I don’t really do this kind of work as much anymore, I need to get back to it. It’s really rewarding for not a lot of effort; just keeping my camera on me, for the most part. There was an incident which scared me off of it for a while, but that shouldn’t stop me, it’s not my first confrontation. Anyway, next time, some nice candid portraits from a dinner club.
So this must have been three months or so ago, one of the first real warm weekends. I’d just had my eyes lasered, had to wear sunglasses the whole time. The pictures, perhaps in sympathy to my postoperative photophobia, were a little over exposed. Nothing I couldn’t handle in post.
Photos, not really about anything. These were walking to lunch, someday months ago now.
So, about three months ago, Christa was in town, and I took a bunch of pictures, in and around getting sick at the worst possible moment (having a houseguest). We did a day of touristy things; for some reason it was stupidly hard to get into the city but once we’d managed that it was a lot of fun. Then I got some sort of cold that I foolishly tried to power through and failed, so sat at home for a day.
I did get better in time to visit the de Young with her and our mutual friend Allyson. Then we went to the mission for drinks and then late burritos. I mobile-posted those photos, which means that they’re out of order (or the whole blog has gone nonlinear, possibly). I don’t remember the name of the beardy-glasses dude, just that he had a backpack full of art magazines and a sketchbook which he actually used.
So this was, what, a month and a half ago? Long enough, anyway, that I feel bad for taking this long to get to the pictures. They’ve been in my loose edit folder since the plane ride home, and have just sat there this whole time.
Magmaconf is this wild conference that happens sort of semi-regularly in the town of Manzanillo, on the western coast of Mexico, in the state of Colima. It’s a language and even tech-agnostic conference; the two times I’ve been, and spoken, were both about my hardware adventures, and not about software. Somehow, the group that gets together there is always really remarkable. Not just people that are brilliant at what they do, and I mean the audience as well as the speakers, but really friendly.
The conference organizers do as much as they can to foster that environment, with really amazing events and surprises; The mariachi band on the last day, after the last talk, was a complete surprise. I think the luchadores were planned, but the spontaneous mock weddings were a surprise. I’m pretty sure this was the last incarnation of Magma, and I’m glad I was there.
So, in roughly chronological order, here are the photos.
this was the AirBnB I stayed at the first couple days. I sat and worked on my talk for 12 hours on the balcony of the room. And I still wasn’t done! I finished it the morning of, sitting in the audience, being rude. 
The venue, on the left, was a local University. Beautiful area, all volcanic soil and dense forest. 
To open the proceedings, there were native dancers, local to the area. The idea being that so many times, you go to foreign locales and all you see is the conference venue and don’t get any of the culture; this was the first of several moments where the culture was put front and center. 
Beach Games. This was after everyone had met and eaten and drank together; a capital-e Experience. 
It’s hard to tell because this is a still, but that guy actually held the hoop there for several seconds. 
Just walking through the market. 
One of the famous things in Manzanillo: this giant fish sculpture. Which is funny, because it’s not a fishing hub, but Mexico’s largest container port. 
Sign says stop, but I wasn’t driving. Shot from a moving car. 
The aforementioned mock wedding, this was one of several. The audience had fun picking odd couples out (the ‘couples’, by the look of it, were also having fun) 
Pinata Action. 
Along with the Mariachi band, there was a group of dancers. Really entertaining to watch; all of the dances told stories. 
The male half of the dance troupe. It was quite elaborate, with costume changes between dances and props and intricate choreography. 
Obie playing DJ before the band went on. 
The first set of luchadores. There were three different bouts, with a fourth between amateurs from the audience. 
Watching the fight. 
The point in the fight where the rudo (heel) has the técnico beat, just before the dramatic turn in which the técnico wins. 
The amateurs have a go. 
Everyone, thankfully, was fine in the aftermath. 
Later, in the club. This was the night I didn’t sleep, made my plane, and it didn’t matter anyway, due to a scheduling issue on the part of the airline.
Copyright © 2008-Forever, Matt Mills.
