The Mentor Series Photo Trek in Mexico was one of the most educational and fun trips I have experienced. I had been looking for a photography trip to go on for over a year, and when I realized the Mexico trip coincided with a business trip I had, it couldn't have been more perfect. I was scared that I wouldn't fit in with the other participants, so I enticed one of my best friends to join me on the trip. Also, the first day was my birthday, so it was like a mini-birthday present to me!
The opening night meet-and-great was fun and interesting. Erica Johnson was our representative and Lori Stoll was our mentor. She showed us a slide show portfolio of her work and then we discussed some photography techniques and the schedule for the rest of the week. Since we were staying at an all-inclusive resort, a few of the Trekkers discussed meeting at the pool after dinner. That was an extremely fun thing, to get to meet people from all over the country, and a few from outside of the country. We got to talk about cameras and photography and all that geeky stuff that family and friends don't want to talk about.
We got to photograph some of the most famous Mayan ruins near Cancun: Tulum, Chichen Itza, and Coba. We were able to go to an activity-packed eco park, and a Mexican cultural park. Also, we stopped at a roadside market, a cenote, and most special of all, an actual Mexican cemetery in a small village, where we were able to photograph the final resting places of their last generation. Once the local children saw the big bus in their neighborhood, they came running around us and we were able to photograph their next generation.
On Sunday morning, we awoke early for a sunrise shoot at the beach with Lori and Erica. Even though we were up late the night before going through all of the thousands of photos we took for the final review, most everyone showed up. Each review was enjoyable... to see everyone's photos, and to see how people saw the same site with a different eye. Every one of the Trekkers was smart, nice, and cooperative in every aspect of the workshop. Everyone was extremely patient, giving and warm. It was a great experience. I can't wait to go on another trek.
Lisa Marie Cirincione
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