of his juice.
07-SEP-2011
Bus passenger, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The hand pressed to the face of this bus passenger gives this image its expressive quality. Her thoughts seem to be far away, and she seems to wish that she were anywhere else but on this bus at the moment. It liked the way the rhythmic lines of the bus’s window trim echo the lines of her fingers. The blue exterior of the bus gives the image its sense of place – all the buses in Cuenca are this precise shade of blue.
21-SEP-2011
Three birds on church, Paccha, Ecuador, 2011
This image is all about rhythm – the birds repeat, the tiles repeat, and the clouds repeat. The branch that extends into the frame at left, and the cross, which gives the image its identity, are the only elements that break the rhythmic flow. Perhaps the birds feel safer on the roof of a church than elsewhere?
19-SEP-2011
Cathedral in late light, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The Romanesque turrets of “new” 19th century cathedral glow in the reflected late afternoon light. The billowing white cloud in the background adds important context, while one of its three Czech-made dome retains its identity. It looks more like a castle than a church from this angle, reaffirming the role that money and power always has when it comes to building cathedrals.
31-AUG-2011
Skirts, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Among the most prevalent symbols of Ecuador and its traditional life style is the clothing worn by its older people. Full red and blue skirts, worn with the hem well down on the leg, are seen everywhere. I found this line of Cuenca people waiting a bank to open. I abstract my image to include only the skirts, legs, and shoes of these patiently waiting bank customers. They symbolize a cross section of Ecuadorian society. Two traditionally dressed women stand at left, and two more contemporarily dressed women stand at right. The array of colors draws the eye, while the abstract qualities of the image draw the imagination into the image.
03-SEP-2011
Day’s end, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this image from my own balcony in Cuenca, at the end of one of the few perfectly sunny days granted to us over our month-long stay. The three great domes of the city’s main cathedral, virtually across the street from my apartment, are silhouetted against a clear blue evening sky, flecked with scattered golden clouds. The Romanesque turrets break up the flow of the domes, just as the architect intended. It appears here almost as a stage set, yet it was a living reality for me for four weeks. I never came to take this building for granted. It was like a chameleon, changing as the light and weather changed, and as my viewpoint changed. This cathedral is very much at the heart of Cuenca itself, functioning as an iconic rendering of its spirit. This image brings a fitting close to this portrait of a city.