Join Aper Tours for this fantastic opportunity to explore the excitement and wonder of this most lively and happy festival. The Virgin of Guadalupe worshiped and venerated by the vast majority of Mexicans is the most important and loved Santa of the indigenous and campesinos of Mexico. The festival of the Virgin de Guadalupe is a lively, colorful and photographic festival in San Cristóbal, with parades, nighttime vigils, food and game booths and general merriment. The Iglesia de Guadalupe is considered one of the most beautiful and sacred churches in all of southern Mexico, resting high on Tepeyac hill, with panoramic views of San Cristóbal where we will center many of our activities for this course. People from all over Chiapas and southern Mexico will run to San Cristóbal arriving on December 12 to pay homage to the Virgin. Young and old will enter San Cristóbal wearing the traditional clothing of Juan Diego, who had a vision of the virgin in 1531 on Tepeyac Hill outside of Mexico City. Their uniform is a headscarf, white shirt and long white ants; others will wear a painting of the virgin on their chest or back. Some of the runners are barefoot as Juan Diego was a poor farmer who did not own shoes. The leader of the runners will be carrying a lighted torch, thus the name of the runners “antorchas. The torch has two significant meanings, one as a way to light the path while the runners pass throughout the nights and two as a memory of their homes and as a method of sharing with the Virgin their love and the respect and devotion of those in the communities who could not be a part of the blessings to the Virgin de Guadalupe on her feast day.”
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The photographic opportunities during this festival are grand, with
color and black and white film being ideal to capture the passion, the joy, the traditional dress of the indigenous people and the colors of the festival. One will have ample occasion to practice shooting under a variety of conditions. We will work hard in the darkroom to produce a show of our images to display on the church wall in Barrio de Cerrillo to share with San Cristóbal our work during the week.
Faculty Information:
Cisco began focusing on art photography in 1978 when, one late and hazy night in his studio, he accidentally discovered the technique now known as Polaroid Transfer. Cisco subsequently explored this new realm with grants from The Polaroid Corporation. His work from this period now hangs in The San Francisco Museum of Contemporary Art, The New Orleans Museum of Art, and the Polaroid National and International Collections.
His love of teaching dates from 1978, when he began instructing at UCLA. In 1985, he started the photo department at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Cisco's teaching method, in his own words, "centers on finding out where the student's skills are most fragile, and gently but firmly exploring those areas until, with practice and support, those weaknesses transform into strengths."
Other Activities:
Aper Tours offers the unique opportunity to explore the most beautiful state in Mexico and improve your skills as a photographer at the same time. Each weeklong class covers skills from composition and shooting to developing and printing. Aper Tour students freely explore the unparalleled beauty of Chiapas. Rather than stay in one place, classes happen anywhere within a hundred mile radius of the home base in San Cristóbal de las Casas. Mountains, lakes, lowlands and coastal regions are all within reach of day or overnight trips. "I can honestly say my students don't walk away disappointed with the experience. It is my intention to provide something that exceeds anyone's expectations.
Facility Information:
Classes run from Saturday to Sunday. We specialize in individuals and smaller class sizes to provide you with the intimacy of personal instruction and supervision. Thus we limit class sizes to no more than 8 students. Courses are held out of doors and feature field trips to suit the needs of each group. Black and white film will be developed for discussion with the teacher and class. You will have access to the darkroom (black and white only; up to 8" x 10" negs.). Chemicals are free. Film and paper are not and must be brought with you. For your camera, a 35mm with interchangeable lenses affords you the best opportunity to learn. Please feel free to bring previous materials for critique. Keeping a journal is highly recommend. Use it for notes, feelings, Polaroid's and to illustrate and expand on a photographic idea.
Notes:
Included in course cost: Instruction by Cisco, full time access to complete black and white darkroom with chemicals on premises of school, breakfast.
Not included in course cost: Accomodations, lunch, dinners, film and photographic paper, personal expenses such as laundry and phone calls, transportation to and from San Cristóbal , insurance of any kind (Traveler's insurance is strongly recommended), alcoholic beverages and bottled water.
Also see Vacation Schools in:
North America
Mexico
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