28/2/2010
I’m now in Colombia, and for the last two weeks in Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast. This is South America’s second oldest colonial city (the slightly older one is Santa Marta, a two-to-three hour drive up the coast) and its best preserved. One of my walks is around the old city on top of the old walls, and I can do most of it without a break.
It’s also a great city for shooting, with a very noisy and vibrant street life. Apart from being hot, which propels most life out onto the streets, it has a very distinctive Afro-Latin character. So much goes on in the narrow streets, and no-one simply walks in a dry northern-European way. The way people move and gesture is a constant delight. Right now I’m shooting a video for teaching photography (the video sequences surround the still shots), and I’ll see if it’s possible to post a video-clip or two to show you what I mean. Meanwhile, here are some still images from the city, all low light ……
The centre of the old city at dusk. A 5-frame burst spaced 2 ƒstops apart, then exposure-blended.
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Chess in the Parque Bolivar at night. 15mm focal length, 1/40 second and ƒ5, these settings possible at ISO 25,600.
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Another high-SO shot in available light: dancing at the Café Havana, also with a 14-24mm zoom.
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.... and backstage at a fashion show in the Centro de Convenciones.
