FotoClub Cuenca members (plus random birthday group that walked through, sitting down front). I’m in the blue jacket just below standing group on the (photo) right.

I showed up at the FotoClub Cuenca meeting tonight, expecting to try out a couple of my photographs on the group, only to find most people standing around with cameras in hand, or on tripods.  I walked over to Alianza (a club Board member who speaks fluent English) and asked what was going on. It seems there was an email sent out (that I did not get), and it was posted on Facebook (which I almost never read), that we were going to do a nighttime photo walk this week.

I have avoided doing any serious night photography so far, both because of my aching ankle (which I broke 4 months ago in 3 places), and concern about hauling around a lot of expensive equipment at night — in any town, not just in Cuenca. Here was a chance to go out with other photographers, giving safety in numbers.  I quickly walked back home, gathered up my camera and tripod and returned to the restaurant where the club meets.  Fortunately the restaurant is only about four blocks away, and things in Ecuador never start on time… ☺

My first serious test of my new tilt-shift lens on Iglesia Todos Santos

First stop was at Inglesia Todos Santos, a well lit decorative church half a block from the meeting restaurant.  This was an excellent chance to try out my new tilt-shift lens, which I bought just before coming here.  As with most buildings in Cuenca, the church is right up against the street.  Being a tall building with almost no frontage means that a very wide angle lens is needed to capture it at all. Using a traditional wide angle rsults in an image where the building will appear to be falling backwards, with strongly slanted vertical lines. A tilt-shift lens helps reduce that problem, but it is a very tricky lens to learn how to use.  Tonight gave me my first real street test.  I clearly need more practice with this monster, but the initial results were hopeful.

Restaurant Santorino is a new place we liked when we went there last week.  Its colorful entryway made it an interesting photo subject.

Several Middle Eastern food vendors make schwarmi from chicken cooked on sidewalk burners.  I tried my first one tonight as a snack — it was delicious!