Ecuadorian women in the Andean village

Fernando Rodríguez captured this image of Ecuadorian women in the Andean village of Quilotoa. In one of the town's houses, he met Miguel Ángel Jácome Umaquinga, a Tigua artist who paints small pictures of the area's volcano and lake. "I was photographing Miguel Ángel while he was painting," Rodríguez says, "when I realized that his wife [seated], daughter, and sister were staring at me. I turned my tripod 180 degrees, and I took several photos of the scene." Rodríguez adds: "The huge contrast between the sadness of their faces and the brightness of their clothing were what made me take the photograph." It was around 3:30 in the afternoon when Rodríguez took this image. There wasn't enough natural light from the window, so he needed to use a flash to illuminate the faces of his subjects. Rodríguez has a background in economics, marketing, and advertising, but, he says, "I love traveling and photography, and I always try to combine both passions the best I can." He's traveled in more than 50 countries around the globe, mostly in Europe and Southeast Asia. Rodríguez says his dream project would be to put together a book or an exhibition of portraits of people from around the world. (Nikon D200 digital camera, AF-S Nikkor 17-55mm 1:2.8 G ED lens, exposure at1/60 second at f/2.8, ISO 100) Prize courtesy of the Schooners American Eagle and Heritage.