San Juan Chamula: Where Photography Is Prohibited

Photography inside the Templo de San Juan Bautista is strictly and absolutely prohibited, and photographing people anywhere in the village without their explicit permission is equally unacceptable; there is no vantage point, angle or discretion that makes interior photography acceptable, and this should not be attempted under any circumstance. What can be photographed, from a respectful distance and without including identifiable faces, is the whitewashed exterior of the church with its painted turquoise and green arch, the market awnings on the plaza, and the hillside cemetery with its coloured crosses on the approach into the village. The plaza exterior is workable any day, but Sunday market mornings, roughly 09:00 to 12:00, give the busiest and most visually rich scene around the church front. The prohibition on interior photography rests on a community belief that an image takes something from the person or the space, and it is enforced directly by village authorities rather than treated as a request; reported fines for breaking it range from about 3,900 MXN (approx USD 229) to 4,200 MXN (approx USD 247), and cameras have been confiscated. A ticket of about 30 MXN (approx USD 2), bought at the small office beside the church door, states the prohibition in writing before entry. No permit exists that overrides this rule, and no tripod should be set up in the plaza, as it draws immediate objection from residents. The Carnaval period in February brings large ceremonial crowds and the strictest enforcement of the photography restrictions.