La Catedral de Oaxaca

There is nothing quite like the captivating colors, sounds, and aromas of Oaxaca. When you travel here, it feels like being in a whole different country within Mexico. To start off, Oaxacan cuisine is quite different from other regions of Mexico. When was the last time you went into a Mexican restaurant and saw these on the menu: Tlayudas, estofado, tepache, or my favorite, quesadillas de flor de calabaza. Not to mention Oaxacan cheese and mole. When you visit some of the local villages, you will still find people dressed in traditional attire. And here in the main plaza, next to the cathedral, is probably one of the best places to experience it all. Sit back while you sip on a Oxacan hot chocolate and soak in all the ambience. Oh, and did I mention the food? Yuuuuummmmm.

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The LA Skyline in the Fog

When you climb the rooftops around LA, you get some pretty nice vistas. This was taken from a parking lot in Chinatown. As I was waiting for the sun to set, a slow fog began to encroach engulfing the downtown skyline. Just when I thought all was lost, it opened up momentarily and I was able to get a shot. You are a tricky one, Mother Nature.

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Havana Malecon

I was up pretty early to catch the sunrise along the famed malecon (seawall) of Havana. I rose about an hour before dawn and made my way along the malecon while the waves crashed mightily against the rocks.  After I finished taking photos of the sunrise I turned to leave and loved the scene that was now appearing before me. When I had walked to this spot earlier, it was still dark so I didn’t really appreciate the view. I set up my tripod and camera and began shooting all over again.

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Nadezda ZimmermanSeptember 13, 2013 - 5:09 am

Morning light is my favorite! Photo is beautiful!

Mario Rodriguez MonteroDecember 14, 2013 - 7:18 pm

Menuda obra de arte.

Chili MFJanuary 9, 2014 - 7:43 pm

Me encanta! Soy fan de la fotografia aunque conozco poco de su tecnica, por eso me gustaria preguntarte, esta foto es natural, o tiene algo de Photoshop? De igual modo te felicito, increibles fotos todas….

Nobuo KonnoNovember 14, 2014 - 12:43 am

Very nice.

La Torre de Chapultepec

I previously posted about the castle that sits up on a hill in the middle of Mexico City. Among the many attractions of Chapultepec Castle are the lovely gardens in one of the open patios. This is the tower that at one time served as an observatory and also a lookout point for invading armies. The castle and tower played a pivotal role in the Mexican-American War of 1847. Among the legendary military men who fought here were Gen. Santa Anna on the Mexican side and many future U.S. generals, notably Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Now it is a beautiful museum. As I wandered the lovely serene gardens, I found it difficult to believe that at one time soldiers were killing each other among the grounds where I was now walking.

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The Accordion Player and his Wife

One of the sad aspects of traveling is coming face to face with the poverty in many regions of the world and the people who live with it on a daily basis. I recall one night in a subway in Paris where a beautiful sad voice was echoing through the underground tunnels. As I kept walking I came upon a fragile old woman singing in Arabic and asking for donations. In Oaxaca, right off the main plaza, I came upon this couple amongst the throng of tourists, cafes, and souvenir stands. Originally, their little boy was sitting in between them. After having witnessed this scene in many parts of the world, I am embarrassed to admit that the tendency is to continue walking. But this time I stayed and listened to him play a melancholic tune on his accordion. I began wondering how many years have they been here, playing tunes in exchange for the leftover coins in tourists pockets. He finished his tune so I left a donation and continued exploring the Oaxacan streets. On my return, their little boy was no longer with them. Just the two of them, doing what they have probably been doing for years. I went across the street to take a photo then went up to them and dropped another a donation in her tray. She just nodded her head,  showing her appreciation, without opening her eyes. As I walked away I could still hear the sad accordion playing behind me.

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Nadezda ZimmermanSeptember 12, 2013 - 10:06 am

Very sad but at the same time warm story and photo.

The Barren Redwood

The redwood trees in Northern California are so immense they will make you dizzy if you stare at them to long. If you have ever walked around New York City while looking up at the skyscrapers, it’s pretty much the same feeling. And there are probably more Redwood trees here than there are skyscrapers in New York. I didn’t count them but it’s just a hunch.

This old fellow stands in the forest, like many of his siblings, without much life left in it. All the branches and leaves are long gone. But nonetheless, it still stands tall among the other Redwood skyscrapers.

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Playacar Moonlight

There was a bright full moon over the beach in Playacar, Mexico and I just had to stop and take some photos. The colors of the water are constantly shifting between different hues of blue & aqua. I played around with a long exposure not sure of what the result would be. I was hoping for a painterly impressionistic look. After a while, I put my camera down and went for a swim under the cool Playacar moonlight.

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Nadya's Side Of The RoadJune 19, 2013 - 9:17 am

outstanding shot!

[…] never get tired of photographing beaches. I previously posted a photo from this night in Playacar. I have many more but this was one of my favorites. On this […]

Blanket of Colors Over Los Angeles

Just another ho-hum evening in Southern California. I have mentioned it before, but if you have never visited LA, forget about visiting Hollywood or the expensive amusement parks. The Griffith Observatory should be the first destination on your list. From here, you can enjoy sweeping views of LA that extend from the downtown skyline all the way to the Pacific Ocean. While you are there, you can also enjoy some of the cool super-nerd exhibits. I never tire of seeing the scale models of the earth next to the monster stars with their cool Latin names like Sirius or Arcturus. Once you are all finished, then you can get back to your regularly scheduled itinerary of stalking the Kardashians at the Chateau Marmont.

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The Majesty of Teotihuacán

Centuries before the Aztecs ruled Mexico at Tenochtitlan, there was another ancient city that rose up with temples and pyramids that extended to the stars. The grand city of Teotihuacán emerged on the outskirts of what is now Mexico City beginning in the 1st Century AD and reaching its peak in the 7th Century AD. That was many, many centuries before the Aztecs built their vast empire.

When you first arrive at the Tetihuacán, you will be astounded at the immensity of it all. It is here near the entrance that you begin walking along the 2km long “Avenue of the Dead”. This was like an ancient version of the Champs-Élysées but with temples instead cafés.

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There are two main temples here and you are allowed to climb them both. They are the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. I was standing on the Pyramid of the Moon in this shot. This is where the boulevard ends and from up here you can gaze out over this massive city built so long ago. So who were the mysterious builders of Teotihuacán? Archeologists have not figured it out yet. Despite having a population of over 100,000 at one point, most of the city was mysteriously burned down in the 7th century. All that is left are the great temples to the stars.

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No, that is not a photo of the Grand Tlatoani who ruled over Teotihuacán. It’s just yours truly pretending to be.

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Nadya's Side Of The RoadJune 1, 2013 - 10:00 am

I dream to visit this place. I love ancient mystery! : ) Beautiful photos. HDR?

PixamundoJune 1, 2013 - 7:02 pm

I highly recommend you visit. The top photo is HDR. The bottom is not. You can tell the difference by looking at the the skies.

Denise LugoJuly 6, 2013 - 2:22 pm

The city of the ancient gods-Teotihuacán….

Pedro PootAugust 15, 2013 - 7:51 pm

The place where the gods are born. wonderful picture, congrats pixamundo.

Fiery Sky Over the Blue La Jolla Beach

I was in San Diego to take a post-processing class with a photographer whose work I have long admired, Elia Locardi. I learned some great Photoshopping techniques which I plan to implement from now on in my workflow. Check out his awesome work over at his web site: Blame The Monkey. After class, I headed over to nearby La Jolla for lunch. While I was there, I decided to stick around and wait for the sunset so I could shoot some photos. I was pretty inspired after seeing Elia’s awesome work. Thankfully the sunset did not disappoint. Now, the beaches in California are very beautiful but then you gaze out over a beach like La Jolla and it’s breathtaking. Imagine living in one of those houses and enjoying the sunset every night? I wonder if they might rent me out a spare couch?

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Nadya's Side Of The RoadJune 5, 2013 - 1:43 am

I just love your style in photography. La Jolla looks so stunning!

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