Our Photo Walk to Desierto de los Leones looked like it would be cancelled for a second time due to bad weather but we decided to go ahead, even though it was raining as we made our way up to the mountainous National Park on the outskirts of Mexico City. We spent an interesting morning photographing the monastery, learning about its history, visiting the small museum and exploring its dark tunnels and beautiful grounds and gardens.After exploring the monastery, we made our way down through the thickly-forested slopes to an area with small waterfalls and lakes before climbing up again to have a hot café de olla, some quesadillas and choriqueso in a small colourful eating place.
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On Photo Walk Nº75 we spent the morning wandering around the streets of Colonia Roma south of Av. Alvaro Obregon in search of new and old street art and finding some hidden gems. We were not disappointed by what we found... scores of colorful murals brighten up this part of the neighborhood. Many of the murals in the streets near this square are part of the series on Mexican indigenous groups #VAPORLAROMA. There are 68 different indigenous groups in Mexico and the idea is to represent all of them in murals in Colonia Roma.Of course, there is much more to Colonia Roma than street art and we met some friendly people along the way who explained things to us, including the owner of a tortillería who even invited us all to hot, freshly-made tortillas and spicy sauce.By the end of the morning, we had all got lots of great shots, a few selfies and learnt a bit more about the street art world in Mexico City.Colonia Roma, Mexico City's hipster neighbourhood, is one of the best places to find interesting street art. On this private walk with a visitor from Colombia, we explored the area south of Av. Alvaro Obregon where the group of artists called "Jóvenes Artesanos" have been brightening up some of the streets with their #VA POR LA ROMA series of murals. Of course, there was a lot more to see and experience in Colonia Roma, including other murals, two leafy squares and a visit to Roma's urban garden, and we were even treated to a delicious sandwich by a man selling cheeses who refused to let us pay.Colonia Roma never fails to provide endless opportunities for photos and experiences and lived up to its reputation on this particular walk.With such hot weather these days, it was a breath of cool air to wander around shady Chapultepec Park for Photo Walk Nº74 and sharpen our photography techniques and composition skills.We met outside the Anthropology Museum and first made our way down Reforma, looking at the winning images of the Nature Photography contest displayed along the Galeria de Rejas and commenting on composition and lighting. Learning from the images of other photographers is an excellent way to sharpen our skills and find our own voice and style.Throughout the walk, among other things, we looked for natural frames, different viewpoints, reflections, uncluttered backgrounds, and details.Chapultepec Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world and was where the Aztec rulers once had their summer residence. The springs there provided water for the ancient city of Tenochtitlán and water was conveyed to the Templo Mayor site using aqueducts. Today this enormous park is much more than Mexico City's "lungs"; its wooded areas and lakes are home to wildlife, and within its borders are museums, a castle, fountains, and many places to do outdoor activities or just enjoy some peace and quiet. Not far from the zoo is an eating area, with small stalls providing food and seats and tables to sit at. The shutters of the stalls are all brightly painted with animals and plants and are beautiful works of art.Behind this section, we discovered some off-the-beaten-path spots hidden among the greenery and streams with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, fish and even the odd turtle and tried to capture them with our cameras.All in all, it was a great walk and a reminder that even in the heart of this chaotic noisy city, there is a place where you can find some peace and quiet and get away from the crowds.Coyoacán is one of Mexico City's most colourful neighborhoods and Photo Walk Nº 73 was a fun walk around the Santa Caterina area focussing first and foremost on colour.To start off, we had a brief tutorial on how to use colour to make stronger images. This included a range of concepts such as the characteristics of warm and cool colours, brightness and intensity and how just a small spot of bright colour in a rather neutral scene will attract the viewer's eye. Then we wandered around the area, finding out about the history and some curiosities as well as photographing colour in general.We also had fun photographing brightly-coloured doors and walls plus some vibrant street art.Finally, some of us continued on to the Mercado de Coyoacán to savour some tostadas before heading home. One thing is sure... after this photo walk, we have begun "seeing" colour in a whole new way! |
Margaret MetcalfeBorn to travel, explore and share photos and experiences Archives
May 2019
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