440 - Pirámides de Teotihuacan
Damn, this was a difficult shoot. Almost all the conditions were stacked against us. But I managed to pull through. Somehow. Apparently the Mayan Gods enjoyed our company.
I mean, I don’t see why they wouldn’t. We were there to take bomb ass photos. Today’s shoot was at the Pirámides de Teotihuacan.
We arrived bright and early like good little photographers. First in line at the gate, that is. And we were beyond excited because we’d never seen pyramids of this magnitude before. Fuck, the only pyramid I’d ever seen before this was the Luxor in Vegas, if that even counts.
After paying a small entrance fee, we pulled into the lot and took in our surroundings. Stone mountains loomed in the distance. The sun beat down like a judge. And the distant sound of a jaguar echoed in the trees. These pyramids were undeniably massive- now we just had to figure out how to photograph them.
Now let me explain why the odds were stacked against us. The place had opened well after sunrise, so we had direct light hitting from above. No golden hour for us today. On top of that, not a single cloud existed in the blue sky. Did I mention tripods weren’t allowed?
Oh goody. This was going to be fun.
I cracked my knuckles, because there was no way in fuck I was messing up my first ancient ruins shoot. It was time to bring out the big guns.
Here’s the rules of the game on how to make a scene like this work… Contrast, contrast, contrast, and EVEN MORE contrast. Every dark corner can and will be exploited for its abstract appeal. Here’s the first close up shot I got of a temple:
“Lego Box of the Mood God”
Taken on Sony a7rIII + Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM
[ISO 50 ~ 164mm ~ f/4.5 ~ 1/400s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
We’re gonna start small because I don’t want to show a full pyramid YET… I’m trying to build suspense here. That shot works because all the triangles and rectangles play together like Legos from a toy bin. Throw in that yellow flare from the plants and you got a scene.
But do you see what I mean? Playing with those shadows is important.
I got a little closer to the rocks. Then I realized the amount of detail on these things. Look at this:
“Meteor Ants”
Taken on Sony a7rIII + Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM
[ISO 50 ~ 106mm ~ f/5.6 ~ 1/400s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
There were tiny rocks WITHIN the molding(?) of the wall. And it was that way with EVERY structure. They looked like some type of meteor rock… I have no idea what I’m talking about.
So by now you’re probably wondering why I haven’t shown a big boy pyramid yet. And that’s because it was extremely difficult to figure out a composition for one. The bigger the scene, the harder it is to make it look good in poor lighting.
But nonetheless, the Sun God pulled through. After all, it was his temple I was trying to shoot. (Actually though… that’s the name of this pyramid:)
“Pyramid of the Sun”
Taken on Sony a7rIII + Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 GM
[ISO 50 ~ 155mm ~ f/7.1 ~ 1/160s]
(Want a Print? Get one here.)
For that shot, I needed something that would help show it’s scale, while also contrasting it enough to make it interesting. The green tree did all this for me. And since it was centered, it provided a perfect subject.
Thanks Mayan Sun God, I owe you one.
As a side note, I’ve been reading some photography books because they are way better than Instagram. One thing I’ve recently learned about is the three shot technique, which is good for telling a story. It contains a close up shot, an establishing shot, and a main shot. Essentially exactly what was in this shoot.
And with that, we wandered out as the place filled up with busy bee tourists. Also I discovered what the jaguar sound in the distance was. Some vendor was selling a flute thing that sounded like a roar.
Cool.
I’m on a mission to explore as much as humanely possible.
Want to see my progress? Check out the Adventure Map.
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