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Mexico 2009 Part 3 - Day 1
Jul 15 2009 20:11 | 28 Comments
After the check-in, went wondering around the resort for a bit. Just to waste some time until the room was prepared. Above is the entrance to the lobby, the photo is an HDR. Don't really make them too often as it takes a while to process them and make them perfect after you have the photos in-hand. Generally speaking with all the tonemapping etc, take me maybe 2-3 minutes to go from start to finish... So thats 2-3 minutes longer then a regular photo would take me. But anyway, moving on...
Inside of the lobby, damn pretty but those chairs are a pain to sleep on. :( HDR photo.
Everything everywhere (except the restaurants) is completely open and these small ponds surround the lobbies. Off topic, but bah at the distortion caused by the wide angle lens. :p I could of course fix it, but really just can't be bothered to sit there for hours processing every single one of the images by hand.
Some plants growing directly in the water.
Some other plant.
A small bridge inside of the lobby.
All the ponds are filled with carp. If you stick your finger into the water, instantly they swim up and start chewing on it. Luckily they have no teeth.
Used the built in flash here, not the external one. Note the circular shadow in the lower right corner. That is there because the adapter tube on the LX3 partly blocks the built in flash - so when you're using the tube, either don't use flash at all, or use an external one.
Outside, it's absolutely beautiful. So much flowers everywhere.
Also some small fountains here and there. Don'd mind the artifacts on the sky, just keeping to keep the images a reasonable size. ^_^
By the way, anyone know what these plants are called?
Like a mirror.
Makes a nice wallpaper I think.
And a closeup of the plant.
Another HDR. Really love the ability to do bracketing on the LX3, comes in very handy when doing these types of things way faster then changing the exposures by hand.
Also lizards are everywhere. Really it seems like wherever you turn there is some lizard laying there. Quite impossible to get close to though since the moment you even think of taking a step towards them, they set off running.
But yay for burst - at least this way you can one or two decent shots while they're running.
Palm leaf.
Another leaf.
Another HDR. A bit hard taking them where there is a lot of foliage present as the photos don't quite match up and then you get some crazy looking parts of the photo - but generally speaking as long as you're shooting very fast you can still get away with something decent.
Some small ants running around on the bridge.
Another ant.
While on the topic of these bridges - really is quite interesting how the resort basically stands in a jungle and everything in it is connected via these bridges and other small trails.
However as pretty as the jungle is, what a pain it is to go though. So much mosquitos even during the day. :(
I love photos like this so much. They make such great wallpapers.
One of the so called "villas".
Another small lizard running away.
The beach is absolutely stunning.
Really it's like being in a postcard.
The big pool isn't too shabby either.
Some flower.
A closeup of a tree which appeared in one of the photos above.
Another very pretty flower.
A swan made out of towels. Every single day the maids created some new animal from the towels, wanna learn how to make these, looks so cool.
The view from the balcony in the room.
Back in the lobby, again a ton of plants everywhere.
Spider web on some plant, not entirely sure what its called, but I had an identical one growing in my room for the last 4-5 years or so.
First time in my life I saw bananas growing on trees. On the end of the branch(?) a huge purple flower(?).
Another lizard. Ended up accidentally focusing on the grass instead of the lizard.
Also first time I saw coconuts. Almost all of the palms at the resort were covered in them.
The umbrellas on the beach kinda look like mushrooms, don't you think?
The pool from another side. What's funny is that during the whole week there, I saw it only once maybe, and even that was at night, when I was busy hiding from the security guards who were walking around everywhere. ^_^;
Finally another small lizard. -_^ Some very amazing night photos coming in the next post!
Matthew
Jesu Christo! *clap clap*
Heferkimbo
Nice vacations!!!... so, you have cherry trees on your backyard, i have banana trees on mine... :P , and i think the plants on the first images, the ones in the ponds, are a foreign specie from south america, and actually they are very invasive and a problem, i think its called "water hyacinth" (EICHHORNIA CRASSIPES).
On a side note, usually you should be careful when cutting bananas from the tree, as i usually find scorpions (the small yellow ones, not huge black ones)... be careful!!, i bet y don't find that on a cherry tree!!.. i wish i had one. : D
julio
@Heferkimbo, i'm not sure, but those plants u said being foreighn to south america, we have loads in spain, maybe with the colonies it spread...
Heferkimbo
@julio, Hello julio, yes, the are everywhere, but the truth is, that this plants are native of the amazon. And later introduced to other countries where they became a plague, growing like crazy in lakes, dams, ponds and static water bodies.
they sure look nice in small water gardens, but outside their natural habitat they are just dangerous for local fauna and flora!.
I think they were used in World War 2 by allies to cover large water surfaces and make believe the japanese that they were landing in a field!!...
Smithy
Lovely photos! Adore the ones of the plants and flowers. ^^
How did you make the palm leaf ones? Got in real close or cropped out from larger image?
Michael Flux
@Smithy, Just close up ^_^ The less cropping the better!
Pangie
Wow, I absolutely love your photos! I've been visiting your site for sometime now, though this is my first time actually commenting! = D But that last picture.. I don't think that looks like a lizard.. I think it might be an alligator? O.O (Or maybe some sort other Family in the Order of Crocodilia?)
Michael Flux
@Pangie, Aww, you mean a 3+ meter lizard isn't considered small? :p ^_^; But welcome welcome, nice to see you commenting ^_^
chun
Gorgeous gorgeous photos! Make me wanna go there with my husband sometime :P (but gotta save up lol) you're making me so curious about your LOVE ;P!
Michael Flux
@chun, What do you mean curious? :p
chun
@Michael Flux, like curious what she looks like curious LOL
Michael Flux
@chun, Absolutely awe-mazing ^_^
chun
@Michael Flux, awwww~ haha I guess when the time is right we'll get to see her, you tease :P
Vyacheslav Kaushan
"it's like being in a postcard." - very nice!
what's address of this place?
it looks very peaceful on your photo
Jamaipanese
please excuse me for laughing at you for seeing bananas and coconuts growing on trees for the first time :D
Great photos though but that last reptile was no "small lizard"
Michael Flux
@Jamaipanese, Yeah, and in the meantime I'll be laughing at you for not seeing snow :p
And come on, he was small enough :p
Jamaipanese
@Michael Flux, oooh yea the white cold stuff -_-
yonasu
Really like the close up of the palm leaf and the leaf under that one, makes for two great wallpapers!
Michael Flux
@yonasu, heh, yeah, really gotta get around to finishing the wallpapers section of the site :p
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