A Visit to San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende SunsetA curved street leads to the Parroquia San Miguel just after sunset.

Years ago, I was invited to join a group of photographers from the Kansas City area on a trip to San Miguel de Allende in the mountains of central Mexico. Little did I know it would be the trip of a lifetime. Besides photographing historic San Miguel, we had some day-trips to  Guanajuato City and the historic silver mining district of Pozos.

Worshippers Enter on their Knees at Santario Atotonilco.The Santuario Atotonilco near San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico is a World Heritage Site that welcomes worshippers entering on their knees. Since moving to Colorado, I have focused most of my photography on capturing the epic western mountain landscapes around my home. The Mexico trip gave me the opportunity to re-explore my photojournalist roots by doing street photography.

The photo at left shows worshippers entering the Santuario Atontonilco, a few miles from San Miguel. How long they had been on their knees was a mystery to me since this scene unfolded and was over in a matter of a few minutes. It was apparently a common occurrence since the sister never stopped sweeping. This Sanctuary was on a list of "most endangered monuments" when we visited, due to the deteriorating condition of the frescoes covering the ceiling and walls. It's now a World Heritage Site.

The beautiful, but dark sanctuary offered its own beauty. Cleaning the Santuario AtotonilcoA sister tips up the benches in the ornate and historic Santuario Atotonilco near San Miguel de Allende in central Mexico. While the sister tipped the benches to sweep, I was able to capture the light and forms of the chapel. It was very quiet. 

The technology available in 2007, when this trip was made, was in its infancy. Many of my photos from the trip suffered from technical shortcomings, which can be overcome by today's software. Noise reduction in dark chapels as well as sharpness issues, can be corrected 18 years later. Reediting these photos has brought new life to older photos.

Lunch Among the LemonsTwo musicians entertain lunch guests at the Posada Carmina patio in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. One odd thing about this trip...we kept running into other photographers we knew. That's not something you expect 3,000 miles from home. As it turned out, the late Nancy Rotenberg was leading a workshop there at the time. I knew Nancy, having provided photo lab support to her wildflower workshops in Crested Butte over the years. National Geographic also had a group workshop in the area. There were photographers everywhere! 

Street photography is all about being present and attentive to what is going on around you. Thankfully, most of the folks on the streets where we were photographing were either used to being photo subjects or they were just friendly. The photos worked either way. I'm not sure these images could be made today. November FlowersFlowers and a pretty smile decorate a balcony in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Like I said at the start...trip of a lifetime. 

Laughing Girls of Guanajuato CityTwo girls share some laughter on the steps of the Basilica Colegiata de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato. "Laughing Girls at the Basilica" is probably my very favorite photo from the trip. I captured a single frame before they became shy. This image was from a day trip to Guanajuato City, the state capital. The entire city is a World Heritage Site, and we could have spent the entire week there without running out of subject matter. There is an overlook of the city which was truly amazing for a guy who loves panoramas. I'll have to share that one later, but the population density was incredible for a photographer living in rural Colorado.

"Teach Me to Pray" (below) runs a close second in my favorites list. It was just a quick look inside the church with great timing that led to this image. It was made with a brand new Canon G9 camera purchased just for this trip. That camera, it turned out, was absolutely lousy for its intended purpose. It was not sharp. It suffered from a lot of noise in the dark, shadow areas of the photos. 

Its only benefit was that it was small enough to fit in my pocket. We live and we learn!

Teach Me To PrayA mother and young son stop by the sanctuary in Pozos, Mexico for a time of prayers.

Thanks for letting me share this, rather long, post. Revisiting these images has been a gratifying way to relive a great trip with friends.