Little Country Huge Heart in Guatemala City, Guatemala
Photographer Jose Pablo Anleu is a self proclaimed ‘Guatemalan dreamer collecting the spirit and essence of youth.’ One look at Jose’s Instagram feed and you will feel his playful and carefree urban fairytale. Be sure to take a good look at Juan’s feed for a beautiful look at life and culture in Guatemala. @jpanleu
Place you live: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Can you sum up Guatemala? Guatemala is a little country with a huge heart. Friendly people, great food and stunning sights. You get so many different climates packed within a reasonable distance which makes it a great travel destination, because you can experience the busy city life and the next day the quietness of a colonial city, and climbing the active Pacaya volcano the next day, then going to the beach. Guatemala’s nickname is Land of Eternal Spring, and it lives up to its name. It’s beautiful.
If someone was visiting, what must they do? There are certain places people must visit coming to Guatemala. Guatemala City, the capital, with all its shopping malls and restaurants. Antigua Guatemala, the old capital, a colonial city with a lot of history running through its cobblestone streets. Atitlán, with one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and beautiful sights, Tikal, the ancient Mayan Capital, trekking through the jungle and wildlife sighting, Xela, another old city with great sights, cold weather and tasty hot chocolate, and any of the coastal towns, like Izabal or Puerto de San José, for much needed fun under the sun. Besides that there are several other locations worth visiting here.
Best meal in your city? Too many to mention! Guatemala’s culinary catalog includes several dishes, such as Fiambre, Pepián, Jocón, Cocido, Subanik (all main courses) and desserts such as Chuchitos, Rellenitos, Atol de Elote and many more! Something I’d miss if I left Guatemala? Frijoles negros con tortilla y queso (Tortillas with refried black beans and fresh cheese)
How long have you been using Instagram? Started on January 2012! Haven’t been able to stop!
What phone camera do you use to shoot? Iphone 4! Actually, one of the reasons why I got an iPhone was so I could use it as a pocket camera whenever I didn’t want to drag along my other heavy equipment. My instagram is a visual diary of my adventures and things that catch my eye everyday
What is your editing process? VSCOcam! The guys at VSCO are awesome and this app is just perfect to enhance the mood I want for my images. My workflow goes something like this; take picture, import, adjust contrast, white balance and exposure and then go to one of the great presets and vary its intensity to taste (I usually go straight to the preset that will fit my image), do any needed fine tuning, then upload to IG!
Do you create images outside of instagram? Yeah! Outside of Instagram I’m a photographer and filmmaker.
Has Instagram affected how you shoot? Definitely! Instagram has served as a little visual diary I carry along which I have been using to keep my eyes open all the time.
Does your feed differ from your work outside of Instagram? Outside of Instagram I mainly do portraiture both digital and in film, and I don’t use presets since I want to be in control of every aspect of how my images turn out. Other than that, I try to keep my style and narrative cohesive, regardless of the image making tools.
Who are your favorite Instagrammers? @kingofmongols @myeyesadjust – The list could go on endlessly, there are thousands of very inspiring people on Instagram. Everyone I follow is an inspiration to me.