New Photo Book

I have just published a new book with some of my favourite photographs taken on numerous trips to the charming Spanish colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in the highlands of central Mexico. I first visited San Miguel almost four decades ago and quickly fell in love with its colourful houses, inviting courtyards, historic churches, and narrow cobblestone streets. San Miguel de Allende was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and it has become a global travel destination. Please click here to see a preview of my photo book. 

Life in the Americas Gallery

I've recently created a new Life in the Americas gallery featuring rare black and white photos documenting life and culture in the Americas. These diverse images, all of which are in the public domain, are from the Columbus Memorial Library of the Organization of American States (OAS). Through my website, you can order prints or download individual images for personal and educational uses. Please click on the collage below to visit the gallery.  

  

Portraits of Inca Rulers

 My latest photo gallery features rare historical images of fourteen Inca rulers or Inkas. These Peruvian oil paintings date back to the mid-18th century and are based on an earlier portrait series which illustrated the Spanish historian and chronicler Antonio Herrera’s Historia general de los hechos de los castellanos en las islas y tierra firme del mar océano (General History of the Deeds of the Castillians on the Islands and Mainland of the Ocean Sea Known as the West Indies) first published in 1615. The kings are shown in decorative roundels wearing various types of  regalia. Among them is a portrait of Atahualpa, the last of the Inca rulers, who was executed by the Spanish conquistador Franciso Pizarro in 1533. 

These images can be downloaded for personal use. You can also order prints through my website. Please click on the image of Atahualpa below to view my Inca Rulers gallery. 

 

 

Old Maps of the Americas

 I have always been fascinated with old maps of all kinds. My newest photo gallery contains historical maps of the Americas, a region of special interest to me. Included in this growing collection are various types of maps of North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico), Central America, the Caribbean region, and South America. Some of the maps date back to the 16th century when Spain and other European nations began their conquest and colonization of the New World. You can order prints of these vintage maps through my stock photography website or download them for personal uses such as student projects and presentations, or for making your own prints. Please click on the image below to visit my "Old Maps of the Americas" gallery. 

 

Personal and Education Use

 I am currently in the process of making many of my images available for personal and education use. This license allows you to choose from three file sizes: small (500 pixels), medium (1500 pixels) and large (2500 pixels). Examples of personal use include student essays and projects, classroom use, screen savers, and individual prints. The images that you download must not be resold or used for editorial or commercial purposes. Also, the original digital files may not be shared with others. Please contact me if you have any questions. If the image that you are interested in is available for personal use, you can select a file size and then click on "Add to Cart." Click on the image below to see an example.

 

 

Historical Photographs by Eadweard Muybridge

I've recently added a new gallery containing a selection of archival photographs by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge, who was also known as Edward Muybridge (1830-1904), to my stock photography website. These historically valuable images were the product of Muybridge's 1875 photographic expedition through Central America and Mexico. Most were commissioned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, which had extensive trade and passenger routes in the region. Muybridge sailed from San Francisco on one of their ships and spent almost nine months in Central America and Mexico documenting towns, landscapes, and coffee plantations among other subjects. Click here or on the image below of the frontispiece to Eadweard Muybridge's Central America and Mexico Album published in 1877 to view the gallery. It is also possible to order prints by clicking on the shopping cart "Buy" icon.

Fall Colors

Fall is my favourite season for photography. Mother nature puts on her spectacular show of brilliant colours, and the light takes on a special quality as the sun sinks lower in the sky. Every year when autumn arrives, I look forward to adding fresh images to my Fall Colors gallery.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican Masks

My Mexican masks gallery contains images of colourful masks from various parts of Mexico. They range from ceremonial masks worn during traditional dances such as the famous Dance of the Old Men (Danza de los Viejitos) performed in the state of Michoacán to more decorative ones depicting frightening devils, sacred animals, and bearded Spanish conquistadors. These fanciful works of art reflect Mexico's diverse cultures and bring to life its fascinating mythology and history.

Click on the collage below to view images from my Mexican Masks gallery

Spanish Colonial Forts

During my travels in Latin America, I've always been drawn to the region's many Spanish colonial forts. Not only do they make excellent photographic subjects because of their bold architecture and spectacular locations, but they also endure as powerful symbols of the turbulent history of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. 

Click on the collage below to view images from my Spanish Colonial Forts gallery. 

 

Mexico's World Heritage Sites

Mexico is blessed with 35 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including twenty-seven cultural sites, six natural sites and two mixed sites. This is more than any other country in the Americas, and it means that Mexico ranks seventh in the world by total number of Heritage sites. I've been fortunate to visit 28 of these fascinating and beautiful places, which means that I still have a few left to discover. Please Click on the collage below to view images of the ones that I've explored so far.

Mexican Ghost Towns

Among my favourite places to visit in Mexico are its atmospheric ghost towns. Many of them date back centuries and harbour the remains of handsome Spanish colonial architecture along with abandoned gold and silver mines on their outskirts. Some have now become popular with adventurous travellers, prompting hotels and restaurants to open up on their narrow cobblestone streets. However, there is still a sense of timelessness and mystery about these crumbling old mountain towns. My Mexican Ghost Towns collection contains images captured on visits to four of Mexico's best known ghost towns. Click on the titles below to view individual photo galleries.

1. Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosí

2. Mineral de Pozos, Guanajuato

3. Cerro San Pedro, San Luis Potosí

4. San Juan Parangaricutiro, Michoacán

Signs of the Times

During the past few months, I've been photographing homemade signs related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that have appeared in my Vancouver neighbourhood. Some were drawn on the sidewalk by children. Others have been taped to apartment windows or even hung from hedges and trees. These colourful signs usually offer advice on staying healthy or thank essential workers and healthcare professionals for their efforts to keep us safe and combat the devastating effects of the coronavirus. Here are some examples that can be found in my COVID-19 Pandemic 2020 gallery.

All images © John Mitchell 2020
All Rights Reserved

Flower Power

I've recently created a new gallery on my stock photo website featuring flowers. Many of these images were captured during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic while I've been staying close to home and exploring my own neighbourhood in Vancouver. Flowers have a remarkable ability to raise our spirits and relieve stress, so I find them to be ideal photographic subjects during these difficult times. Click on the image below to view the entire gallery.

All images © John Mitchell 2020
All Rights Reserved

My Alamy Portfolio

My images are also available through Alamy, one of the world's largest stock photography agencies. Please click on the photo of towering cedar trees below to view my Alamy portfolio and to search my entire collection for images.

All images © John Mitchell 2020
All Rights Reserved

New Montreal Images

I have just returned from a trip to Montreal, Quebec, a city where I lived for many years and know very well. Places that I visited and photographed include the Jean Talon Market, Old Montreal, the Old Port of Montreal and downtown. Montreal is a truly cosmopolitan city with a genuine European atmosphere. Some people say that it is the Paris of North America. I heartily agree. Please check out the new images in my Montreal collection.

Mexican Masks Gallery

Mexico is famous worldwide for its great variety of colourful masks. My Mexican Masks Gallery contains images of  favourite ceremonial masks that I've photographed during my travels. Some, like the jaguar masks, reflect the beliefs of Mexico's indigenous peoples that date back hundreds, even thousands of years. Others tell the story of the Spanish conquest and the spread of Christianity. All are reminders, sometimes haunting and often humorous, of Mexico's rich history and diverse cultures.

Vancouver Public Art

During recent years, a wealth of colourful and innovative public art has sprung up around my vibrant hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia. Photographing as much of it as I can has become one of  my latest projects. You can see the results in my new image gallery Vancouver Public Art. Please check back often as it is a work in progress.

A number of the artworks shown in the gallery are part of the Vancouver Biennale, a non-profit endeavour promoting public art. The image above shows the whimsical Giants mural painted by Brazilian graffiti artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo (also known as OSGEMEOS) on huge silos at the Ocean Concrete factory on Granville Island. It is their most ambitious mural to date, and they used about 1400 spray-paint cans to create the enormous figures, which were unveiled in September 2014.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

   

I captured this image of young dragon dancers at the 2014 Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's historical Chinatown. This event marked the beginning of the Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar. Over 50,000 people attended this year's parade. The Chinatown in Vancouver, British Columbia, is one of the largest and oldest in North America. Its colourful streets and alleyways lined with heritage buildings, restaurants, markets, and shops crammed with traditional Chinese goods make Chinatown one of my favourite places to explore with my camera. You can see more images in my Vancouver Chinatown gallery.

Gran Museo del Mundo Maya de Mérida

   

I took the image above recently at the new Gran Museo del Mundo Maya or Grand Museum of the Mayan World that opened in September 2012 in the city of Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico. This spectacular venue celebrates the history, cultures, spirituality, and geography of the Mayab,  the land of the ancient and contemporary Maya. Depicted in the photo is a statue of a Maya man using a traditional conch shell horn to summon visitors to the museum. The innovative museum building in the background is modeled after a giant Ceiba tree, which was sacred to the ancient Maya and a symbol of their complex cosmology. The Ceiba tree's roots reach deep into the nine levels of the Mayan Underworld, and its branches extend into the realms of the gods.You will find this image and numerous others of the museum and its exhibits in my Gran Museo del Mundo Maya gallery.

Stanley Theatre, Vancouver

The Stanley Theatre on Granville Street is one of the few remaining community theatres in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. This handsome Moorish style art deco building first opened as a movie house in December 1930 and screened films for over sixty years before financial problems forced it to close its doors in 1991. Fortunately, the Stanley escaped commercial redevelopment, and it was renovated as a stage theatre in 1997–1998. The theatre was subsequently designated a protected heritage building, and it now hosts musicals and classical productions from around the globe.

You will find this image in my Vancouver Heritage Buildings gallery. This collection is a work in progress. During the coming months, I plan to photograph more of Vancouver's heritage and other historical buildings, many of which are being threatened by the city's real estate boom and uncaring developers.