The master of word invention was Lewis Carroll whose works are liberally scattered with these portmanteau words, that is, words that combine two different words to make something new.
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Irving Penn defined a good photograph as, 'one that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it'. If I can do even one of those three things with an image, I’m satisfied!
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When Columbus arrived in Central and South America, to be followed by the Spanish conquistadors and other Europeans, they found a land rich in gold. But it wasn’t especially valued for its rarity or as a means of payment by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Instead it held profound spiritual significance.
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None of us knows what is around the corner. And as time passes, the pressure to do all that we want to before old age (or worse!) prevents us from doing so grows. For those of us who love travelling that can mean a sense of urgency, trying to fit in all the countries we most want to see.
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You won’t have to walk far in Cartagena’s old town before spotting one or more of these colourfully dressed women. They stand on street corners, bowls of tropical fruit ready to balance on their heads for any tourist willing to tip them a dollar or two. And most visitors will feel it is worth that tip to get a photo of such an iconic sight.
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Some people’s idea of holiday bliss is to stretch out on a lounger on a beach, soak up some rays or enjoy the shade of an umbrella while maybe reading and sipping a cold drink. That’s great, but it’s not for me. I can’t take hot sun and although I love a good read I prefer to spend my precious holiday time exploring new places and taking photos. I’d much prefer to absorb the local culture rather than the sun’s rays, and I’ll take my cold drink in a café with a view please.
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Like many photographers I have a fascination with doors in general and the details of doors in particular. And as soon as I started to explore Cartagena I realised what a wealth of such subject matter it would provide! The streets of its old town are lined with handsome buildings from the Spanish colonial era, most of them with equally handsome front doors.
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Four indigenous groups consider Tayrona National Park part of their ancestral territory. The park management acknowledges this, saying that ‘the sacred sights within must be protected and respected as part of the cultural heritage’.
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Just as humans (sadly) use knives and swords for attack and defence, so too do animals and plants. Whether it’s a thorn or spike to ward off predators, or a sharp tooth to attack their prey, there is always a point to sharpness in nature.
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You may be tired by now of me saying that Colombia is colourful, but hopefully not of seeing the evidence. Many of its small towns are as imbued with colour as the cities; indeed maybe more so as they don’t spill out into more drab commercial and industrial areas. Passing through even the smallest village I would spot murals on local bars, bright doors and windows on the houses.
