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Sunday 24 January 2010

2 Black Eyes , a Swimming Pool and a Portrait in the Gents Toilet

Well this week brought quite a variety to the table…..it all started off on Monday when I was doing my usual research to sourch anything photography in Chile. Scanning through the pages of related items in the hope to find a printing company that can hit the mark on my rather anal quality standards for printing I stumbled onto a photographer, who, for his own sake will remain without name. I could not believe that this person who markets themselve as a professional wedding photographer in santiago and throughout Chile has the main photo on the website as a self portrait, taken in a mirror in a gent toilet with a line of urinals in the background. I was a little surprized to say the least as I know things are different here but who in their right mind would hire someone who portraits themselves and their business in this way?...beyond my reasoning..



Friday night I received a disturbing message from Mauricio (2nd Camera man)..While on a location shoot in Villa Alemana he was approached by 4 young men or wannabe men, they procceded to try to rob him and hit him across the right eye with a bottle which thankfully never broke. Mauricio got more than his share of marks from fighting back and a corker of a black eye as a reminder of how shooting in the streets of Chile always brings a risk. As a sign of his professionalism he managed to keep posession of all his equipment…..Ive always said…stealing a camera from a tourist and stealling a camera from a photographer are 2 completely different things…..we bite back….with big teeth!! Ha ha ha…anyway Mauricio escaped with probably more damage to his pride than anything else and he lives to tell the tale and work yesterday at the poolside parcela wedding.


Eileen and Linus had planned carefully to ensure there day was very relaxed and felt like they were a part of the day with everyone involved rather than being the stars of the show. The beautiful parcela located just outside Villa Alemana was the perfect set. With a very natural and country feel to it, everyone was so relaxed and just totally kicked back. The swimming pool added a great element to the day….In the early stages it served to keep the younger kids amused but as the pisco started to flow it became a playground for all ages. Eileen had insisted that we (the photographers) brought our swimming outfits, which we actually did and had them in the truck, but the event was buzzing and there was too much going on for us to drop the cameras so we kept on working right through..



The 2nd black eye in this unusually titled post came during the wild and funkie dancing under the tents in the garden…with a sudden change in the music everyone stepped it up a notch including one young guest to the left of the bride who, in a very fast spin proceeded to catch the bride directly on the nose with her right fist. The bride held her feet and stayed standing but only just….what a smack!...i could not believe she did not go down. Within a few minutes, even after ice and cold towels etc etc…the swelling on the bridge of her nose and the blackening of here eye began…WHAT A WEEK !



Eileen is a real sweetheart and a trooper too…she got herself fixed up…a quick retouch of the makeup and party on…Linus, you’re a lucky man !
Next week 2 weddings in V Region…..Quillota and Concon one very informal and one very formal, back to back…
Watch this space…