Lake Atitlan, Guatemala - a photographer's dream location!

Flowers frame the view of the Atitlan and Toliman volcanoes (stacked) from the village of Santa Cruz.

I'm staring out at the crystalline water of Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, rimmed by verdantly forested volcanoes, thinking that I may have found paradise. It's a bit more than halfway through my trip and I'm already dreading the thought of leaving here[-15C back home in Ontario - oh shit!]. I stumbled across Guatemala while researching central American destinations for a photo trip/winter getaway. My criteria was that it was a country I hadn't visited before, an affordable rental I could use as a base for day tripping and plenty of great subjects to point my camera at. After seeing a few photos of the stunningly scenic Lake Atitlan, the decision was easy!

Dusk falls over Lake Atitlan and the town dock in Santa Cruz la Laguna. 

Lake Atitlan is in a volcanic caldera (basin) and is approximately 130km² and 300m deep. There are three inactive volcanoes (Atitlan, Toliman and San Pedro) on the southern shore of the lake which create an incredibly scenic backdrop for the deep blue water!

Small to medium sized communities surround the lake, each with their own distinct character. Mayan culture dominates the area, but there are plenty of quirky expat 'gringos' living here and some of the towns are full of international travelers. The quaint village of San Marcos is particularly entertaining - it's full of spiritual seeking, crystal wearing new agers selling beads and smoking pot. Some locals refer to them as 'Trustifarians' (disenfranchised trust fund kids) - that made me chuckle!

Sunset on the shore of Lake Atitlan at Santa Cruz la Laguna with the San Pedro volcano in the back. 

Getting around the lake is easy on the public boats that inexpensively ferry people and cargo between the communities. It's a great way to explore the villages, many of which sell hand-woven textiles and other goods. Market days are especially colorful and vibrant!

Mayan girls in the Solola market, Guatemala.

Local grown veggies for sale at the small Saturday market in Santa Cruz la Laguna. 

The small, flat-bottomed dugout canoes (called cayucos) used by local fisherman are synonymous with Lake Atitlan.

A fisherman paddles his cayuco (dugout canoe) at sunrise on Lake Atitlan.
The plume of steam and ash is from an eruption of the distant Fuego Volcano. 

A fisherman's dugout canoe (cayuco) on the shore of Lake Atitlan. 

It’s on the Newsstands!!

Be sure to pick up the Canadian Geographic Collector’s Edition – Best National Parks Pictures 2011. This is the issue that features my photo of Banff National Park, Moraine Lake on the cover – once again thank you to all who voted! This issue is full of great photographs of our National parks, marine areas and historic sites by many talented photographers.

Need help - your favourite photography websites?

I'm about to have my website redesigned... big bucks, professional designer and all. My goal is simple... to have one of the best, most kick ass photography sites on the net!  

I've been searching out other sites for inspiration. What are your favourite websites? And why? Please share them here. Productive tips will lead to gratuitous praise and good karma!

Thanks!
Ethan

I can't get enough icicles!

Photo 1 (above): EOS 5D mark II, EF 14mm/2.8 L lens (from http://www.lensrentalscanada.com/)

What do you get when you add a soaked hiking shoe in freezing temps, a wipe out that almost costs you a brand new 24mm tilt-shift lens and a couple of hours laying beneath a ridge of ice that weighs about a ton and could collapse on you at any time? A great morning photo shoot!! 

While hiking yesterday with friends, I found a few lingering ridges of ice that had the best concentration of icicles I've ever seen. The light was dull and the time was ticking - they would melt within a couple of days. I scouted out potential photos and plotted the return trip.

I invited my friend Craig along (he's the mastermind behind the popular website http://www.canonrumors.com/) and we hit the trail in predawn darkness this morning. Mostly overcast conditions crushed the dream  photo I had pre-visualized, but even in dull light the icicles were great. Soon the clouds parted to reveal some blue sky. Nothing beats the contrast of sparkling icicles against a blue sky!

Photo 2 (below): Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer

Photo 3 (below): EOS 5D mark II, EF 14mm/2.8 L lens (from http://www.lensrentalscanada.com/)

Photo 4 (below): Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer

 

Photo 5 (below): That's me. The wide-angle distortion stretched out my torso, making me look skinner than I really am. Excellent! Canon EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40 L lens, Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo polarizer; Canon 580EX II for fill flash

Countdown to Panama!

I'm packed and ready to catch a few hours sleep before my early morning flight to Panama. It's stressful traveling as a photographer these days.... so much gear to worry about with new security procedures and baggage regulations. Here's what's going with me:

In the first photo....
The large black dufflebag on the left is my checked luggage which contains clothing, tripod & heads, some camera accessories. The bag is durable, light and fully packed I'm able to just squeeze in under the weight restriction! I use clothes and spare shoes as padding to protect the tripod & other gear.

The black camera pack on the right is my carry-on containing all of my lenses, bodies, binoculars, etc. This is a new pack I just bought this past week - a Gura Gear "Kiboko" bag, which is large enough to fit all of my  basic camera gear (including my 500/4 lens)  yet extremely light so the pack doesn't add much weight. I love this bag! See second and third photos below for closeups of how the camera gear is packed in it.

The third bag (blue daypack) contains my laptop and a few basic travel items(chewing gum, magazine, Blackberry). This  my 'personal item' allowed for carry-on.

I'm off to bed for a short sleep. Check back in a couple of days to see some photos of Panama birds, wildlife and landscapes!

Photocrati Fund: $5000 grants for photo projects

Check out this new program that provides $5000 grants to non-professional photographers working on important humanitarian and environmental projects. The grant is intended to identify great up-and-coming photography talent and give them a high profile platform for carrying out a worthwhile project. The distinguished board and panel of judges include some of the most celebrated environmental and cultural photographers in the world: Steve McCurry, Michael "Nick" Nichols, and Art Wolfe. [these are 3 of my favorite photographers]


Here's a link for more information. Note that the deadline for applications is March 15. 
 www.photocrati.com/photocrati-fund

Algonquin Park - fall colours photo workshop

Autumn in Algonquin Photo Workshop
September 25-27, 2009

Please join myself and fellow pro photographer Mike Grandmasion for a fall colour photo workshop we're coleading in Algonquin Park. The workshop is sponsored by Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine and is timed to coincide with the peak season of fall colours.

For more information, or to register, visit:
http://www.outdoorphotographycanada.com/workshop.html

Check out Mike's website: http://www.grandmaison.mb.ca/

Accommodations are at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn, my favourite base for shooting Algonquin Park: http://www.algonquininn.com/

Hope to see you there!