This week’s WordPress photo challenge is the evasive, ever so hard to capture, movement. I don’t have many photos of movement that didn’t end up in the trash can. Quite frankly, I’m terrible at photographing movement. However, the subject of this challenge brought me back to my recent trek to the Santa Maria Volcano in Xela, Guatemala.
As my guide and I were descending the volcano, we encountered a group of twenty or so Mayans trekking down the slippery, steep sides of the volcano in force. We had seen them on top of the volcano, chanting and praying to their Gods. As soon as the neighboring volcano erupted, they gathered their belongings and made the two hour descent down. They were dressed in their gorgeous brilliant textiles for which the Mayans are known for, carrying babies on their backs and chattering quietly. What struck me most of all was the footwear that the young girls and women wore. Nothing but a pair of cheap, backless plastic heeled sandals. All the men wore proper footwear and I could hardly make it down in my hiking boots. The image saddened me of the abandoned sandal laying at the foot of the volcano.
Here are my shots of their movement down the volcano. I tried desperately to keep up with them and capture them on film. But they were fast and fearless.
To read more entries for this week’s photo challenge, click here.
That has to be a treacherous decent with a baby on your back and no real shoes on your feet.
Have a wonderful weekend, Nicole!
Hugs,
Kathy
It makes me wonder doesn’t it. But they sure seemed happy and were fast despite the heavy weight and lack of shoes.
That family seems surefooted! Can never tire of your Gautemala pictures Nicole!
Thanks Madhu!
That first photo made me dizzy! Great post.
Me too! Thanks!
Pingback: WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE: MOVEMENT « 2012 – ON THE BENCH
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement « Ruth E Hendricks Photography
We can surely see the movement in the clouds!
That is indeed true! Check out my other blog if you haven’t at http://www.thethirdeyeworld.com where I caught movement from a speeding taxi cab in China!
Great series, but who in their right mind would walk that trail in heals?
what a great series…but that shoe, there, blows my mind
Yes, especially because I was wearing a good pair of heavy duty hiking boots and still slipped. When I was in Peru, I noticed that the porters all wore flip flops along the Inca Trail and in Nepal, the porters footwear is poor too. Makes you sad the inequities! We bought our porter a pair of new boots, his first ever, in the middle of our trek.
I just hope he didn’t get blisters.
Now it is in the right place
He was ok….I think!
Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement- How to clean your lizard « Ben Williams' World
WoW .. . that is movement to hold your breath over. You did an awesome job capturing it alll.
Thanks! It was pretty wonderful!
It never ceases to amaze me what the locals wear on their feet or how fast they travel. In Nepal while hiking in the Annapurnas some of the porters wore flipflops!
Wow, I was in Nepal too and did the same trek. I didn’t see the flip-flops though…just very poor footwear. We ended up buying our porter a new pair, his first, of boots.
I bet he was very appreciative. I was there 1990 so maybe things are a little better now?
Love the first shot… amazing!
Thanks!
Beautiful pics! Thank you for sharing. Have you written anything in Spanish yet?
Thank you! No, my Spanish is very very basic! I was actually a french major in college but have lost my skills over time. I’m heading back to a Spanish Speaking country in January so we’ll see if I can practice my skills a bit!
Hope you go to Colombia really soon. You will fall in love with its people!
I would absolutely love to!!!!