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DRESSES MAY DIFFER from village to village, but the graceful carriage of Indian women is everywhere. Camera angle is wrong.
CUSTOMS OF THE COUNTRY
Not everything that comes into your viewfinder is picture material. Keep these points in mind: Don't insist on filming any native who refuses to allow you to do so. Don't picture a nursing baby. Stay clear of army installations. The U. S. Army is down there too and you can get into double trouble. Leave slums and poverty to the unfortunates who suffer with them. Ask permission of the rector or priest before filming the inside of a church. The Indians sometimes feel that this is a desecration.
It's well to know some Spanish. The language is fairly easy to learn and the natives like you better if you can speak a few words with them. Learn to say Quanto vale? (How much?); No quiero (I don't want any) for the benefit of wandering vendors; No tengo diner o (I have no money) for the countless beggars and Quiero tomar una pelicula de listed (I want to take your picture). The airlines provide a little booklet with the most commonly used Spanish phrases; these can be studied and learned easily on the way down.
GENERAL CAMERA CUES You'll be making a trip that in most cases you may never repeat. Why not do a good filming job the first time? Here are a number of general guides to help you along.
CHICHICASTENANGO, right, with its fabulous Church of Santo Tomas, is pictorial high point. Some natives dislike pictures.
TINY TRAINED CANARIES, found throughout Guatemala's markets, tell your fortune by drawing a slip of paper from box.
PATTERNS FROM THE PAST, handed down only in the heads of native workers, mark the brilliant handicrafts of Guatemala.
First of all, don't be stingy with your film! You are spending so much on the trip, add a few dollars extra for more film. Then you can make it a hard and fast rule to run each scene for at least 6 to 8 feet of 16mm film, or 3 to 4 feet of 8.
Watch your panning. If you find you must pan, start your shot at some point of interest. There will usually be someone walking by, or a pack of burros or a wagon coming along. As they come into your finder, follow them to the next point of interest and then let them move out of the scene as you hold on a well composed view of this new area. The street traffic will move so slowly that even your background will come out well.
Take along a little memo book for camera and scene data. Number your film boxes and assign a separate section in the book to each of these numbers. After each scene, write down your exposure data, footage and, most important, what the guide tells you about it. Too much trouble? Don't be silly, for there's your title! You'll never remember everything about the places you visit, but the little book will help you.
If you travel by plane (which I recommend), take along a haze filter. Better shots are obtained by its use in aerial work, on mountain and distance views and on hazy days. An exposure meter is almost use [Continued on page 156]