While staying at the Iberostar Grand Hotel, located on Playa Paraiso (Quintana Roo/Cancun) in the heart of the Riviera Maya, we were treated to nightly live entertainment at their theatre. The amazing talent and energy that the performers had was incredible and they do it every evening. One of the nights we were there, we were given VIP seating up front so I was able to get some good views and angles for the camera. Each night they have a different theme (Rock, Beatles, Big Band, 80's, Las Vegas, etc.), and I promise you, they don't disappoint. They love what they do, and it shows in their performances. 

Personally, I love the challenge of taking photos in a low-lit theatre with no flash photography.  This is where a 50mm prime lens or something else with a wider apeture (f/1.4-1.8) can assist with that by bringing in more light into the lens. The stage lights will play with you and be annoying for some moments, but when timed right, they will work in your favor. Setting the camera at a higher ISO for your shutter speed helps as well. I also used a 75-300mm zoom lens (f/4-5.6) for some shots, but you can see the difference in quality a wider apeture can give.

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On a recent trip to the Riviera Maya in Mexico, we took a walk along the beach and found an abandoned resort between the Iberostar Grand Paraíso and the Belmond Maroma. A local friend told me that the rumor is some rich man, from the Mexican cartel, was building this private resort. However, he fell victim to homicide so it never got finished. I don't know if that story is true or not but it has since been abandoned. Of course we had to go in and check it out. We found some fire extinguishers, and noted that they all haven't been inspected since 2009 and figured that was the last time any work was done.

There was only one room fully set up, which we assumed was the showroom for potential clients. It had a bed, furniture, safe, books, a couple unopened bottles of Sol, bathroom lotions, art, carpeting, etc. All of it was still there, even though the room looked like a ransacked pig sty. The marble held up well, but the stonework needed a serious pressure wash all around. Lots of overgrown vegetation, rusty metal, broken wood, and some of the pools were full of murky rainwater, but I imagine the grounds would have looked amazing if it was completed. But in its own way, it was hauntingly beautiful and fun to check out.