A Photographers Guide to Chichén Itzá
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They take you to Chichen Itza, they wait for you for the three hours or so it takes to tour the ruins, and then they take you back to Cancun. You can also get there quite easily on a tour from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan, and the largest modern city in the region. They start pouring in at about 9: Crowds of people dressed in bright tropical colors, baby carriages the size of small cars, and selfie sticks!
Adding cameras to cell phones was absolute genius. There are more people taking more pictures, everywhere in the world, than at any time in history, and if they want to take pictures of themselves? Click for a larger view. Take your time, wander the whole big complex and familiarize yourself with the lay of the land, the location of the most interesting buildings and sculptures, the best camera angles. The site closes at 5: Skip breakfast if you have to, but make an effort to be first in line or close to it.
There will only be a handful of other visitors, because none of the tour buses will have arrived yet. Shoot the Castillo, the big iconic pyramid, from every angle. El Castillo at 8: No people at all! Ball courts are a common feature of the Mayan cities. Note that all the photos below can be expanded by clicking them. The ball court at Chichen Itza is the largest ever found at any pre-columbian site. The game was also played by the Aztecs, and numerous other cultures throughout Mexico and Central America. The ball court in the afternoon.
And then, to the Castillo, to take those all-important selfies. So it will be another hour, at least, before any significant crowds invade the south forty—and by that time? When you're in town or riding busses, carry your photographic gear in something that doesn't look like a camera bag — maybe in a thrift-store backpack that's showing some wear, or a non-flashy messenger bag. You can use inserts to turn almost anything into a camera bag these days.
Along with site-specific restrictions on photographic gear, there are some broader ones you'll need to keep in mind too. You'll want to do your own due diligence, but my reading of the situation is that a good camera is fine, but you should leave the lighting stands and large reflectors at home.
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Maya sites in Guatemala and Belize don't tend to have as many limits in particular, tripods are OK , although some are even more restrictive in specific places. For instance, photography is banned entirely in the on-site museums at the ruins of Tikal.
Since water isn't available for purchase at some sites, this means you'll often need to pack 4 liters of water or more per person per day when you head out in the morning. And of course, most tap water isn't safe to drink in these areas, so you'll most likely be packing bottled water. You can often get it for free at your hotel, but in any event you'll need to make water logistics part of your morning checklist.
The Seasons
I took a UV water sterilizer made for backpacking as a backup — you should consider doing likewise if you'll be visiting some of the more far-flung sites. Skype or some other VOIP software on a smartphone is a good backup to a local cellphone in a pinch if your travel phone breaks, or runs out of minutes, or you can't get a connection.
If you're like me, you'll find it impossible to have as much time at sites as you'd like — you'll want to do some homework in advance, so that you can use your time strategically. You should also try to get in decent shape before you leave on your trip, and take comfortable closed walking shoes or boots. You can easily cover 10 or more miles a day hiking around Maya sites, and sandals just won't do the job in many places few trails in archaeological sites are paved.
A trip to see Maya ruins is the trip of a lifetime, and there's even more to see than usual this year. Particularly if you live in the western hemisphere, few adventures are both as interesting and as achievable. So go have fun and take lots of pictures — you won't regret it!
A Photographer’s Guide to Chichén Itzá | Seldom Scene Photography
This temple encases or entombs a former structure called The Temple of the Chac Mool. The archeological expedition and restoration of this building was done by the Carnegie Institution of Washington from to A key member of this restoration was Earl H. Morris who published the work from this expedition in two volumes entitled Temple of the Warriors.
Laraine C Mayer is currently reading it Dec 15, And governments in what was once the Maya realm have funded a new wave of restoration projects at ruin sites. Ideas for Chac Mool by. Kindle Edition , 71 pages. The one at Chichen Itza, however, was constructed on a larger scale. Amanda added it Jan 13, Flick through, see the classic shots, and use them as a departure point for your own creations.
The Temple of the Tables is the northernmost of a series of buildings to the east of El Castillo. Unlike the tzompantli of the highlands, however, the skulls were impaled vertically rather than horizontally as at Tenochtitlan. The Osario itself, like El Castillo, is a step-pyramid temple dominating its platform, only on a smaller scale.
Like its larger neighbor, it has four sides with staircases on each side.
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There is a temple on top, but unlike El Castillo, at the center is an opening into the pyramid which leads to a natural cave 12 metres 39 ft below. Archaeologists today believe the structure was neither a tomb nor that the personages buried in it were priests. It is a round building on a large square platform.
A Photographers Guide to Chichen Itza
It gets its name from the stone spiral staircase inside. The structure, with its unusual placement on the platform and its round shape the others are rectangular, in keeping with Maya practice , is theorized to have been a proto-observatory with doors and windows aligned to astronomical events, specifically around the path of Venus as it traverses the heavens. Thank you to the many wonderful people and companies that made their work available to use in this guide. Tap the camera icon to see the photo. The two letters reference the distributor and license. Showing photos as squares rectangles up.
Photos Thank you to the many talented photographers that generously made their photos available. Photos distributed by the following: Images used under license from Shutterstock. Text Text copyright of Wikipedia editors and contributors. Maps Map data from OpenStreetMap and its contributors.
Part of a series of eBooks on photography at Maya ruins, "A Photographer's Guide to Chichén Itzá" goes far beyond the usual tour books. It's a comprehensive. Apr 23, – A photography location guide showing the best travel photography spots. The best photography locations for photographing Chichén Itzá.
Back cover image by. At a Glance Name: El Castillo, a step pyramid Culture: One of the largest Maya cities.