Mexico Field Notes

Yucatán Peninsula
Riviera Maya
México

We arrived in the Yucatán Peninsula from California through Cancún; from there we drove down the coast to explore the Mayan's Land, where this series of photographs were taken.

To be in the Mayan's Land was a dream come true. I have such fascination for old civilizations and they have always been in my dreams.

Tulum, which is located by the coast and where I took my first shots, impressed me not for its magic atmosphere, but for the ancient architecture I had never seen. It seems like a puzzle where we should not only put back the stones to rebuild it, but get to know its wisdom.

After the third day of coast exploration we headed inland. We arrived in Chichen-Itzá in the afternoon. At night we saw the light show, which is the representation of the equinox that happens every March 21st. It consists of a reflection of the sun light on the snake built on the side of the central pyramid, during a certain time of the day. The position of the sun light makes the serpent appear to be alive and descending from it. The event attracts people from all over the world. However, I could not photograph it because I did not bring a tripod.

The following day I was one of the first people to get into the sacred city of Chichen-Itzá (I left my family behind). In a second I jumped into the past and discovered places I had dreamed of. I found buildings, rooms, walls, a square and more that brought back feelings I had experienced only in my dreams.

We were supposed to stay at Chichen-Itzá for two days, but because of my fascination and desire to photograph during the morning sun light, we postponed our departure for a day. Of course this extra day was not even enough because I met someone who took me to a new area of Chichen-Itzá being restored where nobody, other than the archeologists and city personnel, have been. Thus, the subjects of some of these images have not been seen yet by the world outside of Chichen-Itzá, (by the time they were taken).

As a photographer I would like to visit, as much as I possibly can, ancient cities around the world and put together a photographed documentary art show. I intend to capture feelings, shapes and styles of the culture of those people who lived in an era that has been long gone, but we as humans with the available technology, can still experience the grandiosity of their spirit through the medium of photography. It is my hope that the photographs will help people from this and future generations to think of these past legacies that we know so little about as an example of things we must preserve, to live a present making wise decisions thinking of the future of humans on the Earth and in what we will leave for the ones to come after us, as a must.

To make this dream come through, I am investing in photography for photography itself to make it possible. And so, I am looking forward to having your comments, suggestions, and patronage; especially, from those who share the same feelings about preserving the memories of these ancient cities of wisdom, and who believe in the beauty of dreams. As Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt says, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

The images here were taken with a manual camera, Canon AE-1, 50mm lens. They are printed in full frame on Fiber based archival paper.

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