BETWEEN THE THREE VOLCANOES

BETWEEN THE THREE VOLCANOES is a collection of monochrome photographs made in the streets of La Antigua, Guatemala. Made during the free hours I had while teaching at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, these photographs depict what I saw walking La Antigua’s cobblestone streets, and during the annual fiesta of Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala. La Antigua is surrounded by three volcanoes; Acatenango, Volcán de Agua and the Volcán de Fuego.

Most of the photographs were made used a Leica M9 and a Voigtlander 40mm lens, and a few with a Fuji X Pro-1 and a Fujinon 28mm lens. All photographs are © 2014 Tewfic El-Sawy. All text and images appearing on this web site are protected by United States and international copyright laws.

Traditional Mayan weavers sell their products in the streets.. They usually live in neighboring small villages, and face competition from shops around Parque Central.

Models during a photo shoot at the Parque Central.

The colonnades framing the Parque Central are lively and popular, with shoppers, tourists and lovers.

Guatemalans are known as ‘Hombres de Maiz” which refers to the Maya Indians’ belief that their flesh was made of corn.

Hide and Seek is a favorite game for children around the Parque Central.

A favorite with Guatemalans, most carts sell a sugary vanilla ice cream on a cone, topped with strawberry syrup.

Not all Mayans sell weavings and handicrafts. Some sell sweets and trinkets to locals.

Mayan clothing dates back thousands of years, and is an important link between the pre-Colombian past and present day for the Maya.

The belt loom is the most common traditional Mayan way of weaving cloth. The Ikat dyeing technique is used by the Mayans; a technique also used in Indonesia and other Asian countries.

According to the World Bank, approximately 75 percent of the population of Guatemala is estimated to live below the poverty line.

July 25th is La Antigua’s patron saint’s day, St. James or Santiago Apostol. The city was founded as Santiago de Guatemala.

The Fiesta de Santiago is celebrated all over La Antigua, with local businesses going the extra mile to attract customers.

The statue of San Santiago is carried on people’s shoulders during a two hour-long procession.

School bands take part in the procession of San Santiago which starts in the Parque Central.

Lay people, who consider it a privilege, carry the heavy wooden platform with the statue of San Santiago.

A young girl carrying a heavy cross leads the procession through the streets of La Antigua.

The young girl also helps carry the wooden platform with the statue of San Santiago.

A participant in the parade during the Fiesta of San Santiago in La Antigua. The guitar was only a prop.

Local beauties take part in the annual event of the Fiesta of San Santiago.

Cheerleaders taking part in the parade of the fiesta of San Santiago.

Flirting and fun are all part and parcel of the fiesta of San Santiago.

Folkloric dances accompanied by local marimba bands are popular during the fiesta of San Santiago.

Local beauties with parasols wait for their turn to walk in the parade.