Behind Closed Doors
“…confirming hotel Casa Mexilio’s authenticity and regional importance, their web site states that Serapio Baqueiro Preve died here and President Lázaro Cárdenas used the residence to negotiate business. Hosting a President is a legitimate honor worthy of posting on any web site, however, having someone keel-over in one of your rooms is quite an odd claim-to-fame for a hotel – or any property for that matter. It always seems to work like this though, no matter who the deceased was. Even a local individual of marginal celebrity becomes immortalized when dying in a location even the slightest bit more interesting than a hospital room or at home. So, did Mr. Preve do some of the great things he’s so well known for on the property or did he simply come here to die? Since it’s not specified on the web, the latter is assumed. Could Mexilio be a former hospital? Possibly my room was once the great Serapio’s. That would be most impressive indeed.”
Siesta Proper
There’s nothing to dislike about naps. A retreat from the heat and sun and the luxury to stretch-out with a mild breeze when lucky, is rejuvenating.
Unfortunately, doing anything but napping during siesta-designated times in Mérida, is a near impossibility. If hungry and really damn thirsty, as we found ourselves this mid-afternoon, there are few refuges in which to take comfort.
The lack of foresight to plan a day’s activities and provide the basics of life’s necessities with siesta in mind can be, in the least, a pesky inconvenience. Luckily for us a good Samaritan took mercy on us and prematurely opened his kitchen. We took our dessert Superiors on the rooftop terrace back at Mexilio, and relished in the almost eerie silence of a typically chaotic Mérida deep in siesta. The panorama is mesmerizing.
My Maya travel narrative: The Travel Companion from the Realm of the Maya
Dusty Masterpieces
“. . . now somewhere in the belly of the hotel, late the previous night we were led through a mad labyrinth of narrow staircases – some no more than a foot wide – wood plank bridges, multi-leveled open air spaces, secret passages covered by red tile awnings and a forest of vegetation to reach our room. I don’t expect my fuzzy memory and, evidently, poor natural night-vision to aid me in my daytime escape. Further investigation revealed a full roof-top terrace over our bedroom, complete with stone tables and a white, four-column pergola that provides a home for a pillowing, purple blooming vine. Early evidence suggests that four-legged felines outnumber people as much as three to one. The Casa Mexilio certainly looks as old as it is and probably has a catalog of stories at least as old as that. The artwork on the walls appears to be original and one can only speculate what dusty masterpieces might be occupying its dark corners. Though the doors and halls are constricting, the ceilings are high and supported by the most rustic of beams, possibly harvested by marauding conquistadors. It is colonial opulence sustained on the riches of 19th century sisal manufactures . . .”
My Maya travel narrative: The Travel Companion from the Realm of the Maya
HDR Photography: Theory of Usage
For further reading check out HDR ART ???.
The idea of combining multiple exposures of the same image to boost all light levels in a single photo is not a new concept and it has been around nearly as long as photography. However the HDR technique has really gained ground in popularity along with the digital age, and more and more enthusiasts are venturing into the algorithmic process. As the art of photography becomes more accessible to the masses the individual with a little extra cash and the coveted drive to create is limitless to become the artist they dream to be. The age old discussions of what is art and what requirements need to be possessed to be deemed and accepted as an artist only now get more heated as the technological and accessibility playing fields are further leveled among the most highly trained and most driven amateur. This is a discussion that I would be ill advised to enter in the least as my humble impression of my own categorization weighs heavily to the latter. As I too hone my skills and refine my own photographic style I’ve noticed a few trends forming in the community.
As we know HDR can yield some dramatic results and often viewers of my photos will be wowed and not truly understand what makes the photo appear so, let’s say, vibrant. The most common and intentionally rhetorical comment that’s uttered is “Oh, it’s Photoshopped.” My reply is always “Well of course it is?” The term “Photoshopped” has become an accepted member of the 21st century lexicon unfortunately synonymous with placing heads of friends on the bodies of bodybuilders and adding fantastic elements to photos to create a surreal scene with the intention of deceiving the unknowing viewer. But Photoshop is useful well beyond its surface practical joke abilities. The irony of these exchanges is that Photoshop, while always used in processing my photos, is not the tool that creates the pop in HDR photos.
But recently I’ve noticed more folks are at least aware of HDR and ask “Oh, is that HDR?” Interestingly, unlike the Photoshopped response I used to get, I was kind of surprised that I’ve had trouble answering that question. Many think HDR simply requires tossing multiple exposures into to a program, clicking a button and having a beautifully optimized HDR photo spit out the other end. This is far from reality. Over the last year or so I’ve developed my own process for post-processing photos which utilizes a number of programs and treatments all depending on the requirements of each individual photo. An HDR program is just another “tool” I often use to obtain the final result I’m looking to achieve. Never will one of my photos be a raw HDR product. When I use HDR, I always mix and mask the HDR generated with one or all of the original exposures in Photoshop. After using any number of other tools such as noise reduction, sharpening, color correction, and exposure adjustment the final photo will only contain a fraction of the HDR produced by the HDR program. Of course, depending on the specific photo, a shot could be 80% HDR or 10%.
And this is true for all of our favorite “HDR photographers.” No great HDR was produced solely using the raw HDR photo generated by an HDR program. They too have all been mixed with the original exposures. Everyone’s favorite HDR photographer, Trey Ratcliff, states that roughly 3/4 of his photos are HDR (though the source now escapes me). Really? Which one’s aren’t HDR? My guess is that none of his photos are 100% HDR. Every photographer has their own unique style and process to achieve their desired results. So now when someone asks if a particular photo of mine is HDR I reply with an estimated percentage. Mostly this unexpected answer produces a reaction of confusion and sometimes annoyance but is much more accurate than a simple yes or no.
Below is an example of a 3 exposure HDR. First are the three exposures over the rooftops of Merida, Yucatan from the Casa Mexilio.
This next photo is what Photomatix spit out after meticulous tone mapping.
And finally the final HDR after mixing with the original exposures.
Here is another example of an HDR made from a single RAW photo in Izamal, Yucatan. The first one is the original exposure.
This next one is the tone mapped HDR generated from the single RAW above.
And finally the final HDR blending the original RAW and tone mapped HDR.
Bathed in Champagne
After about two and a half hours in mid-evening, not a soul crossed my path and the silence was only broken by the faint hum of a distant car and the occasional moaning meow of the mansion’s only other residents. The well-worn woods, plush upholstery with its sagging springs, the fading and sinking walls supporting the rich beams of centuries past were all bathed in a warm champagne glow. Though very peaceful, I began to wonder why no one was in the Spanish colonial boutique hotel, Casa Mexilio in Merida. I never would figure out the answer and I never will. I suppose I’ll just appreciate the private residence we experienced.
As for the photo, this is a 3 exposure HDR though only with the lightest treatment. The original exposures didn’t need much help.
Tiled Sitting Room
This photo is a kind of adjunct to the previous post Bridge to a Room. This is a morning view of a sitting room in the Casa Mexilio hotel in Merida, Mexico. It really isn’t as grimy as it looks in this photo. It’s actually quite splendid. But after I applied a light HDR treatment to it I tried to bring out the true antique qualities that it so proudly possesses. I’m sure that all of the objects in this room are priceless artifacts acquired by marauding Conquistadors but I’d never be able to identify them. However, I do appreciate the bright and intricately tiled floors. Very Spanish, very European and dazzling.
Bridge to a Room
The hotel Casa Mexilio is a great way to experience the colonial opulence of Mérida. In the past, I’ve always viewed accommodation as a cheap means of sleeping in a great location. The better the location the higher the price and, therefore, the least amount of charm. Well in the Yucatán it was quite different. Maybe as I mature I’m able to afford a little more than I used to. That combined with relatively inexpensive sleeping options affords me the ability make hotels just as integral a cog in the Mexico experience. Casa Mexilio is a restored mansion likely built on the riches of sisal production. I suspect that these beautiful properties aren’t rare with this city’s wealthy past but they do boast to have hosted the Mexican President in the 1930s and important reform talks for the Yucatán. So maybe it is a bit of a special place.
This 3 exposure HDR is of a second floor wooden bridge that crosses the beautiful gardens and swimming pool. On the other side is our room with its glowing light, wrought iron balcony and full roof-top terrace. I’ve apparently graduated from bug infested European hostels.
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