Return of the sprocket rocket loaded with some bright Fuji Superia film. It was Halloween in Guayaquil, Ecuador so what else to do? Go online, find a party on couchsurfing, throw on some freshly purchased wigs, bring along local rum and party on.
Event & Location
We managed to visit the animal market of Otavalo twice. I liked it. The chaos, the animals, the sounds, smells and crazy volcanoes in the background. I was never sure if the animals were bought for food, pets or calculating abilities. Highly recommended for those who find themselves in Otavalo. Note the market is only on Saturdays and starts early and ends by noon. So get there on time and bargain hard if you are in the market for some cows.
The following are random shots in Otavalo and Cuenca. Just imagine any interesting yet funny anecdote to go along with the photos. The last three taken with some Kodak Gold film.
The mighty sprocket rocket in Ecuador packed with some fresh Kodak Portra 160 film. Unlike Superia the sprockets have no cool color or patterns but its still a great film. Especially when you have enough light.
View over the capital of Quito.
Near the equator. Llama or alpaca or vicuña. Sad I forgot how to look for the differences. I guess I would wiki it, but that would require actual effort.
Fun buggy. A bit scary when big trucks and busses pass you, plus the sound system wasn’t great. Lack of bass.
Valley of waterfalls near Banos. Great drive in our mini buggy.
It helps to throw on a flash on the sprocket rocket. There often isn’t enough light for close up portraits. Also remember to change the focus settings. Well if you care about things being in focus and all, I’m not judging.
The start of the rainforests in Ecuador.
View of the lovely Banos. (too lazy to look up to put the squiggly line on top of the “n” of banos) The city in South America we probably spent the most time in. Also once we found this great restaurant, we never ate anywhere else. Pretty amazing place.
These are the scans of photo’s I took in Colombia in various cities. I used my silver Olympus Mju 2 which I have sadly lost along with some Lomo Xpro 100 film. I scanned the negatives myself with an Epson V500 and left the borders on since I felt it gave the images more of an analogue feeling.
Above is street parade/party in Bogota. This is a weekly occurrence where they close of the streets for some music and fun.
A hill overlooking the city of Popayán. The city has their own versions of empanadas and they are really awesome.
A small cemetery we came across in Barichara.
My Sprocket Rocket came along my South American trip and made to sure to shoot holes all over the Colombian landscape. These were taken all over Colombia. It’s always nice to shoot with a toy camera so you can put your technical photography mind on zero and just click. The joy of anticipation is also there since it took about 9 months before I got a look at the picture I had taken during the trip. This actually allows you to forget some moments and have these photos to let you relive the experiences.
If you are ever in Medellin, this place deserves a daytrip. Some claim it is the biggest rock in the world. And it is pretty huge.
Really amazing church near the border with Ecuador. We had left our luggage near the border, jumped in a shared taxi and had a look at this place. The priest was cool and talkative. And the road towards the church is filled with plaques and signs of the miracles that came true due to praying at this church.
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“The tourist may complain of other tourists, but he would be lost without them.”
Agnes Repplier
The following are photos of tourists in Barcelona. Interesting to see how many people now use their phones and even tablets are their primary camera.
The rare double tablet photograph.
“The few remaining truths are graffiti, suicide notes, shopping lists.”
Francesca da Rimini
I loved the low winter light in Barcelona. The narrow alleys in El Barrio Gotico created different spots with beams of light that lasted only for a while until the sun moved on.
“Give light and people will find the way.”
Ella Baker
Barcelona was a bit empty around Christmas, but not as desolate the images may suggest. I find it an interesting theme to shoot urban landscapes with (almost) no people in it.
“But to me nothing – the negative, the empty – is exceedingly powerful.”
Alan Watts
“Sometimes, when one is moving silently through such an utterly desolate landscape, an overwhelming hallucination can make one feel that oneself, as an individual human being, is slowly being unraveled.“
Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
I’ve visited Barcelona tree times so far. This time made the biggest impression on me. The Old area of Barcelona, Barrio Gotico and El Born were great for photography. Nice small unique non-chain shops, small alleys that twist with surprises at the end of the alley, will it be a small old church, the remains of a Roman temple or a mugger who prays on adventurous tourists ?
