Marie-Carmel Shoots in Tepoztlán, Morelos (Mexico)

After less than three months shooting on the East Coast of the United States, Mexico beckoned. And when Mexico beckons, one must heed the call.

Following in the footsteps of her predecessors, including such great photographers as Edward Weston, Tina Mondotti, and Paul Strand, Marie-Carmel took to the road once again, landing in the picturesque and vibrant town of Tepoztlán, Morelos (an hour southwest of Mexico City) on May 4, on the heels of the feast day of La Santa Cruz, where her parents own a tiny but comfortable house.

Marie-Carmel started of taking still lifes and architectural details.

This is the tiled shower stall, designed by the renowned ex-pat Peter Brandt, long-time resident of Tepoztlán and friend of Marie-Carmel´s dad, painter, and architect of her parents´ house.

 A detail from a Mexican talavera plate, at her home.

An evocative image of Mexican money. Is the murkiness of the photo meant to represent the dark underbelly of narco-capitalism or rather, was it an aesthetic chocie to suggest the contrast between the still darkness inside the house with glimmers of the sunlight bathing the scene outside? The artist remains mum on this issue.

In Mexico, as in Haiti and the U.S., Marie-Carmel´s fascination with glasses--both as objects and as representations of the act of seeing with mechanical assistance--remains strong.

                               #                             #                                           #

However, her focus quickly shifted to the people of this town.

Mom was an obvious first choice. Here she is at home, relaxing and having some fun with the shoot. From the domestic space, MC moved on to photographing people in the public spaces of this fascinating town.

Here, MC aptly caught the more silly, playful side of her mother, taking a meal in the markeplace of Tepoztlán.

And here, of course, is Dad

The tlacloyos de frijoles were particularly tasty.

The market and its environs proved an excellent outdoor studio for Marie-Carmel´s portraiture.

This is Columba, owner of one of the best puestos in the market. Marie-Carmel´s dad has been frequenting this stand since 1987, when Columba´s mother ran it.

Cristina is there almost every day, lending Columba a hand.

This man has also worked at Columba´s stand, and has been a familiar face in the market since at least the late 80s.

Marie-Carmel took advantage of this trip to meet with and trade techniques with some of the more renowned photographers of Tepoztlán. Here, is don Manuel, one of the towns more esteemed  photographers, whose portfolio and extensive archives document the social life of this town going back more than thee decades.

 Don Manuel, posing for his esteemed colleague.

Though the natural lighting was less than perfect, this fruit and vegetable stand, across from Columba´s food stand, drew Marie-Carmel´s attention.

Here are a few shots that she took from her high-chair perch, while eating a delicious consome de pollo con arroz at Naty´s, a restaurant on the south side of the market:

From the market, Marie-Carmel branched out into the surrounding streets.

 

This is John, a regular at Mi Café de Tepoztlán, one of many hangouts in the center of town popular with ex-pats in Tepoztlán.

Finally, one of the portraits Marie-Carmel is most pleased with from this week.

Carlos Ríos ("Charles River") is a well-known character in Tepoztlán and a long-time friend of the photographer´s dad. Carlos is originally from Los Alamos, New Mexico. Early doses of radiation sent him eastward, and then politics and other factors sent him south. Carlos´s U.S. passport includes a handwritten stamp granting him unlimited access to Venus, and that about says it all, Marie-Carmel concluded. She also liked that Carlos, like herself, is a musician. In short, they got along famously.

Weston and selected images by Tina Modotti, Brett Weston, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and Paul Strand

More Information: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31188#.UYslHkpwx2k[/url]
Copyright © artdaily.org

Weston and selected images by Tina Modotti, Brett Weston, Manuel Alvarez Bravo, and Paul Strand

More Information: http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=31188#.UYslHkpwx2k[/url]
Copyright © artdaily.org

Marie-Carmel takes to the road

For the first time in her career as a photographer, Marie-Carmel packed up her equipment, some clothes, and a few toys, and took to the road for a week. Specifically: Boston to New London (CT) to Harlem to Philadelphia to Bethesda (MD), then back to Boston, stopping in Brooklyn, New London, and Providence.

The purpose of this trip? To shoot a Bar Mitzvah, to take portraits of friends and acquaintances all along the way, and to take some travel shots as well.

What does one need for such a trip? 

A vitamin:

  a photographer's eye

opened wide:

and, of course, a driver and a trusty assistant:

 *                                                *                                                 *

The guests at the Bar Mitzvah reception were thrilled when they realized that Marie-Carmel Schafer was the surprise house photographer. Here are a few of her shots from the reception as well as the brunch the next day:

 Lisa

 Rachel

Alice

 

Heather

Heather (again)

 Amy

 Mom, Myron, and Amy

 Stephen and Lisa (laughing at a joke)

  Dad (of course)

 *                                                *                                                 *

 

No trip through New York is complete, nowadays, without a stop in the hipster center of the Northeast: Brooklyn. First stop: the home of Zach, Marie-Carmel's favorite saxofonists, bar none. Here he is, playing in the intimate setting of his living room:

Zach

While there, MC took photos of Zach's family:

 

 

Beth

 

 Arthur (front) and Noah (back)

Then, a few blocks away, a visit to the renowned painter and family friend, Margaret Leveson, whose new show at the Blue Mountain Gallery will open in just a few days.

And here's a still life with plate, orange, napkin and Margaret's husband, David:

 

And here's Will, who was visiting at the time, and who never suspected he would be photographed by Marie-Carmel--until he was!

While the vast majority of Marie-Carmel's photographs are serious studies, after a few waffles with syrup, she couldn't help but loosen up and take this one of Dad:

 *                                                *                                                 *

Her photographic duties completed, Marie-Carmel could turn her eye to documenting the long trip back to Boston, a trip through all weather and a multitude of landscapes, both in and outside of the car:

Portrait photography

Marie-Carmel, while a skillful and swift candid photographer, also devotes some time to more traditional, posed portraiture. This post will highlight photographs from some of her more recent sittings.

Here are a few in an ongoing series of photos of Dad, one of her favorite and most willing subjects:

Here's one of Mom:

And here is a dramatically framed portrait of both her parents:

She has recently begun to ask other family members—and even new acquaintances—to sit (or stand) for her.

Here's one of Grandma Alice:

Cousin Dan:

Tati Irline:

And a group portrait at a dinner party:

You may get the impression that Marie-Carmel tends toward a lighter mood in her portaiture, but this is not always the case. In these photos she elicits a more pensive mood from her subject, with the help of artificial lighting:

Her recent foray into artificial lighting was a new direction for Marie-Carmel, who until now has shot exclusively with existing light. To conclude this post, here is a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the set-up for this shoot: