Shooting in Ecuador

The passion for street photography brought us directly to Ecuador, an awesome country to discover and reconnect with the Latin roots which have inspired this blog. 

This country is magic, color and tradition. If there is a place known for a strong remarkable culture and a well preserved heritage, it's Ecuador.That's why this place has tonnes of things to show off and feel proud about. 

 

 In Latin America in general the environment always feels like more spontaneous, the weather can determine a whole culture; and Ecuador itself is a good example of great climate and genuine tropical atmosphere. It's not a surprise to find people dancing or just simply eating on the street, the lifestyle here is casual and wild and you will never have excuses to don't have fun.

Market in Otavalo

Street photography is always a challenge over here! For sure you will find stunning images and shoots, but at the same time it could be intimidating, since all the eyes are on you. Going around with a huge camera is not like an usual thing you can see here, and of course you have to be aware, because unfortunately in our countries you might be affected by insecurity.

 

What really can surprise you in Ecuador is to see the typical costume to be worn in almost every Ecuadorian woman, you can hardly find this authenticity in the rest of Latin America, but here, It's pretty normal and it simply looks so beautiful and distinctive. For a fashion designer this place could be extremely inspiring...the fabrics, the tradition, the colors and all the culture can provide you a whole artistic concept to create an interesting collection.

The Ecuadorian woman's dress is the closest to the Incan costumes worn in the Andes. It consists in a white blouse, a blue skirt and a shawl is usually worn. The jewelry is very important, layers of necklaces of predominantly gold beads and red coral bracelets are the most common form of jewelry worn by the Otavalo woman. 

 

The biggest craft market in the country is located in Otavalo, a truly indigenous city. Every Saturday at the 'Plaza de los Ponchos' you will have the opportunity to look at all the stands and shops offering tonnes of different handmade products, such: wool, clothes, crafts, jewelry, carpets, wooden products  and more... It's a huge treasure for me, since almost all these things could not be even found in Europe, and outside the country it could be really expensive. Over here, you can spend just 100 dollars and get marvelous unique stuffs made by the natives.

 

One of the places we liked most from Quito (the Ecuadorian capital) Was La Ronda neighborhood. It's a long street close to the Palace of Carondelet, in the city center, it really shows all the creativity of many Ecuadorian artist which have their shops here, you can find things from the lowest prices till the most fancy products made in the country, like: chocolate, clothes, beauty products, indian crafts and all handmade!