Tupiza, Bolivia travel photo memories. It is very difficult to get photographs of indigenous peoples in Bolivia or Peru; they do not like to be photographed. The farmers market in this town was particularily tough to shoot.
Sometimes you can use a zoom lens and be inconspicuous, other times you just have to play it by ear, often simply catching a subject and scene by surprise, grab a quick shot and then respectfully exit the scene.
Of course if someone sees you lining up a shot, and waves you off or turns away, you do not take the photo – that’s what happens the majority of the time. For the shot above, that I love, the lady did see me but ignored me, staying in perfect pose.
By the time I took this shot I was a little on the timid side, not wanting to offend anyone. Tupiza was the first town we stayed in when we visited Bolivia in August and September of 2011 and as I walked around town with my camera I very quickly picked up the ‘we do not want to be photographed’ vibes.
Thankfully, that wasn’t everyone, and I even got a great video of the main market.
Below is a shot of playing pool at the park near the train station. During the day the tables are set-up and you can pay a small fee to play.
