Day 1.- ARRIVE LIMA.-
Introduction to the peculiarities of the photo tour, briefing.
Day 2.- LIMA/CUZCO/SACRED VALLEY
Transfer to Sacred Valley stopping at the Maras salt mines in afternoon light with walk down to the Urubamba River. Pick up at the river and drive to Ollantaytambo and overnight.
The Maras salt pans are terraces on a hillside which make dramatic composition, especially in the late afternoon sun. We will walk to them from above and engage the workers. From there, we walk downhill to the Urubamba River through wheat fields looking for field workers amid the picturesque scenery. Our van picks us up at the river and we drive to Ollantaytambo for overnight.
Late afternoon/ early evening photo walk in this authentic original Inca town where there are always people in the streets and Plaza. This is a pedestrian town, easy and convenient to walk around and out hotel is just a couple of blocks from downtown and the Plaza. The plaza and cobblestone back streets are full of people in native dress going about their daily activities.
We will create people photo ops, posed and unposed over the 2 days and nights we will be in Ollantaytambo with plenty of time for photo discovery walks with our guide visiting families in their homes, working with people in the streets.
This town is the site of the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo that rise steeply up the hill on the edge of town, pictorial in and of themselves but also making a dramatic backdrop for character portraits of Inca descendants. Additionally, there are small farms on the edge of town we can easily walk to for shots people working the land and working with llamas and other animals.
Overnight Ollantaytambo
Day 3.- SACRED VALLEY, SMALL VILLAGES, OLLANTAY.
Full day Camicancha & Ollantaytambo. This day is all about people in a remote village. We know some people from this village who work as porters for the Inca trail trek and we have a very good rapport and relationship with the people there. Will have unprescedented access to the people in this village. We will see and photograph them in their homes and fields at their daily activities. This is unique and different.
Return yo Ollantaytambo in the afternoon and photowalk through the town. Guide will get us into a multigenerational private residence with permission to photograph the family.
Overnight Ollantaytambo
Day 4.- SACRED VALLEY. PISAC MARKET. AMARU, PARU VILLAGES.
This is the Sunday local market in Pisac in the Sacred valley. It features locals bartering for grain and vegetables, and colorful weavings etc. There are lots of indigenous people there dressed in typical clothing. Lots of colorful handicrafts for sale make a great backdrop for people shots.
We’ll get there early for the good light and to beat the other visitors. Later, driving to a more remote village (Amaru or Paru Paru) in the surrounding hills we will find dramatic, sweeping vistas bejeweled by white capped mountains and glaciers. We will look for campesinos to photograph in the fields or along the road. Often we see them herding llamas across the altiplano. At the village, a local villager will introduce us to the families and show us how they live in this remote village still using ancient farming tools and methods. We can pose them for photographs.
Overnight Ollantaytambo
Day 5.- MACHU PICCHU.
Today is the visit to the extraordinary Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is a historical and archaeological site, a must see for sure, with lots of quintessential photo opps. We will enjoy a great experience with guided introduction to the site the first day and then independent shooting morning the second day before returning to Cuzco.
Breakfast, then we walk the few hundred meters to the train station from our hotel (porters will transport the bags and gear). The open air train station along the Urubamba River is always a great place for photos of the locals (mosty indigenous ladies and their children
Train to Aguas Calientes
Shuttle bus & entrance to Machu Picchu
Guided tour of this magnificient architectural site, Dramatically beautiful, the terraced site is perched on a saddle between two hills at a location where the Urubamba River makes a horseshoe bend, literally wrapping 3 sides of the strategic site with the steep valley walls and river far below. Both the guide and I will escort the pax to numerous vantage points that will allow the pax to make dramatic photos of the site, its location/ orientation, and also capture the quintessential magazine spread style shots of Machu Picchu.
In the late afternoon return to Aguas Calientes
Overnight Aguas Calientes
Day 6.- MACHU PICCHU - CUZCO.
Free morning to explore Machu Picchu independently
In the afternoon train to Ollanta.
Dinner at El Albergue restaurant (located in Ollanta) This restaurant is in the hacienda right at the train station. We will request access to the kitchen for photos of the chef and meals being prepared. After dinner, our bus will take us to Cuzco. Arrive early evening. Hotel located just a couple of blocks from the Plaza de Armas and the procession route.
Tonight lots of festivities in the streets.
Overnight Cuzco
Day 7.- FULL DAY OF CORPUS CHRISTI.
Full day Corpus Christi we will explore the best vantage points for viewing and photographing the procession and participants.
Additionally, today we will reserve an open courtyard area to use as a studio for portraits of the local people we bring in from the street. An Irving Penn style environment, where we will be doing character portrait studies of some of the indigenous people dressed for the celebration. These portraits can be formal or informal and stylized as your taste and interest leads you.
Martin Chambi was the great Cuzco photographer who memorialized the people of Cuzco in the 20’s, Irvng Penn, the New York photographer in the 50’s captured some timeless photographs in a courtyard setting. .
It will be an amazing opportunity for the pax. Of course, today we will spend lots of time in the streets shooting the people in the processions carrying the saints to the cathedral,etc. We will enjoy photo walk and independent shooting opportunities.
Overnight Cuzco
Days 8 & 9.- CORPUS CHRISTI & SAN PEDRO MARKET.
Full day Corpus Christi with guides. The festivities heat up today and tomorrow and celebrations go all day and in to the night. One entire plaza is dedicated to food vendors serving snacks and meals. Roasted Quy are arranged in poses with each other and fresh vegetables. Trout, quinoa, potatoes, and exotic vegetables are served. The chicha flows freely.
We will schedule a structured photo shoot in pre-scouted locations around town with typical backgrounds like perfectly fit Inca stone walls including the famous12 sided stone. We will also, time permitting walk the few blocks to the local market where vendors sell everything from vegetables and alpaca meat to handicrafts.
Overnight Cuzco
Day 10.- CUZCO-LIMA- INTRN FLIGHTS or EXTENSION TO PUNO.