Well, I told you it was going to be slow, and now that I’m almost a week into the assignment to shoot this incredible city, I can say it may be slow for my blog, but for me, it’s been a whirlwind.
As I mentioned (and confirmed with my editor), I’m contractually forbidden to share the pix I’m shooting here in Buenos Aires until after National Geographic Traveler publishes the story.
BUT, I’m not forbidden from sharing a production shot or two, like the above shot, of my fixer Bernardo (a great guy and a wonderful photographer) holding my “SB 800 on a stick” to shoot the action at Salon Canning tango milonga…taken at about 2 am on a freakin’ Tuesday night!
Yes, the Portenos tango to a different drummer from this old Norte Americano. I like to go to bed at about 11pm. By midnight, I’m a pumpkin.
But this is my schedule here: Up at 9am (yes, I hear you calling me a lazy S.O.B., but just read on) Download, caption and backup until 12 noon. 12 noon to 8pm=shoot the restaurants, shops, hotels, sites, street scenes, twilight scenes, required for the story.
Eat dinner and try to lie down at about 9:30pm. Try to sleep…until midnight! Then get your old Norte Americano keester out of bed and go out at midnight….and shoot tango, jazz clubs, dance clubs etc. until 3-4am. Then go to bed for real, and start the whole cycle over again at 9am the next day.
Oh yeah, it’s a glamour profession…if you’re 19-year-old lounge lizard!
BTW, that pole Bernardo is using is a RODE mic boom. It’s not as easy to use as the paint pole that the Strobist and McNally folks have been raving about (it has, like, 5 sections) BUT, and this is a big but, it breaks down to under three feet, as opposed to just over 4 feet of the painter’s pole.
That means it will fit into normal sized rolling duffles. The 4 foot model requires oversize baggage, and that means excess size and charges, and that means less money to spend on tango shoes! I’ll keep you posted….
Ken Hoglund
9 Oct 2009Enjoy Buenos Aires. It is a beautiful city that never sleeps. If you find yourself cruising around Florida and Lavalle there is a resturant that sells Schwarmas, it’s worth looking for. Enjoy the city, I miss it there.
Bob
9 Oct 2009Hi Ken: Thanks for the advice! If I had any idea what “Schwarmas” was, I’d keep an eye out for it! cheers, Bob
Tim
9 Oct 2009Bob, I have 48 hrs. there in February. With out giving up the “Geographic” Secrets do you have any suggestions on where I should try and get to?
Bob
10 Oct 2009Tim: Too much for 48 hours, but Camineto is a hoot, and if you’re here on a Sunday, San Telmo is good. Bob
Bill Reade
9 Oct 2009you are very luck to be up at 4 am shooting gorgous ladies dance the night away. my last assingment at 4am
was shooting an old geezer roll bread dough in a 100 yr old bakery. swap assingments??? Please
Bob
10 Oct 2009Bill. I guess I shouldn’t complain. But at least you got coffee and a bun, I’m sure!
steve
9 Oct 2009We talked about this — the only two words you need to know are Lomo and Malbec. The rest is just filler.
Glad you’re enjoying BA. It’s a beautiful place.
Bob
10 Oct 2009Steve: The third word might be dexedrine, or at least massive amounts of caffeine. It’s 4am, and I’m just getting in. Started at 11am today, er, I mean yesterday! This is a lot like work….but fun work.
Fabian Gonzales
10 Oct 2009I can’t wait to see the photos in print. I’m still trying to learn how to put together a good picture story – and find it very useful to see stories from places I’ve actually been.
Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities in the world. I had a great time there on a short business trip back in 2001 (just before the crash). I wonder how much has changed since those days, and long to go back.
One of my quirkiest experiences of that trip was going out for lunch with the customer – to eat steak of course. After selecting a choice cut, I asked what sides the steak comes with – which turned out to be nothing at all. Just a big steak on an otherwise bare plate. To me that experience perfectly illustrates how important beef is in the Argentine diet.
Travel
10 Oct 2009?Enjoy Buenos Aires. sound is a taking suburb that never sleeps. If you bargain yourself trip around Florida besides Lavalle professional is a resturant that sells Schwarmas, it’s godsend looking through. appreciate the city, I mouse unfeigned qualified.
Norm Cooper
10 Oct 2009Que Barbaro! enjoy some YerbaMáte and a ChoriPan in the morning to get you going! Suerte!
Bob
10 Oct 2009Will do, Norm. Although I find the Mate to be an acquired taste! BK
Brenda Tharp
13 Oct 2009Heh, you old pumpkin! I’m not a late night person either, but my internal clock got all messed up this last trip to Bhutan. I see you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, too. Such is the life, eh? I’m anxious to see the story you did – when will it be published?? Always great to read your blog.
Bob
14 Oct 2009Hi Brenda: I think it’s February, but I’ll find out. Looking forward to getting home and getting my internal clock reset! Bob
andrew
19 Oct 2009I really liked your blog!