"Swoosh" Plaza de Armas, Arequipa, Peru
Photographer: Nick Amis, London, UK
Getting the shot: I was in Arequipa, Peru, and had spent the afternoon
looking around the city. My companions and I then went to the main
plaza, ordered a beer in a nearby café, and waited until the light
became golden and perfect for photography. I was taking shots of the
cathedral from the center of the plaza when someone disturbed a huge
flock of pigeons: I immediately swung my camera up (I use a Nikon D80
and, on this trip, a Tamron 17-50mm lens) and took about five shots;
this one had the best composition.
The details: Arequipa is one of the oldest cities in Peru, from both
the native inhabitants' and the settlers' perspective, and its
well-preserved old city has been named a World Heritage site. Arequipa
is also fortunate to have one of the best climates in Peru. Warm
sunny days combine with the picturesque streets to make it a treat for
photographers. The Plaza de Armas, where I took the photo, is in the
very center of the old city and even pigeon-haters (I was traveling
with one) agree that it is one of the loveliest public spaces they've
seen. The Arequipeños are immensely proud of their city and kept asking
me whether I liked it, so I'm pleased to have an opportunity to show it
off and tell people how lovely it is!
Apparently, here at IT we have a thing for pigeons. But that doesn't change the fact that this is quite a lovely shot indeed.
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Photo: Nick Amis via Flickr
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