al_teran Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Will be going there in March and want to come back with good photos, some I may want to enlarge as big as 20x30. I'm willing to take a few hundred to cull into 20 or so to enlarge. I'll be using film, Maxxum 7000 and Maxxum 5. B&W Kodak 400 cn and color, Fuji HQ 200 and Reala 100. C. polarizer. 50 mm prime, 18- 35, 35-80, 80-200 lenses. Lightweight combination mono/tripod. "TrekPod" I do not care to carry my heavy Bogen tripod. I'm a little more than a beginning photographer but not much. Any advice on what to shoot, where to shoot, how to shoot, that might be helpful? Thanks Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j.martin___ Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 I was in Bolivia for four weeks about four years ago. In addition to the places you mentioned, I also went to Sucre, Tupiza, Copacabana and Isla del Sol. I travel fairly light, don't do wildlife, and just took a Mamiya 7 with 3 lenses and a Contax T3. I did take a tripod, which I should have used more. I took Reala both in 35mm and 220mm formats, and used 400 ISO Agfa films, primarily because at the time the Canadian dollar was the pits and Agfa was cheap in Canada. I ran out of 35mm in Bolivia and bought Kodak Gold 100 there. I am not familiar with HQ 200. I would choose Kodak 400 UC as a faster film. I don't think that 200 will give you the speed boost you need when you need it, and 400 UC is a very good film. Fuji NPH is also very good. You can see some of my pix at: http://www.pbase.com/zuiko40/bolivia For travel advice, you should check the South America branch of Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree. I don't know the conditions on the Salar in March. Is there water cover; could make for some amazing reflections and some tough travel if there is. When I was there, there was a good place to get film developed in La Paz. It was called Agfa, so I suppose it was probably owned by the local distributor. It was a chain, and the one I used was a large store across from a church (San Francisco) I don't know what changes there may have been given Agfa's collapse. For the Salar, metering will be tricky. Use a grey card or spot metering if possible. Bolivia is amazing and you should come back with some good pictures.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 Your gear seems a tad too much for Machu Picchu, especially if you are hiking any part of the Inka Trail to get there. If you're going the tourist route (by train then bus), you'll be ok, although you still have a lot of overlap in lenses and FWIW too much weight. For grandeur - your sharpest wide angle lens is your best friend. If you're one of the special ones who has a permit to photograph sunrise at Machu Picchu, you'll want good steady support and long lens - 4 minutes max to nail the shadows & light, colors, etc.. You might also consider taking a graduated ND filter. Don't forget to take time to shoot in Aguas Calientes as well. There is a rainforest surrounding the Inkaterra Hotel at the end of the train tracks , which has hundreds of hummingbirds (over 30 species) feeding throughout the day, and an internation recognition for their extensive orchid garden with over 300 species (tours throughout the day). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_bay Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 <p> If the 80-200 is an f2/8 it might be a little heavy for the Inka trail but not unmanageable if you are in good shape. When I went I took a 12-24, 24-85, 55-200 (small lens), portable hard drive, tripod, and a small film P&S. The most important thing is to remember to allow yourself enough time to acclimatize to the higher altitude, especially if you hike the trail. I only used the tripod once or twice on the trail and I could have left it behind easily. <p> When I went to Machu Picchu there was no need to obtain a permit to photograph sunrise. In fact, since Machu Picchu is surrounded by mountains, the sun doesn't actually hit the city until well after dawn. I took the first bus up from aguas calientes but ended up waiting quite some time before the sun cleared the surrounding mountains. <p> <a href="http://www.bayimages.net/peru/machu-picchu/">photos of machu picchu</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_teran Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Thank you all for the great information. You are very kind to help and what fantastic pictures you have posted. I am wondering about getting to the spot that overlooks Machu Picchu. I'm told it is quite a hike up a stone path or stairway. I'm in better than average shape but no super athlete. For instance I can cross country ski for hours at a time with only a rest stop every 20 minutes or so. Is it likely I will be able to get up there ok without starting at 3 AM? :) Any idea how long I should plan it will take me? I'll be staying in Aqua Calientes overnight. Can I assume the people at the hotel and the site are accustomed to photographers wanting to get up there by sunrise? I made a mistake on the one lens. It is not 80-200, its 75-300 Thanks again, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Foolish me...my comment on sunrise was for Peruvian winter (June), when you need to get there by 4-5am and the park gates haven't officially open ed - you do need spec. permit. The reason for Agua Calientes' existence is to support the tourist flow to MP, so they are very much used to accommodating everybody's needs. The climb up Huana Picchu (the peak shown in the classic shot of MP) is "challenging", at one point when I went it entailed about 50 feet on a rope ladder...great view. The other one you should consider is a shot from the entrance gate (called the Sun Gate) at the end of the Inka Trail...about 20-30 minutes walk uphill. This was believed to be the guardpost to the entrance...hard to see from MP itself...but gives an impressive perspective of the whole area looking down on MP(and a good resting spot on the trail itself...marking the apex of a 20 story stone step climb from the jungle trail. Enjoy the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_teran Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 50 feet on a rope ladder?! Yikes!! That will be the point I stop and take my pictures. :) Thanks!, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 No, no....(you're still on the backside of the peak). It is sort of like scrambling up a net watching everybody's touches swaying above you. As far as general walking....lots of water (not caffeinated drinks), go slowly...you won't have acclimated as much as those from the region...although your blood is thinner at that altitude, so you'll feel pretty good. If you get altitude sickness, have a cup of the coca tea (yes it's legal). If the weather treats you nice, you'll love it. If you arrive early the llama & alpaca herds will provide outstanding backdrops for photos, after crowds arrive they thin out to seek food. Attached foto is the Inca Trail about 21/2 hrs from MP.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_teran Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Very nice photo, I hope I will come home with some similar ones. Are the 2 peaks, Sun Gate and Hunana Picchu at opposite sides of the ruins? How are they oriented to the sun? In other words which one would I want to be at at sunrise and which at sunset? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.philwinterphotography. Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 I hope you enjoy MP. If you can stay at the lodge in MP, you'll avoid the hassle of the buses from Aguas Calientes. Plus, you'll be there when most everyone else is not. The accompanying image was shot late in the afternoon, and is made up of three exposures stitched together, They were shot hand held, as I did not take a tripod. This was shot from the east(?) side late in the afternoon, from the top terrace. The end of the Inca trail is somewhere behind, but we didn't go up there. Getting up there was an effort at 9000 feet, so minimize the gear your carry. I wish I had a light travel tripod for that one - I do now. Aguas Caliente is a tourist town, but fun to shoot in. Lots of colors. Take the short hike to the springs for some different shots. Enjoy yourself! Phil<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_teran Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Phil, is that taken from the sungate? And could you tell me if you did anything special when taking it to enable it to be stitched together more easily or seamlessly? Thanks, Al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john carter Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 My advice is take a lot of pictures. I took 500 there and when I got home I wished I had taken more. You can see some on my photopage. http://www.photo.net/photodb/presentation.tcl?presentation_id=302999 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Al - the stitched photo is not from Sungate. If you assume the spot of the photographer, faced the photo, and then extend your right arm about four or five times its length and about another 30 degrees elevation, that will approximate where Sungate is relative to the main ruins. BTW all the terms of places are sort of imaginary....Machu Picchu is named after Machu Picchu Mountain, where the ruins are located. Nobody knows what the Incas called this place, as they did not have a written language, and the site was never known to the Spanish conquistadores. Even its "finder", Hiram Bingham believed it to be another location whose name had been recorded by the Spanish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 This is a shot from Inti Punku (Sun Gate) around 3pm looking toward Machu Picchu. As you can see it is around a 1000 foot descent to get to the main part.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_teran Posted February 4, 2006 Author Share Posted February 4, 2006 So is the photo Phil took from a named spot? I like the perspective and would like to take one from that same place. It appears to be taken just across from the other side of the the peak from sungate, is that correct? I suppose I can figure this all out when I get there but it is always handy to have some palnning done ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Answer is yes. You should really get a travel guide ... most of them have a map of Machu Picchu, some to scale. Even with a map, the scale sort of overwhelms in real life. Just be prepared to do a lot of up and down walking. Another thought, get a guide or pay to join a group. You will learn a lot more valuable info that way. Like in France, Italy, Greece, etc. it is inappropriate to tag along with a group you haven't paid for to hear their guide...in some places it is illegal and you subject yourself to public humiliation. I mention that because my guide, besides being extremely well informed on a variety of topics, had studied the original Machu Picchu documents, photos, etc. of Hiram Bingham at Yale University. In addition to hiking with him for 10 days, we spent two days at MP with him. If you get a chance, visit some of the major other ruins in the Sacred Valley, esp. Ollentaytambo, to understand their historical relationship to MP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Waller Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Whatever you do - make sure that the tripod you end up carrying doesn't damage anything in the ruins. There was a story in the papers about a month ago describing how a photographer (actually if I recall it had to do with the filming of a commercial and the guy was using video not film) was sentenced to a long stretch in jail for chipping a rock or something. The folks down there take their historic sites seriously and I cannot disagree with their zeal to protect their treasure. I did a fast search and it was indeed during a filming of a commercial; certainly seems like the damage done was greater than would happen as the result of a tripod mishap - but be careful nontheless. I would not want to spend time in a Peruvian (or anyone else's) jail. Be forewarned. look here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/12/ap/world/mainD8DQLLH00.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_bay Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 <p>The photo that Phil took is from the hills above just above Machu Picchu. You really can't miss it. Just look for a house with a thatched roof and head toward that. <p>Regarding tripod use -- I'm sure that it's allowed within the ruins of machu picchu. They have guards there to make sure people don't damage the ruins. The issue is probably more to do with masses of people traveling through rather than damage from the tripod. <p>It's really sad to hear about the accident. The rock that was damaged is called the<a href="http://bayimages.net/peru/machu-picchu/i10095.html">Intihuatana</a> and it means hitching post of the sun. It's carved as a single piece and during winter solstice (and only on this date) it casts a triangular beam of light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen_bay Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Sorry. It should read "not sure". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_rosario Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 The main problem is the altitude. The light can be very bright and harsh. I recommend shooting in the morning and evening as the mid day light is flat. When exposing for the foreground a polarizer will render the skies nearly black and since the sun is overhead the greatest effect is at the horizon. The light also exceeds the latitude of film and so a fill flash for people shots is recommended. The other effect of the altitude is on you. Trim the weight to a minimum or you won't be feeling like photography at all. Also you'll make a good target for theives if you have a bunch of stuff to defend. Slow film is good but bring some faster film if you'll be shooting in the markets or down at Macchu Picchu in the trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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