Hi Everyone!
A new adventure begins…in Bolivia!
Last night, we flew from Miami to La Paz, Bolivia. This city is located 13,000 ft above sea level. As soon as you get off the plane, you feel the immediate effects of the lack of oxygen! To give ourselves time to adjust properly, we decided to spend our first day sightseeing in the city of La Paz.
On this trip, I am so lucky to be accompanied by my younger sister, Lizzy, and my best friend, Mary. Even though it’s work, it’s going to be so nice to get to spend time with them.
After checking in, we headed out with our guide, Juan, to grab some lunch at the local salteñas spot. Salteñas are like empanadas – but way way better. After our snack, we went just outside of town to photograph some of the amazing rock formations that surround the valley where La Paz is located. We met the locals – a mule, nicknamed Salar.
After our adventure, we headed to the outdoor markets in downtown and went shopping for props for the upcoming photo shoot in the Salt Flats. The local females who wear the incredible traditional Bolivian outfits and the rounded tall hats are called Cholitas. It was amazing to see them selling various foods and handmade goods.
We picked up a few bright rugs and a coupe of cool hats before heading home to get ready for dinner.
Three weeks ago a world class restaurant named Guincho opened in La Paz, and we were lucky to get a reservation! The ambiance was super lower west side and the cuisine was bold and different. We tried llama, and even alpaca, among many local vegetables and sauces. It was such a fun way to end our first day.
Tomorrow we head to the Uyuni Salt Flats with a 3:45am wake up call! Can’t wait to share more!
Hope everyone had a great weekend!
Xx G
Hi Everyone,
Tomorrow morning, I am headed off to Bolivia to start a new series in the world famous Uyuni Salt Flats. This is the largest salt flat in the world, totaling over 4,000 square miles. The surreal surroundings will be used as an incredible backdrop for the shoot.
My amazing team and I will be working with locals who will help us traverse this unique terrain.I am also incredibly fortunate to get to work with the famous Bolivian artist Gaston Ugalde – he will be joining us in the Salt Flats during our final day of shooting. Check out a couple examples of his own work below.
We will be posting pictures from our travels daily, so be sure to check the blog to be kept in the loop. I am sure you will be entertained…
Lots to come!
xx -G
Hi Everyone,
This morning I really wanted to share the very soulful work of Donna J. Wan. Originally from Taiwan and now based in San Francisco, Wan is heavily concerned with how people identify with the landscape.
At the start of the series, Wan had made pictures of the natural world that had been altered by man in one way or another, ranging from subtle incursions to near annihilation. While people were at times present, the work was more concerned with the evidence of their intervention, making them there in spirit, if not actuality. As her work has evolved, Wan has now made people the very focus of her photographs, investigating how they relate to, interact with, and experience the landscape. However, Wan notes that she has intentionally photographed people from behind, in shadow, or at a scale where it is difficult to obtain a clear read of their faces. These “anti-portraits” are not about individual identities, but about how people fit into the landscapes being captured.
Inspired by 19th century romantic landscape painting, Wan works to experience the landscape vicariously, never staging her photographs or even interacting with the human subjects within her frame.
