18th Aug 2007
evacuating the island, photojournalist on the run…
I am on isla holbox, a 45 minute ferry ride for a point in the north of the yucatan peninsula, 3 hours away from the nearest big city, cancun …writing from a dialup computer. I have a bride getting married today who has been told by the govt that she is to evacuate the island with friends and family. i am with my amigo, sergio photographer, and we are going to document the event as it goes… this one is going to be exciting.
The bride plans to still get married today, somewhere on our way out, be it with her family on a ferry, in a shelter, or wherever it can happen. The priest coming to the island is forbidden to be here and there are no other options except for a word that someone here knows someone on the mainland who does mayan ceremonies.
this one is going to be good… look for some updates on this one folks. today, i am a true photojournalist, photographing a wedding on the run. imagine that?
oh, did i mention there was a predicted category 5 hurricane headed this way, in 2 days???
wish us luck, por favor
mateo y sergio
***update***
this is really going to be mission mexico. our bride has a killer website, totally check it out.
mission mexico she has arranged for a private ferry off the island…amazing. there are hundreds if not thousands of locals escaping this island. our ferry will have all of the guests, and transportation to a small town, valladolid in central yucatan. there we will all have a room and a makeshift ceremony and dinner. crazy huh?
sorry for the spelling errors and such, no time to care but time to tell the world that i am having a crazy adventure.
if you want to be a destination wedding photographer, think about what you are signing up for.. this one is going to be a friggen doozy!
best,
mateo y sergio
***ANOTHER UPDATE***
i’ve completed the assignment, after hours and hours of driving and then a full evening of shooting, I was able to recommend a location for the bride and groom in Valladolid where Sol & I have stayed a few times, and they had one of the most romantic wedding receptions (they arrived dressed as bride and groom) and actually had the dinner before there ceremony, at this long elegant table with 32 table positions…. dance, cake, friends, fun, a mission completed!
photos coming soon on this one
whoah - have fun boys! Can’t wait to see pics from this one
Best of luck, Matt - stay safe.
-mcs
all the best, looking forward to read more!
Super frikking exciting! Cant wait to see what you come up with!
Be careful!
Looks like this one is gonna be an adventure… Good luck!
That’s great, can’t wait to see the pics. Have fun.
Max, Hong Kong, China.
Actually the NHC isn’t predicting Dean to arrive at the Yucatan until late Wednesday if it even gets there. Tracks that far out are not to be depended on.
wow, mission accomplished. how insane was that experience… I can promise you this, none quite like it in my entire career.
hurricane arrival in 2 days, 3 days, who CARES… I’m outta here ASAP. my return ticket cost me $1500 for a one way flight today at 4:55. CYA
mateo
Wow! Crazy times. Glad it was successful!
Wow- what a nail-bitting experience!!! Great that you made it out okay! I CAN’T WAIT to see pictures from this…I bet you shot the whole way!
yeah, this one was the most insane project imaginable for me!!! I’m on a plane in 1 hr, confirmed! YEAY
Morgan, we shot like gangbusters… from the moment we got out of bed until 1am… it was an unbelievable documentary experience that we were NOT going to miss out on! images coming soon!
mateo
C’mon guys that was YESTERDAY!!! Where are the pictures? Are you sleeping or something?
Seriously - sounds like a great trip - can’t wait for the snaps.
Thanks for sharing your adventure. I now have some ideas for the mono pod shooting of my own. Thanks for triggering my creativity!
Great idea with the camera on monopod. I tried the idea before but gave up soon after, the chief concern is that the camera doesnt seemed too stable up there and if you add a flash……….what did you guys use to secure the big camera up there?
Incredible story, and very stunning photos all the way through. Great job man, and keep up the good work.