Fiesta de la Cruz

My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

Bolivia | Sunday, October 23, 2011 | 5 photos

These images are from Fiesta de la Cruz, Marcha, Bolivia. This is an age old ritual where people from 32 local communities all come together to dance, chant and to fight in order to spill blood on the earth and appease Pacha Mama (Mother nature) to ensure a fertile crop in the upcoming year.

This was a fantastic ritual to observe and become a part of. I was lucky enough to be there in 1998 and have always wanted to use the images I shot there for something but have never had the chance. These images were shot on film on my old konica which was my work horse camera for many years.

I have always had a love of photography and travel and it has always been my dream to one day become a travel photographer. I have pursued a life in photography, doing two degrees in it but as yet it has evaded me as a career. I feel something like this would finally help to get my foot in the door and it would be such a wonderful opportunity to work alongside Jason and to learn from his expertise.