PCNW Classes
Hill Towns & Ruins: The Daguerreotype and Machu Picchu with Jerry Spagnoli
Instructor: Jerry Spagnoli & Adam L. Weintraub
Level: N/A
Prerequisites: N/A
Hill towns & Ruins: The Daguerreotype and Machu Picchu
Dates: June 15-22, 2013
Instructors: Jerry Spagnoli & Adam L. Weintraub
Fee: $2,850
EXTENSION
Festival of Inti Raymi & Lake Titicaca
Dates: June 23-29, 2013
Fee: $1,550
Join Jerry Spagnoli and Adam L. Weintraub on a photographic journey through the Sacred Valley in Cuzco, Peru. Explore Machu Picchu while learning the history and process of making daguerrotypes, creating own plates throughout the trip. Private visits to the Martin Chambi Archives, the salt terraces of Maras, and festive traditional parades will provide a comprehensive insight into this ancient culture and contemporary marvel.
More details and schedule below.
Note:
B, L, D refers to the meals included in your workshop fee for that particular day. All other meals are not included. All lodging, guides, entry tickets and ground transportation are always included. Internal flights from Lima to Cusco and return from Cusco or Juliaca to Lima are not included. It is highly recommended that you arrive in Cusco at least one day prior to acclimatize to the elevation.
Friday, June 14th – Pre-Workshop dinner
Arrival in Cusco as we settle in to our accommodations, acclimatize, and relax.
Informal group dinner, Cusco and Peru information, a short history of photography and the Dag.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco
Day 1 – Sat, June 15th
Morning Daguerreotype demonstration and practice. Here you will learn the process, the history and the technique. Make your own Dag! Lunch.
Quick Cusco walk around neighborhood, the main local market and the central Plaza.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
Day 2 – Sun, June 16th
Dag Prep for afternoon adventure and practice session. This second day will be hands-on sensitizing and buffing of your plates. We will start to practice, capturing a plated-image with a 4×5 field camera as well. Those who are unfamiliar with the use of 4×5 will also be given instruction on the field camera’s use. Cusco’s ruins: Puca Pucara, Sacsayhuaman and Q’enko; private visit Martin Chambi Archives for a little historical perspective.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
Day 3 – Mon, June 17th
Daguerreotype development. More practice around our traditional Cusco neighborhood. Lunch. Daguerreotype plate prep for our trip to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
Day 4 – Tue, June 18th
Trip to the Salt Terraces of Maras; we’ll then move onward to Moray, the concentric agricultural experimentation site of the Incas. Box lunch with the mountain peaks, alpacas and locals. Afternoon light at thetown of Ollantaytambo with locals, Incan walls and famous ruins.
Overnight El Albergue, Ollantaytambo (B, L)
Day 5 – Wed, June 19th
Early morning train to Machu Picchu! We’ll leave our overnight bags at our hotel and then bus up to Machu Picchu for a private 2 hour tour in English. We will have photographic permission to work with tripods and our cameras at the Citadel. We’ll allow for free time the rest of the afternoon to capture best light at Machu Picchu.
Last bus down at approx. 5pm (be in line by 4:45pm!) and we’ll meet to eat at Indio Feliz, just up from the main Plaza, by 6:30pm.
Overnight, El Mapi, Aguas Calientes (B)
Day 6 – Thu, June 20th
This next morning, rise & shine early for the first entry to the ruins. We will have photographic permission to work with tripods and our cameras at the Citadel. On your own for the first 4 hours, we’ll reconvene for our return train to Ollantaytambo and bus to Cusco.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B)
Day 7 – Fri, June 21st
Full Day to develop and present our Dags. Jerry will show us how to construct plate-holders and presentation techniques.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
Day 8 – Sat, June 22nd
Cusco’s best festival of Huancaro and/or city parades.
We’ll round out our workshop with an afternoon Dag-review & discussion of our week’s work.
Final Group Dinner
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
June 23rd – Sunday Day of Transition, personal exploration
Flight out for those not participating in the Extension. Those that would like to have some wind-down prior to traveling to the Titicaca region may do so while others may like to wander the city of Cusco. More practice and production time in our Dag Darkroom. Lunch.
Optional excursion to Cockfights; or the local County Fair Huancaro – think award-winning pigs, guinea pigs and Alpacas; children’s amusement rides that you wouldn’t consider putting your own nephew on; and great local food and music!
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco
Extension:
Monday June 24th – Festival of Inti Raymi, Cusco
Alternative flight out for those not participating in the Extension. Inti Raymi is a festival that delivers us back to the time of the Inca’s. The shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, it is a celebration and a sacrifice to the Sun God for the coming year’s bounty. This is one of the few events on the Peru tourist circuit where the locals outnumber the tourists, picnicking and relaxing on the hillside above the ceremony in the “mouth” of the Puma (Cusco’s original design was said to be in the shape of the revered Puma and the large stones of Sacsayhuaman represented the teeth – thus, the action and traditional sacrifice occur on the field between its teeth. This is the largest re-enactment of a traditional festival in the world and one of the largest festivals outside of Carnaval in Rio in the Americas.
Most tourists buy tickets to sit in the grand stands but sitting on the side of the mountain with the locals is where it’s at. You get your choice of perspective: up close to the official action on the esplanade or living it up with the locals on the overlooking bluffs nearby.
Overnight, Tierra Viva Cusco, Cusco (B, L)
Tuesday, June 25th
We head out to the famous Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world, where legend says the first Incas were born – and the rich Colonial town of Lampa.
We’ll be leaving Cusco early AM with stops along the way in the historic village of Andahuaylillas and the mid-way point of the traditional Incan road, the Temple of Raqchi; gorgeous altiplano scenery, endless alpaca and llama herds and rustic campesino farmers en route.
Overnight in Lampa (B, L)
Wednesday, June 26th
The Circuit of the Bosque de Puyas de Tarukani and the “stone forest” of Tinajani comprise one of the most interesting elements of the Andean south. Tarukani is a forest of Puyas de Raimondi, massive prehistoric plants that grow as high as 3 meters (10 ft) and known for the thousands of small flowers they produce and pollinated
by legions of insects and hummingbirds. The Puyas flower just once every 100 years, producing an enormous spike that shoots 10 meters (30 ft.) high, after which the plant auto-combusts and dies. The Stone Forest of Tinajani is a huge extension of rock and canyon formations with secretive pre-Incan burial places. This fantastic canyon system with enormous monolithic boulder formations puts our civilization and pride in its proper place.
Overnight in Lampa (B, L)
Thursday, June 27th
Early morning light on the Altiplano and a detour to the fabulous colonial church of Lampa. Little-known Lampa has a spectacular stone Cathedral (with a labyrinth of catacombs, a unique color-tile roof, and the only existing replica of the Vatican’s La Pietá). This town is a photo opp waiting to happen – friendly locals, no tourists and us. Portraits and people are the distraction today.
Overnight in Lampa (B, L)
Friday, June 28th
We’ll move on via private boat to the historic Island of Taquile (Takile), with another very unique local indigenous population. A walk around the island, its terraces and the local herdsmen, preparing wools for their very special weavings and colors. We’ll bring our journey back to Puno via the famous floating islands of Uros, built on totora reeds in the middle of Lake Titicaca and hosts traditional descendants from over 500 years.
Overnight in Lampa (B, L)
Saturday, June 29th
Mid-day flight out from nearby Juliaca to Lima for our international departures. Optional Lima city-tour for those with later flights.
(B)
Register Now! (Members: please have your discount code ready at checkout)
