I have decided that I am a horrible tourist. I have not really gone to see touristy things. I mean walking around inside a museum is great and informative and all, but really, I’m bored as hell after like 5 minutes.
And I love old building and churches, but to photograph them just makes me feel kinda bland. I want to do some really cool style ones around Medellin (I have a plan people), but most of the time, I just cant get into it enough to get a photo that doesn’t look exactly like every other photo of said old church/building….and honestly, it doesn’t excite me too much. There’s no movement, no crazy drunken party carnival thingys. It’s just a building. It just kind of stays there. Yea.
I like people. I like crazy events. I LOVE MUSIC. Seriously all I’ve been doing is running around South America photographing music; mainly rock bands. Like this:
(Juanita Dientes Verdes @ ALTAVOZ Festival 2011 in Medellin, Colombia. (band from Medellin, Colombia) Guitarra = David Serna. Naked dude in the back is vocalist Guido Isaza.)
And this:
(DIR EN GREY – Japanese metal-weird-as-shit-awesome band playing in Santiago, Chile at Teatro Caupolican 2011. This is guitarist Die. )
And making hi-speed, still-photo videos of concerts….(well, ok, I’ve only done it once, the band is DESCOMUNAL and they are from Quito, Ecuador and fucking rock!…I want to do more of these!)
Oh, and going to band rehearsals like this:
(MAL ROJO at rehearsal. from Quito, Ecuador. Guitarra = Sebastian Ortiz, Bajo (bass) = German Mora, Batería (drums) =Andres Jaramillo . The singer Andres Espinosa, wasn’t there this day)
And seeing festivals like this:
(NEUS – from Medellin, Colombia. Playing at the ALTAVOZ Festival in Medellin, Colombia 2011.)
Yes people, I have pretty much thrown out a lot of traveling to do exactly what I do in the states….hang out and photograph rock shows. Its kinda my thing. It makes me happy. I think I’m pretty good at it. (Ok, I hope I’m pretty good at it, cause I love to do it).
So I’m trying to travel and see SOME touristy things (mostly street markets and food markets…I love to cook). But to go to museums and walk around old buildings (unless they are like REALLY old, and decrepit…I love breaking into old warehouse or falling down building and photographing urban decay stuff too…) is just mostly boring for me.
And I just haven’t done it in South America yet cause I’ve been busy. Like really busy. Busy with things like this :
(At rehearsal for UNOS VAGABUNDOS in Medellin, Colombia)
So yea, I am a horrible tourist. But I get to hang out at rock shows. And go to band rehearsals. And go out drinking with my friends. I’m not a typical tourist…but I think I get to do some pretty cool shit.
Sorry if you thought you were actually going to learn something about South America. Well you kinda have, they have CRAZY awesome hardcore/metal/punk…everything music down here that the rest of the world need to pick up on!
CHEERS!
(and I promise, I’ll do some actual travel blogging again soon. As soon as I have time. And stop running around photographing rock bands)
About Dani Blanchette
