the travel photography dream team tour – guatemala

This time lapse was shot with individual exposures of 1 sec and then compiled at 6 frames/sec to emphasize the blur.

the colors of guatemala
Field Instructors: Nancy Rotenberg, Brenda Tharp & Nevada Wier
Photoshop Techniques & logistics: Jeremy Woodhouse
Saturday, June 4  – Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Average high temperature for June is 75°F
application form
A few images from my recent scouting trip to Guatemala

You are not going to want to miss this next opportunity to photograph with four of America’s most active travel and nature photographers – starting out in the colonial town of Antigua, we will explore an active volcano, Guatemala’s largest and most colorful indigenous market, and we will spend time exploring the scenery and towns on the shores of one of the world’s most beautiful lakes.

There are a maximum of 18 places on this instructional tour together with the 3 field instructors (and since it is billed as an instructional tour, the instructors are encouraged to photograph). During the 10-day tour each participant will have the opportunity to work with each instructor more than once, giving them the opportunity to experience their distinct photographic styles.

introduction to guatemala
Spanning a mountainous slice of Central America immediately south of Mexico, Guatemala is loaded with incredible natural, historical and cultural appeal. As the birthplace and heartland of the ancient Maya, the country is in many ways defined by the legacy of this early civilization. Their rainforest cities were abandoned centuries ago, but Maya people continue to thrive in the Guatemalan highlands, where traditions and religious rituals, mingled with Catholic practices, endure to form perhaps the richest and most distinctive indigenous identity in the hemisphere.

Guatemala today is very much a synthesis of Maya and colonial traditions, fused with the omnipresent influences of twenty-first-century Latin and North American culture. Baroque churches dating back to the Spanish conquest coexist with pagan temples that have been sites of worship for millennia. Highland street markets prosper alongside vast glitzy shopping malls, and pre-Columbian festival dances are performed by teenage hip-hop fans.
Guatemala is still very much a developing nation, a young democracy with a turbulent and bloody history that’s beset by deep-rooted inequalities. And yet, despite alarming levels of poverty and unemployment most Guatemalans are extraordinarily courteous and helpful to travellers, and only too eager to help you catch the right bus or practise your Spanish.

It’s this genuine and profound hospitality combined with the country’s outstanding cultural legacy and astonishing natural beauty that makes Guatemala such a compelling place for travellers.
You are reading content from The Rough Guide to Guatemala, Fourth Edition

view of the cathedral & zocalo

detailed itinerary
Day 1, Sat 04 June
Depart US. Arrive Guatemala City from where you will take a taxi to Antigua (about $30), about one hour away. We will try and coordinate and share taxis depending on the arrival times of participants. Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

el arco or the arch, an iconic landmark in antigua

Day 2, Sun 05 June
Meet for breakfast and make introductions. Field instruction around Antigua: Group 1 – Nancy Rotenberg, Group 2 – Brenda Tharp, Group 3 – Nevada Wier.
Evening session group review of participants’ images from a pre-assigned project.
Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

Day 3, Mon 06 June
Field instruction around Antigua: Group 2 – Nancy Rotenberg, Group 3 – Brenda Tharp, Group 1 – Nevada Wier.
Evening session: Nancy Rotenberg Presentation
Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

Antigua, Guatemala and Volcá‡n Agua from Cerro de la Cruz at dawn

Day 4, Tues 07 June
Field instruction around Antigua: Group 3 – Nancy Rotenberg, Group 1 – Brenda Tharp, Group 2 – Nevada Wier.
Evening session: Round table with your Field Instructors. Each participant will have the opportunity to present an image and talk about it, and then ask the Instructors to give their opinions – choose an image that is either controversial, an image that breaks the rules, or an image that you really like but that no one else seems to share your positive opinion.
Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

Day 5, Wed 08 June
Free early morning photography around Antigua. After breakfast we are picked up by our transport and we will head to the Pacaya Volcano National Park where, after an invigorating hike, we will be treated to images of one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Depending on the status of the volcano we may go to a private ranch where a new crater has opened up (June 2010), and we will get very close to earth in the making. We will return to our hotel after dark.
Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

a river of lava lights up the clouds at dusk

Day 6, Thur 09 June
After breakfast we will be picked up by our transport and we will head to Lake Atitlán where we will spend the next four nights at the luxurious lakeside Hotel Atitlán. The afternoon will be spent photographing in and around the bustling town of Panajachel.
Evening session: Brenda Tharp Presentation
Overnight Hotel Atitlán. B, D

Day 7, Fri 10 June
Group 1, Group 2 & Group 3 – Lake Atitlán.
Today we will head out early to the Friday morning market at Santiago Atitlán. Santiago, home to the Tzutujil Maya is one of the most traditional lakeside villages. It is located on one side of a horseshoe-shaped inlet, overshadowed by the volcanoes of San Pedro, Atitlán and Tolimán. You should see a lot of the local people dressed in their traditional outfits, the men in their embroidered long purple & white striped shorts, and the women in their equally colorful huipiles.
Evening session: Nevada Wier Presentation
Overnight Hotel Atitlán. B, D

local women trading at the santiago atitlán market

locals in the square at santiago atitlán

Day 8, Sat 11 June
Group 1, Group 2 & Group 3 – Lake Atitlán. This morning there are a couple of options. Some of you may chose to cross the lake and visit the rather bohemian travellers’ town of San Pedro la Laguna, others may prefer to visit the local market in the hustle and bustle of Sololá, a few miles away.
Evening session: Jeremy Woodhouse Presentation
Overnight Hotel Atitlán. B, D

fresh flowers at chichicastenango market

Day 9, Sun 12 June
Group 1, Group 2 & Group 3 – Chichicastenango Sunday Market. We will have an early start and head to the famous Sunday Market at Chichicastenango. We should arrive as the merchants are setting up their stalls and we will have the better part of the morning and most of the afternoon to photograph in the market. We will return late afternoon to Atitlán
Overnight Hotel Atitlán. B, D

chichi market colors

Day 10, Mon 13 June
After breakfast we will return to Antigua. You will be free to photograph or shop. We will be collecting images from you for our final show.
Evening session final slide show of participants’ images.
Overnight Hotel Antigua. B

Day 11, Mon 14 June
Return to Guatemala City for our flight back to the USA

Tuition: $3,150 includes 10 nights accommodations with breakfast, dinners at Atitlan (4 nights), field trip transport and entry fees and airport transfer on departure.
To book your place on this tour, please contact jeremy@pixelchrome.com
Deposit: $750 due to secure spot. Application Form
Full and final payment is due 90 days before the tour.
Limited to 18 people

Excludes
International air fare; other airfare if noted in exceptions; air fare tax; airport departure tax; airport transfer on arrival; additional transfers or accommodations that may be required by those not traveling with the group; excess baggage charges; meals not included in itinerary; activities listed as optional, or those taken on your own; passport/visa expenses; personal medical or travel insurance; any expenses of a personal nature, such as room service, laundry, beverages not included with meals, medical expenses, film or processing, any activities not specified in tour itinerary or listed as optional, or any items not listed in what is included; upon the completion of your trip, modest gratuities to the local guides and the drivers are customary; tips for meals not included in itinerary.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

Deposits, Cancellations and Refunds
A deposit of $750 per person is required. Payment in full is required when bookings are made less than 90 days before the departure date. Space is subject to cancellation by Pixelchrome, Inc if payment is not received when due.

If a passenger wishes to cancel they must send notification in writing to: Pixelchrome, Inc, 605 Rouen Drive, McKinney, TX 75070. fax 214-544-3012. At the time we receive your notification, the following per person charges apply:
• 121 days or more before departure: $200 cancellation fee.
• 91-120 days before departure: $375 cancellation fee, plus Pixelchrome’s costs, as well as fees that are charged by the suppliers providing the services included in your tour, and/or the airlines providing the air transportation.
• 31-90 days before departure: $575 minimum cancellation fee, plus Pixelchrome, Inc’s costs, as well as fees that are charged by the suppliers providing the services included in your tour, and/or the airlines providing the air transportation. Fees may range from 25% to 100% of tour costs.
• 30 days or less before departure or anytime after departure: NO REFUND.

Refunds for services that are voluntarily not used by you cannot be made.

Air Travel
When making your international flight arrangements it is important to discuss flight times with Pixelchrome, Inc before booking any airline tickets. This will avoid you having to pay airline cancellation penalties.

Please contact Pixelchrome, Inc for destination airfare estimates, specific flight time arrivals, and departures.

Fitness and Health
This trip is not strenuous and anyone who is reasonably fit should be able to take part in most of the activities. You may experience general fatigue due to the long flights and the change in time zones. You will need to be sufficiently agile to climb in and out of the tour van and should be able to carry and manage your own equipment. Some hotels do not have elevators.

If you have any special needs or any physical condition that you feel might prevent you from fully participating, please contact Pixelchrome, Inc with your concerns (469-371-5310).

You should also be aware that medical services or facilities might not be readily available during all or part of your trip. This could include emergency medical care, presence of physicians, or adequate medication

Insurance
Each participant must be covered by medical insurance that is valid overseas.
We strongly urge you to evaluate your risk and to take out insurance on your trip. It is vital for you to realize that if you experience a delay or find it necessary to cancel or cut short your trip for any reason, you will lose part or the entire sum you’ve invested in it.

Travel insurance helps to minimize the risk of monetary losses you would incur in the event of a delay of your departure due to weather, airline strike, missed connection, etc., your inability to travel for reasons such as illness, injury, unforeseen financial complications and other personal circumstances, or if you were required to cut your trip short for medical or any other reasons.

There are restrictions and limitations on any insurance program. For this reason, choose your insurance carefully. Check their policies regarding trip cancellation, baggage, and medical insurance. It is to your advantage to apply for insurance at the earliest possible time, so don’t delay in making a decision.

Subject to Change
This itinerary has been carefully constructed to assure participants the best this destination has to offer; however, should events arise that are beyond our control, activities and hotel arrangements are subject to change without notice. Above is a summary of typical areas you will explore. Since there is no possible way to visit all of them, your guides will plan each day considering the interests of the group and the weather at hand. Be assured that we will make substitutions that are as similar in quality and interest as possible.

Leaders’ Biographies

image ©michael clark

Nevada Wier
Nevada Wier is an award-winning photographer specializing in the remote corners of the globe and the cultures that inhabit them. Nevada’s journeys have taken her throughout Southeast Asia, India, China, Nepal, Africa, New Zealand, Central Asia, Mongolia, South America and other obscure regions of the world.

Her work is represented for licensing by Getty Images and Corbis. Nevada has been published in numerous national and international publications, including: NG Adventure, Geo, Islands, National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Outside, and Smithsonian. She is a Fellow of The Explorer’s Club, a member of the Society of Woman Geographers and was featured in a Northwest Airlines international television and print ad campaign.

Her recent exhibit, A NOMADIC VISION: 25 Years, just completed a six week viewing at the Verve Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Nevada’s books are The Land of Nine Dragons – Vietnam Today, Abbeville Press, 1992,photography from contemporary Vietnam, winner of the Lowell Thomas Best Travel Book of 1992 award, and Adventure Travel Photography, Amphoto, 1993. She was a participating photographer in A Day in the Life of Thailand, Collins, 1995, Planet Vegas, Collins, 1995, and Mother Earth, Sierra Club Editions 2002. She is currently working on a new book A Nomadic Vision, publication TBA.

Nevada was featured in a National Geographic Explorer television episode on her travels down the Blue Nile River in Ethiopia on assignment with National Geographic magazine and was one of the photographers in THROUGH THE LENS for the National Geographic Channels. She was a frequent photographer on Canon Photo Safaris (OLN & ESPN). She is also a regular guest on The Travel Channel. Nevada is a lecturer for seminars and professional panels, and a featured speaker for banquets and conferences. She was recently on a nation-wide tour with LIVE… from National Geographic.

Nevada has guided the gamut of outdoor programs in the mountains, deserts and rivers of the world. This includes 20 years as a Course Director/Instructor for Outward Bound, a boatman for AZRA on the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River and a professional ski patroller in New Hampshire. She has traveled and trekked extensively on expeditions and private explorations in search of unusual places and photographs.

Nevada is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

image ©jeremy woodhouse

Nancy Rotenberg
Nancy Rotenberg is a freelance photographer/writer/educator. Her images and editorial have appeared in magazines such as Adirondack Life, Birds & Blooms, Canadian Camera, Country Gardens, National Geographic, Nature’s Best, Peterson’s Photographic and Outdoor Photographer. Nancy’s work has also been used for Hallmark, Red Oak, Reiman Publications, Renaissance and Sunrise Greeting Cards; as well as in calendars such as Inner Reflections, Nikon, Mitsubishi, Smith-Southwestern, Teldon and Willow Creek.

Nancy is the author of four books: How To Photograph Close-ups In Nature, Capturing Nature’s Intimate Landscapes and her latest books, Photography and The Creative Life, and La Luz del Pueblo – Discovering a Sense of Place in San Miguel de Allende, Luz Books, 2009

Nancy has been leading photography workshops and is a popular motivational speaker at photography conferences. In February of 2008, Nancy was chosen as a keynote speaker at The North American Nature Photographer’s Association. Nancy’s goal as instructor is to encourage other photographers to create visual statements that go beyond documentation, to photograph and connect intimately, with awareness and the capacity for appreciation.

To see more of Nancy’s work, or for more information about her other workshops go to her websites at naturaltapestries.com or Photography with Heart Workshops.

brenda tharp

Brenda Tharp
A widely published photographer and writer, Brenda wrote and produced the acclaimed book Creative Nature & Outdoor Photography, Amphoto Books, 2003. She is featured in The Best of Nature Photography, and has written many articles on creative photography for magazines and e-zines including Outdoor Photographer, Shutterbug’s Outdoor and Nature Photography, Apogee Magazine, Photo Migrations, Petersen’s, and more.

Her award-winning photographs are published internationally, in magazines, brochures, ads, and books. Clients have included Audubon, British Gas, Canon USA, Kodak, Chronicle Books, Michelin Travel Guides, National Geographic, Sierra Club, Sunset Magazine, and a variety of greeting card, calendar and paper products clients, including Pomegranate, Healthy Planet, Chromazone, Audubon, and Sierra Club.

Early in her photography career, Brenda realized she had a gift for teaching. With positive feedback from her first students, she pursued this idea and within just a few short years was teaching several weekend workshops each year, privately. Upon moving to California in 1990, she continued her teaching with Pt. Reyes Field Seminars. Soon after, she began teaching at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, Maine Photo Workshops, and with Rocky Mountain School of Photography. Since 1998, Brenda has also been conducting international photography workshops – in western Ireland, Italy, and Mexico. Brenda is currently teaching three on-line courses with Betterphoto.

Her stock photography collection is online at AGPIX.com and she is represented by Getty Images and Danita Delimont Stock Agencies.

image ©nancy rotenberg

Jeremy Woodhouse
Jeremy Woodhouse is an outdoor photographer based in McKinney, Texas. He spends much of each year on the road photographing travel images, landscapes, cityscapes and wildlife. Before moving to the United States in 1991, he lived in South Africa where he first developed his passion for wildlife and nature photography.

Jeremy worked as a freelance graphic designer in the UK, South Africa, and the US before he began living his dream of being a full-time professional stock photographer. Whether he’s photographing a herd of elephants at a waterhole in Botswana, or capturing the last light as it falls on the Tokyo skyline, Jeremy continues to bring his designer’s eye to the creation of his images.

His images have appeared in many magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Natural History, Nature’s Best, Ranger Rick, and Texas Highways, and he has received awards in photographic contests such as the Nature’s Best International Photography Awards, the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, and the PDN/National Geographic Traveler World in Focus Travel Photography Competition.

As an owner of the stock photography content development company, Blend Images, the world’s leading multi-ethnic commercial stock agency, he is now investing more of his time photographing lifestyles and people.

His work is also represented worldwide by Masterfile, Getty Images, Blend Images, Superstock, DRK Photo, and Spaces Images.

His book La Luz del Pueblo – Discovering a Sense of Place in San Miguel de Allende, Luz Books, 2009 is a collaboration with Nancy Rotenberg. It is Jeremy’s second book having also collaborated with Texas photographer Richard Reynolds in a book called Texas Impressions, Far Country Press, 2006.