A beggar sits in front of a representation of the holy trinity in church grounds, Copacabana, Bolivia. Canon 5D Mark II camera and Sigma 50mm f1.4 EX DG HSM lens. Exposure Details: 1/320 second @ f6.3 ISO 1000.
I arrived in Copacabana to discover yet another multi-day fiesta was about to begin. This time on a scale far larger than anything I’d experienced in the small villages of Sorata and San Pedro. Though here I had a day to explore town and the shores of Lake Titicaca before events kicked off. I took this picture in front of the Basilica in front of the main plaza in town. I felt the scene presented the powerful contrast between the wealth and grandeur of the Catholic Church and the poverty found in so many parts of Latin America. The scene is backlight by a quite strong early afternoon light, but filled in with reflected light from the much larger Basilica that is out of the frame to the left. These conditions gave the scene a kind of lightness (in terms of weight) despite the heavy pillars and crosses towering over the humble beggar asking for loose change.
Looking at this stage like Bolivian Fiesta month might have to run in December, will keep you posted.
Cam.
