We were back in small town Montañita, Ecuador and we'd lost Juan for about 8 hours. It was really unusual as we were always together and he'd never skip out on the swell that had started to fill in. We went for a damn good surf and ate lunch and went for another one. Still no Juan. "The hell?" I thought. We were starting to get worried. Late that evening he walked up the stairs and we yelled "Juan where the heck have you been!?" and he replied "Just talking to my beautiful girlfriend back home." Then about five minutes later he said "Oh, and I got into Harvard today."

Roberto & Juan | 35mm film

A bad combination of fear and addiction.

Peruvian Hostel

Sanitary standards for cooking are far more relaxed then we are used to back home. Unrefrigerated meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, and milk, unwashed vegetables and fruit, and tap water are a recipe for disaster. There's no telling how many times antibiotics and vaccines like Dukoral came into play and prevented us from getting travelers diarrhea. And at some point it will fail you as well...

Lobitos, Peru | These New Poutines | HP5 35mm film

Bedridden

We were sick as fuck in a hotel we paid three bucks a night for. With bug infested bamboo walls, wet concrete floors, a sheet metal roof, no hot water, no shower curtain, no mirror, no toilet seat, and not enough toilette paper to wipe our asses and puke off the floor. The fourth time I puked my teeth and face went numb, then my face and hands started to contort and paralyze. I started hyperventilating and all my muscles started seizing up because I was so dehydrated. I then laid in my bed fidgeting, having a panic attack while two guys messaged my body and talked some nonsense about how I wasn't going to die. I was going crazy.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me so far!

Today is one of the last chances to guarantee a print to be shipped internationally by the 25th of December! Click the link below for SALE prices like this one. A 35mm shot from the California, Redwoods.

http://www.alexguiryphoto.com/buy-prints/

This is me right before I zip-lined down that canyon. I forgot where I was once everyone was laughing in hysterics as I knelt down on all fours, naked, while the lady tightened some straps to me.

Why's Juan laughing so hard?

Why's Juan laughing so hard? Because I'm naked. We were going through some surf withdrawal and were hungry for action so we took a dune buggy out to check out a zip line that spans a mile across the Andes and the Amazon Basin. Roberto went first and I suited up next. With no forms to sign or safety instructions at hand, the only way I was doing this was full on. So I got naked. I knelt on the wooden platform while the owners strapped me in with some help from a police officer. Hans fallowed suit.

Baños, Ecuador.

A grave site in a military zone. Lobitos, Peru.

We were expecting a large hot spring where we could meet some local girls or maybe some pretty Swedes and show off our bods. We were pretty choked when we arrived to an empty mud bath in a dessert. Instead we all got naked.

Smoking isn't cool... anymore. I use to smoke. Especially on these trips. I felt like it was a free for all. It's more accessible when you're down south and it's a sixth of the price, and even deadlier when you can by singles. If your trying to quit you rely on the singles. If you don't smoke, you smoke the singles. And no one you know is around to judge! Bob here, he was always concerned about my health though. He didn't smoke. But for this photo I asked him to look tough and pose with a dart. You know, to put contrast on things. Turn it around. Make cool uncool, and to use him as a reflection of myself. I'm almost a year smoke free!

Not much was spoken on the ride over and even less when we were dropped off in the middle of town. Three of us had just gotten off a buss in a small town in Ecuador. We bumped into each other, trying not to be seen. Tired, warn down, and anxious, we paid ten bucks each for the second hotel we came across. It was over budget but we felt we wanted a secure environment for little first leg on the road.

THESE NEW POUTINES

I have a bunch of new photos up from my trip down to South America. Of all my styles this kind of photography is what I want to keep recreating most.

Have a look and let me know what you think!

A three hour ride up the mountain hillside. Buses passing transport trucks, cars, and motorcycles and then buses passing buses. In Ecuador it feels like if you hand over money before the task is done, it's a race to finish it. On Christmas day a cramped bus flipped off the hillside killing forty one passengers and severely injuring everyone else alive as they rolled like dice. We wondered how nobody every died and tried to shrug it off as we figured it was sudden death below.

Bad Relationships.

35mm | Ecuador | 2010 | Unapologetic Apologies

Self Portrait

Here I am naked listening to my iPod in a hotel in Playas, Ecuador. I had huge expectations for my first time traveling. I thought the act would solve all my problems, boy was I wrong. Happens every time!

Here's a selfie of my pal Eric and I sharing a beverage, with filmmaker Collin Morrison in the background. I've never seen this photo before, but I know that when it was shot I would have left the long scratch that crossed above our mouths. At the point the grungier the better.

2010 | #UnapologeticApologies

Stanley Park Nude, Summer 2010.

Bronica sq | 80mm 2.8 | Ilford HP5 120mm film | #UnapologeticAplogies

I friend asked how I approach models to shoot nudes, and how I handle myself. This is what I said.

As for nudes. I would find someone who loves themselves, not like they love their tits, but they like who they are, they are happy with themselves, and are kinda cheeky and playful. It helps if they are enjoying themselves and moving around. When they move from pose to pose that's when you shoot. Not when they are in a pose. That's why I like to give them a prop. Like a branch. They forget they are there and wave it around like wand. they are playing. and THERE NEEDS TO BE CHEMISTRY. Nothing sexual. Unless you want that. But your working with each other. Give and take. But ask yourself why you want to shoot nudes? I would love to hear your answer. It's not to unclothe women. For me it makes a photo timeless. There are no brand names or labels or context for time. It's provocative yea, but its also just beautiful. Beautiful imperfections. Then once you know why, you can be more upfront with your model as to why you want to shoot nudes. The more info the better. Be real. It's a rush. its nerve racking, its scary. It may go bad hahaha. But most the time 9the girl walks away happy. I am selective when shooting girls. Not for body type, but for personality, and their story.

Feel free to write me at info@alexguiryphoto.com if you have any questions or collaboration ideas. This photo was taken on the same setup from the previous post, but just an hour before. #UnapologeticApologies

I didn't really have my intentions set out at this point. No concept from what I remember. This was the first time I used a medium format camera for a shoot and first time I used an external flash as well. It was the first day shooting nudes with these friends, and the second time ever. They brought a couple friends each and I wasn't expecting that. I was nervous. I pretended to know what I was doing. But the film didn't advance and I shot two photos onto the same frame. An optimist says it's a "happy accident", some call it an in camera double exposure, but I just didn't read the manual. I've never put concrete words to this photo. Maybe it because I didn't control the outcome. I left it up to the viewer to do that. That's what I loved about critiques back in the day. Hearing what feelings came up for someone else as the read into it. Their interpretations, projections, and personal stories that stemmed from a piece, or how it was shot.

#UnapologeticApologies | Circa 2010 | Mamiya 67 | Ilford HP5 120mm