I spent the past week trekking around the Sacred Valley of Southeastern Peru, home to the Incan ruins of Machu Picchu and dozens of other historic sites. While exploring these spectacular sites with my camera, I took a lot of photos and learned a lot of valuable lessons. I hope that these tips will help you if you decide to visit the ruins of Peru or any other historic sites with your camera.

Image taken at Machu Picchu near Aguas Calientes, Peru.

Check the Rules

Many historic sites have restrictions on the camera equipment you can take along. In my travels, I have found that tripods are often prohibited. For instance, Machu Picchu only allows small tripods and monopods. Small is clearly a subjective measure, so it is better to be on the safe side and leave the tripod in the hotel. Machu Picchu also restricts the length of lenses allowed into the park - anything over 200mm is not allowed. I was not aware of this restriction when I arrived and had to leave my Canon 100-400mm lens in a drawer in one of the park offices. I spent about an hour of my visit worrying about the lens instead of enjoying the scenery. I recommend that you research rules for each site you visit before attempting to bring professional equipment.

The Incan Ruins of Machu Picchu, Peru.

Better in Black and White

The light was spectacular for my first hour at Machu Picchu, but it quickly turned harsh. I was discouraged by the strong shadows and almost put my camera away. However, I soon realized that the white clouds and the contrasting shadows on the rocks would look much better in black and white. I shifted my vision to black and white and began to see images everywhere. Many historic sites do not open early enough for sunrise, so you may be stuck with harsh light for the whole day. Keep an open mind and adjust your vision to make great images in the conditions you have.  For harsh lighting, also try bracketing your exposures for HDR processing, -2, 0, +2.  If you can, use a tripod for this, but excellent HDR shots can also be taken handheld.

I opted to visit the ruins of Pisac even though it was raining because I knew there would be fewer tourists.

Hire a Guide

In Latin America, many entrance tickets to historic sites include a guide, but for those that do not, I highly recommend that you hire a local to show you around. At Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, a guide costs about $10.00 per hour. Without a guide, the Incan ruins were just a bunch of well-carved rocks. My guide gave the rocks context and helped me to create more interesting images. The guide was also invaluable for captioning. I kept a small notebook with me to take notes on the site so that I can include the information in my metadata.

These women sought shelter in the ruins of Pisac during the rain.

Know the Moon Cycle

I wanted to create unique images of the Incan ruins of Ollantaytambo and decided that night photography would be an interesting option. I planned my trip around the full moon so that there would be enough light to photograph the ruins at night. In Ollantaytambo, a number of hotels, including Hostal Iskay, offer views of the ruins from their balcony, so I was able to make images from the comfort of my hotel. Check accessibility to each site to see if you can visit during the off hours when there are fewer tourists and more interesting lighting conditions.

This smaller historic site had almost no tourists and I was able to make wide-angle shots without worrying about people walking into my shot. 

Visit Smaller Sites, Get Smaller Crowds

In the Sacred Valley, there are many small, little known ruins that are overshadowed by the grandeur of Machu Picchu. I visited a few of these sites by hiring a driver for the day and was rewarded with unobstructed views of the ruins. I recommend researching the area you are visiting ahead of time to discover those hidden gems where you will find beautiful images and fewer tourists.