Photo: Tulum Beach in Mexico
Back in 2016, we went on a cruise to Mexico, and one of the great places that we visited was at the beach at the Mayan ruins of Tulum in Quintana Roo on the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico.
While looking through the photos that I took during that day, I realized that there are quite a few that I have not yet shared here. It is like a treasure trove! If you consider photos a treasure, which I do. A photo can bring back a memory, transporting you to some place that you have fond memories of. Or a photo can introduce someone to something completely new. So yes, photos definitely are a treasure.
As you can see here, the beach at Tulum was something of a treasure as well. Some might complain about those large rocks being in the way, but I like how they break up the space instead of just being a wide open area. And the large rock wall on the left looks as though pieces of it have been chipped away over time to carve out this spectacular beach, leaving pieces of the carving all around.
You can also see that some were enjoying the shade of the large rock wall. It was particularly hot that day, at least to us. I would imagine that it is hot like that most every day that the sun is out, and of course heat makes for a good day at the beach. Because who wants to go to the beach and be cold, right?
In looking through my photos, I had several taken from this same location, and I may share more of those as time goes by. But I particularly liked this photo because of how the rocks frame the couple walking along the edge of the water. Just a happy coincidence, as I did not plan it that way, but it turned out well.
Also, the large rock closest to the camera almost looks like the smiling head of an iguana, and I had to run off several iguanas to be able to stand in that location and get this photo. Maybe the iguanas were trying to protect the sacred rock honoring their famous iguana ancestor or something. Or maybe they just think, “Yeah, it’s a rock. Whatever, dude.” Although they probably think that in Spanish since they are in Mexico, after all.
Anyway, that is my happy memory photo for the day. Because isn’t saving happy memories the main compelling reason that we take photos? Watch for more photos from this trip sometime in the future. Or see what has already been posted at the 2016 Cruise to Mexico Trip Report, if you haven’t already seen that. Or maybe even if you already have.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. - Psalm 19:14
About the photo:
For the original version of this photo, the intense sun had washed out the sand, making it a very bright white while the shadows under the rocks were quite dark. But with the Raw file I was able to bring out more of that data, creating a more evenly illuminated final photo, which is probably closer to how it looked to our eyes in person. Here is a before-and-after version showing just how white the sand was and how dark the shadows were before processing, especially when compared to the final photo:
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: July 18, 2016
Location: Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
