Kukulkan Pyramid, a photo from Yucatan, Southeast

Photographer's Note

Chichen Itza means 'at the mouth of the well of Itza'. It was built by the Mayan civilization and the city has nearly 1000 years of history. The site had great influence throughout the Yucatan area from the 10th to the 15th century. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This vast archeological site has the Kukulkan Pyramid (also known as El Castillo) which is shown here. This step pyramid is nearly 100 feet high. The Maya were great mathematicians and astronomers and built many wonderful sacred sites with precision. The pyramid is linked to the Mayan calendar and has 365 steps.

ManuMay, Cricri, boa, rychem, macondo, tyro, SnapRJW, bayno, kordinator has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ManuMay (33361) 2012-10-13 4:14

Hi Ann!

I remember well this amazing place...Surpresively there is no one on the capture...usually the is a lot of people climbing and walking around...

Perfect realization where colours and contrasts are very well captured under such hard light conditions...Excellent work!

Have a nice day...

Manu

Cricri (86535) 2012-10-13 4:24

Hi Ann
Un endroit qui me rappelle mon séjour au Mexique,
Tout bon le cadrage sur le fond bleu et blanc du ciel, le vert lumineux sur l'avant, la netteté des pierres, il est vraiment étonnant de ne voir aucune personne a cet endroit fort visiter
Belle journée
cricri

yquem46 (32323) 2012-10-13 4:28

Hi Ann
A quite nice image
Razor sharp and high definition, excellent blue sky with white clouds, perfectly framed by the branches at the top
Bravo, have a nice WE
patrick

siudzi (23959) 2012-10-13 4:34

Hi Ann,
Impressive shot of this famous place! The cloudy sky and ideal green foreground make it very attractive. Taken with perfect sharpness and light management. Bravo!

Have a nice day!
Malgorzata

cornejo (18130) 2012-10-13 4:52

Hi Ann, very good, interesting and beautiful picture of this Mayan pyramid pretty picture made with good technique and quality. Very good and interesting job perfectly done, congratulations my friend. Tfs.

Good afternoon and happy Sunday.
Best regards and best wishes.
Angel.

JanH (864) 2012-10-13 4:59

Hello Ann,
Good capture of this famous building.
Lot of sharpness and vivid colours.
Good idea to include the leaves of the tree.

Greetings, Jan

Sergiom (39336) 2012-10-13 5:37

Bonjour Ann,

Bien chanceuse de pouvoir profiter de la pyramide pour toi toute seule. C'est la carte postale parfaite pour l'endroit. L'image est bien construite et le ciel est parfait.

Bon samedi

Serge

HimalAnda (5632) 2012-10-13 6:15

Hello Ann,

The colors are very nice, the POV is good, and you managed to have nobody on the pyramid! Well done.

Stéphane

sabermonajati (7603) 2012-10-13 6:36

hi
you shot splendid frame from this ancient place.clouds exist nice background.
regard
saber

dta (51510) 2012-10-13 7:46

Hello Ann ,
A splendid view of this outstsanding Mayan pyramid . The sky is a great feature of the picture . The shrapness is excellent , too .
Regards

lousat (57724) 2012-10-13 8:53

Waaw Ann,great capture without people inside! I been there in May and were impossible to take a pic of this pyramid like your,magnificent alone buiding under a spectacular sky,i like it!Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano

boa (4313) 2012-10-13 9:01

Hi Ann,
you have already received a lot of comments,i do not what more to add. I it is a beautiful picture from a very interesting place. I like the tree branches in the foreground and your interesting note. Technically it is excellent,sharp, clear and good colors. Tfs!
Have a nice Saturday.
Boa

rychem (9264) 2012-10-13 10:32

Excellent shot, perfect composition, great point of view, compliments
Ryszard

francio64 (38188) 2012-10-13 12:24

Hi Ann,
I love this place. I hope a day I will can see.
Great POV with a beautiful sky that enriches the composition.

Very well done and thank you for sharing.
Francesco

batalay (32868) 2012-10-13 22:53

Hello Ann,

The image of the Castillo is as fresh as a warm baguette. Are you in the Yucatan Peninsula right now? You had such crisp air to photograph the imposing pyramid or Chichen Itza. On two occasions in the mid-seventies when I visited Chichen Itza they allowed visitors to climb to the top, but then a fatal accident led to the revocation of that permission.

Warm regards,

Bulent

JFS (32189) 2012-10-14 1:15

Ann, my compliments for such a perfect composition, the pyramide looks even more majestic.Light, colors and sharpness = perfect!
Cheers,
Juan

macondo (17951) 2012-10-14 1:41

Hi Ann.
The composition is supremely simple, but seems to suggest a kind of perfection, not only in the angles shown but in the proportions of the pyramid and the frame, and of course the all-important foliage hanging down. The quality of the image is excellent, and anyone can see this in the sharpness of the pyramid and the superb exposure of the clouds. The starkness of the structure devoid of all people is balanced by the soft light and shadow. This is one of those pictures that, despite its apparent simplicity, makes one think no other picture of it could add anything else of value.
Regards,
Andrew

tyro (13149) 2012-10-14 5:52

Hello Ann,

It's lovely to see that you managed to combine some relaxation and "play" with your busy academic schedule last week!

And this is a fine photograph of this iconic structure taken from a perfect angle and with a very pleasing composition. Gorgeous colours and textures of the stonework against a beautifully characterful sky and exquisite details and sharpness. I your case, you've included just the right amount of foliage at top left to frame the picture nicely!

Beautiful!

Kind Regards,

John.

P.S. Curiously enough, this place looks deserted. I had always imagined that these pyramids would have been mobbed with visitors. Were you the only one there? And are you allowed to climb up those steps or is that forbidden?

ACL1978 (5793) 2012-10-14 7:09

Beautiful capture of an amazing structure. Perfect framing with really lovely light casting shadows all over the building - including the tree branches at top adds a nice element to the frame. The sky is outstanding as well! Beautifully done.

Andrew

SnapRJW (18792) 2012-10-14 8:50

Hello Ann - Sorry to get to this so late, I have a had a really busy weekend. You've been somewhere exotic, wow, what an impressive sight. A simple presentation which shows this incredible place off so well. I like your POV which shows the symmetry of two sides really well and one can only marvel at how these people built such a structure with such precision. Gorgeous, well-managed sky makes a perfect BG to the site, but where are the tourists? The place to your self, what a treat! Warm regards Rosemary

bayno (16241) 2012-10-14 23:28

Ciao Ann,
I know Mexico and the Yucatan, a nation fascinating for the culture and its natural beauty, excellent quality to show this incredible pyramid perfectly preserved, perfect framing and beautiful colors...+
best regards,
Valter

Nicou (97811) 2012-10-15 0:51

Hello

quelle pyramide sueprbe quelle architecture et mise en valeur avec la branche dans le cadrage ce rendu sur les pierres, fantastique vue et iamge.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

macjake (39235) 2012-10-15 4:24

Hi Ann
I noticed this photo a couple days ago, and i just HAD to return to it.
for sure the BEST photo i've seen of such similar structures.
it may seem simple, but composing it with the strong base along the bottom from corner to corner, just gives it that powerful stance inside the frame.
its dominating and wants to dominate.
the clouds are a perfect secondary subject.
its a wow for me!
cheers
craig

npecanhuk (53919) 2012-10-15 6:08

Hi Ann!
Wonderful pyramid... it must be great to visit such magnificent ancient construction!!!!
Very beautiful picture!
Sharpness, exposure, colors, horizontal format, black & white borders, chosen pov and composition truly pleased me!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

DINOZOR (14776) 2012-10-15 7:15

Hello Ann,

J'ai toujours plaisir à voir des photos, même un peu carte postale, de lieux ou monumentx que je ne verrai sans doute jamais in situ.
C'est le cas ici où la présentation soignée permet d'apprécier la beauté architecturale de cette réalisation humaine sous un ciel superbe.
TFS. Cordialement.

marabu61 (3952) 2012-10-15 13:36

Hello Ann
A stunning picture with nice deep saturated colors and a beautiful light.
How did you manage to get a shot of this place so deserted?
have a good time
Daniel

dkmurphys (36857) 2012-10-15 13:59

HI Ann,
Very beautiful capture from that impressive place. I like the colors and the POV. Simple and attractive.
Have a good night.

Daniel

LOOOK13 (19022) 2012-10-16 11:59

Bonsoir Ann.
A splendid composition, very beautiful with magic colors.
Good choice for the point of view.
Best regards.

kordinator (13411) 2012-10-17 0:25

Dear Ann
Great capture of well known Kukulkan Pyramid.
Amazing architecture under impressive sky.
Amazing quality of the image.
Warm regards
Saša

mkamionka (24583) 2012-10-17 12:14

Hi Ann,
great idea to visit this world in the year which they predicted to be the end of the world.
Beautiful capture here with the sky adding so much charm. The structure is extraordinary and it really is very encouraging to make the trip.
Excellent work,
M

cebe (1139) 2012-10-17 12:48

Hi Ann,

That's a nice and sharp photo of this famous pyramid. And the sky looks so much like the Yucatan skies I remember, with these big white low clouds against the blue sky. You don't mention it your note, but I understand from your photo that climbing the pyramid is no longer allowed. That would explain why there's no one on it and nearby. (I visited Chichen Itza around Christmas 1985; of course things change!)

Best regards,
Claude

claudeD (24201) 2012-11-24 2:35

Hello Ann,

very finearchitecture shot from Mexico with a perfect framing , excellent clarity and sharpness. Very interesting fotojob.Very well done.TFS.

With regards from Luxembourg

JC

sevy (13273) 2012-12-05 1:12

Hello Ann,

Here a place I dream to visit one day: a place full of history. It should be strong to visit such place.
You were lucky to have such spotted cloudy sky, it provided a great background to the shot.

Yves.