Pyramid of the Sun

invisible · Dec 20, 2008

I travelled to Mexico City a couple of weeks ago. It was a family trip more than anything else, so didn't get many chances to shoot. My brother and I did manage to convince my dad to drive us to Teotihuacán, an amazing archeological site just 50 km outside of the city. At 5:15 pm, after 3 hours of driving (thank you very much Mexico traffic!) we got to the place... only to find out that they didn't allow entrants after 5 pm (even if the website said it was open til 6). Somehow we convinced the guards to let us in, and were able to stay for a meager 45 minutes (the place requires at least 3-4 hours to visit).

The silver lining was that most visitors had already left, so it was easy to set up shoots.

Here's what I could come up with before the guards kicked us out.

1. Pyramid of the Sun

2. Wanna go upstairs?

3. The token semi-abstract shot

4. The bike (if it looks overprocessed it's because it is

... had to shoot against the sun and I don't have a filter – glad I was shooting RAW)

5. Twilight

More info about Teotihuacán here.

Thanks for looking.

seth-trenda · Dec 20, 2008

I like the one with the bike. That's pretty cool. I have been there a couple times myself. The next time you go make sure you go to the top! It'ss an amazing view! It is worth the 2 billion steps! :0)

invisible · Dec 20, 2008

Thanks, Seth. This was actually my second time there. I did try to go to the top the first time, but I gave up halfway through (I suffer from vertigo

).

Dragonfly..shotz · Dec 23, 2008

I love the first one. Great set of pics, the bike is also a great rendition.

Mersad · Dec 23, 2008

Great set. I like 4 the most (because of the background)! But all of them are good!

Dutchboy · Dec 23, 2008

Love the location, love the pics. For #5 I would have put something closer in the foreground maybe...I have a soft spot for foreground!

jv17 · Dec 23, 2008

that is a superb pic how i wish to go there

invisible · Dec 23, 2008

Thanks for the comments, guys. I honestly thought this thread was going to go into oblivion unnoticed...

Kondro86 · Dec 23, 2008

The bike is my favorite. nice shots

DReali · Dec 23, 2008

Great shots....I'm oozing with envy. I am going to be party pooper though and say that the foreground in the bike photo looks over-processed but the sky is amazing . Did you use the shadow/highlight tool in photoshop by any chance?
If you don't mind I took the liberty of messing with it a bit in photoshop.

invisible · Dec 23, 2008

DReali said:
If you don't mind I took the liberty of messing with it a bit in photoshop.

I don't mind it at all. In fact, I love what you did there. Do you mind if I email you the RAW file for you to create a hi-res jpg with your own port-processing "recipe"?

DReali · Dec 23, 2008

No problem, however I was working of what you had posted so I'm not sure I'll be able to achieve the same effect with the RAW file. I you like I can send you the PSD file via e-mail so you can see how I did it.

EDIT: If you send me A high-res jpg or psd of the version you posted I'll redo the edit on the larger photo for you, no need t mess with the RAW file in that case. I'll send you the photoshop file so you ca see what I did.