Jan
19
2012
Comalapa, Guatemala
“You have to ask before you take a photo of anyone here. A Japanese woman didn’t ask and she got stoned to death.”
That was my introduction to Comalapa, a small town, unmarked on the Guatemalan tourist map. I usually ask before I take someones photo, but sometimes that ruins the moment and I (respectfully) want to get a shot before they are aware that I even exist. After the above advice though, I got the feeling that the locals here aren’t really into being the subjects of documentary photography, so I’m going to ask everybodies permission before I take photos of them.
This morning my friend Loren needed to do some washing and asked me if I wanted to go to the public laundry with him. A lot of people around here don’t have the water or facilities to wash clothes in their own home so the women come together and wash communally. It’s such a wonderful and unique cultural experience and I’d been attracted to Guatemala’s outdoor laundries since I first saw them.
………
I got chatting to this beautiful lady, Chejina (above), while Loren was washing his clothes. Chejina told me she goes there most days to wash. I asked her three times (just to be sure that the question wasn’t getting lost in translation) if it was okay to take her photo. All the ladies around thought it was really funny that I would want to take a photo of their friend washing clothes. I guess they’re right.
………
This gorgeous little boy has four brothers and sisters. He spends most of his days on his Mums back. She told me that he is very heavy and Thanks to God she is very strong.
Comments Off | tags: australian travel photographer, central america, communal living, Guatemala, latin america, maternal love, mother and baby, mothering photos, mothers love, old fashioned, old fashioned laundry, old guatemalan woman, photos of antigua, photos of antigua guatemala, photos of comalapa, photos of mothering, professional photographer guatemala, public laundry, real life guatemala, rural guatemala, sydney travel photographer, travel photographer guatemala, washing clothes | posted in Central America, NGO photography, portrait, Travel Photography
Jun
28
2011
James and I wrote and photographed this article for Tide Magazine in Germany. James interviewed Patricia and Ellie, from Munich, about their falling in love with the magical Panamanian village of Santa Catalina and starting the regions first surf shop. The girls are an inspiration and show that you can follow your heart and live your dreams in paradise.
The article was translated into German. Please send me an email if you’d like to read the English version.
Photos by Alicia Fox
Surf photos by Richard Brady
Words by James Galletly
Comments Off | tags: central America surf photographer, central America travel photographer, el salvador photographer, el Salvador portrait photographer, Guatemala, james galletly, magazine, magazine photographer central America, mexico, photographer, photographer el Salvador, photographer nicaragua, photographer panama, professional photographer, professional portrait photographer, surf, surf journalist, surf magazine, surf photographer, surf writer, surfing journalist, Surfing magazine, travel photographer, travel writer | posted in Articles, Central America, surfing, Travel Photography