http://www.ryantinglephoto.com/

Ryan Tingle Photography, Pittsburgh, PA (2026)

06/24/2026

Monte Albán, Oaxaca, November 2025

When visiting Oaxaca City, a trip to Monte Albán is essential.
Rising high above the valley, this ancient Zapotec city sits on an artificially flattened mountaintop with sweeping panoramic views in every direction. From here, it is easy to understand why this place was chosen as one of the most important centers of power in Mesoamerica. I have visited archaeological sites across Mexico, but few match the scale and presence of Monte Albán.

Monte Albán was once the capital of the Zapotec civilization, known as the “Cloud People,” one of the earliest and most influential cultures in the Americas. For over 1,300 years, it served as a major political, cultural, and ceremonial center, defined by its monumental architecture, early hieroglyphic writing, and carefully aligned observatories that tracked the movement of the sky.

Unlike many ancient cities in the region, Monte Albán was not conquered in its prime. By around 800 CE, the Zapotecs had already begun to abandon the city, driven by resource scarcity and long term environmental pressure. When the Aztecs and the Spanish arrived centuries later, they did not find an active stronghold, but a vast and silent ruin already shaped by time.

Walking through the site today, you move across plazas, platforms, extremely steep steps, and stone structures that still hold a quiet sense of authority. The scale of it is difficult to fully comprehend until you are standing in the center of it, surrounded by mountains and sky, looking out over the entire Oaxaca Valley below.

Even in its silence, Monte Albán remains a powerful reminder of the strength and sophistication of an ancient civilization.

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/oaxaca/

06/22/2026

Mercados de Oaxaca, November 2025

If you want a window into the everyday rhythm of a culture, there is no better place than the market. The mercados of Oaxaca are not just places to shop. They are where the city breathes.
Oaxaca is considered one of the world’s great culinary destinations, and for good reason. Mexican food is already one of the richest food cultures in the world, but Oaxaca takes it deeper,. Here, you can taste the ingredients that define entire dishes.

You find everything here. Chiles in every shape, color, and level of heat. Fresh cacao being ground into rich pastes. Coffee from the surrounding mountains, roasted in small batches and sold in simple bags or brewed fresh on the spot. Herbs used in both cooking and traditional medicine, tied into bundles and passed from hand to hand.

The markets can be overwhelming, especially for someone who cares deeply about food. I found myself returning again and again, sometimes twice a day, just to take it all in to fully understand what I was seeing and tasting.

One of the most unexpected ingredients is chapulines, or grasshoppers. Remember when we were children, and we would catch grasshoppers only to set them free? In Oaxaca, that relationship is entirely different. Locals collect them from the hills surrounding the city, toast them with oil and salt, and eat them as a snack. They are crunchy, earthy, and surprisingly addictive, often served over guacamole or tucked into tlayudas and quesadillas. I have thought about recreating them at home, but some things are better at their origin…

Then there is mole, one of the most important expressions of Oaxacan cuisine. If you have never tried it, find a traditional kitchen and order mole con pollo. Mole is not one sauce but a family of sauces, made from dried chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, chocolate, and fruit. Oaxaca is its heartland. From deep, velvety Mole Negro to brighter green and yellow varieties, each version carries its own balance of smoke, sweetness, earth, and heat. The most traditional is Mole Negro, often called the king of moles, built from charred ingredients, multiple chiles, and Oaxacan chocolate that creates something rich, smoky, and bittersweet. It is not a simple flavor, and it is not meant to be. Its layers unfold slowly, revealing why it is considered one of the most complex dishes in the world.

Beyond this, the markets are also where you find the everyday staples of Oaxaca. Tlayudas layered with beans, cheese, and meat. Memelas fresh off the comal. Tejate, the ancient pre-hispanic cacao and maize drink, frothy and cool. Local produce in every direction, shaping meals that are both simple and traditional.

And then there is the craft. The markets are not only about food. They are filled with textiles, baskets, carved wool, woven goods, embroidered clothing, and handmade objects created by artisans from across the region. I have always been drawn to handwork and craftsmanship, and in Oaxaca it is everywhere. You can watch artisans at work, their hands guided by generations of tradition, carrying forward a precision that feels almost instinctive.

The markets of Oaxaca are not just a place to eat or shop. They are a window into a way of life that is still deeply connected to land, tradition, and community. And once you spend time inside them, you understand how much of Oaxaca moves through these spaces.

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/oaxaca/

06/20/2026

Jalatlaco, Oaxaca, November 2025

Walking through Jalatlaco feels like wandering through an open air art gallery. One of Oaxaca City's most creative and colorful neighborhoods, it is filled with some of the city's best cafés, bars, restaurants, and artisan shops. Yet what truly captures your attention and makes you want to spend an entire day here is simply exploring its streets and discovering the incredible murals that cover its walls.

Artists are invited to transform buildings throughout the neighborhood into massive canvases, creating works that celebrate Oaxaca's identity, history, and traditions. Each mural tells a different story, offering its own interpretation of the spirit of this incredible region.

Many of these works pay tribute to Oaxaca's Zapotec roots. Alebrijes are among the most common subjects, depicted in vivid colors and imaginative forms. These whimsical folk art creatures blend features from different animals and embody an extraordinary sense of creativity. In Oaxacan tradition, they are also believed to serve as spirit guides or guardians, protecting us from negative energies. I have been collecting them for years like Pokémon, and I do not plan on stopping anytime soon ;)

Another recurring theme is, of course, death. Throughout Mexico, death is not hidden away or spoken of in hushed tone. It is remembered, celebrated, and embraced, most beautifully during the Day of the Dead. In the murals of Jalatlaco, death is rarely portrayed as something somber or final. Instead, it is expressed as vibrant, playful, and full of life, serving as a reminder that those we love are never truly gone as long as we continue to remember and celebrate them.

Which mural is your favorite?

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/oaxaca/

06/19/2026

Oaxaca City, November 2025

After spending two years living in Mexico, I somehow never made it to Oaxaca. It remained one of those places that was always on my mind, waiting for the right moment. Returning to Mexico for the first time since 2019, I arrived with a much deeper curiosity, drawn not only by Oaxaca's reputation as a culinary capital, but by the culture, traditions, and people that give the region its soul.

I spent a beautiful week wandering its streets, exploring bustling markets, learning its history, and sharing conversations with people who welcomed me with remarkable warmth. The city bursts with color at every turn, its streets draped in papel picado and lined with vendors selling everything from fresh fruit to handmade Alebrijes.

As day turns to night, sidewalk stalls become gathering places where locals and visitors alike stand shoulder to shoulder over tacos, memelas, tlayudas, tamales, pozole, and cups of esquites. The rich aroma of local cacao and coffee from the surrounding mountains drifts from cafés and market stalls, while vendors whisk frothy cups of tejate, an ancient cacao drink woven into Oaxaca's history. Mezcal, the spirit most deeply tied to Oaxaca's identity, is poured generously throughout the city, whether to accompany a meal, toast to friendships, or simply prepare for a fun night spent dancing in the streets.

There is an unmistakable energy here, a constant hum of life that spills from plazas, kitchens, markets, and music filled streets. Oaxaca is more than a destination. It is a place that invites you to completely immerse yourself. It is, without question, one of Mexico's greatest cultural treasures.

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/oaxaca/

06/10/2026

Memelas became my Oaxaca street food obsession.

Last November, I stopped by this little food stand almost every day for at least one, but more often than not, a few. At first I came for the food, but soon I found myself mesmerized by the process.

I loved sitting with these women, watching them work in perfect rhythm with one another. Pressing masa, tending the comal, chatting with customers, and assembling each order with the kind of ease that only comes from years of repetition. It felt less like cooking and more like a street food ballet.

At their core, memelas are beautifully simple. Fresh masa made from corn and water, topped with asiento, a rich rendered pork fat, and a layer of beans. From there, you choose your adventure: quesillo, queso fresco, chorizo, potatoes, tasajo, nopales, squash blossoms, and whatever else happens to be fresh that day.

Their larger cousin, the tlayuda, follows the same philosophy. Simple ingredients, local products, and generations of tradition. Both are cooked fresh to order on a hot comal, but the tlayuda takes an extra step. After being filled and folded, it is finished directly over the charcoal embers beneath the comal, giving it its signature smoky flavor and crisp texture.

This is the kind of food that tells the story of Oaxaca. Honest, affordable, deeply rooted in place, and unbelievably delicious.

I’m currently sitting here searching flights back…

What’s your favorite street food in Oaxaca, or anywhere in Mexico?

https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/oaxaca/

06/10/2026

Memelas became my Oaxaca street food obsession.

Last November, I stopped by this little food stand almost every day for at least one, but more often than not, a few. At first I came for the food, but soon I found myself mesmerized by the process.

I loved sitting with these women, watching them work in perfect rhythm with one another. Pressing masa, tending the comal, chatting with customers, and assembling each order with the kind of ease that only comes from years of repetition. It felt less like cooking and more like a street food ballet.

At their core, memelas are beautifully simple. Fresh masa made from corn and water, topped with asiento, a rich rendered pork fat, and a layer of beans. From there, you choose your adventure: quesillo, queso fresco, chorizo, potatoes, tasajo, nopales, squash blossoms, and whatever else happens to be fresh that day.

Their larger cousin, the tlayuda, follows the same philosophy. Simple ingredients, local products, and generations of tradition. Both are cooked fresh to order on a hot comal, but the tlayuda takes an extra step. After being filled and folded, it is finished directly over the charcoal embers beneath the comal, giving it its signature smoky flavor and crisp texture.

This is the kind of food that tells the story of Oaxaca. Honest, affordable, deeply rooted in place, and unbelievably delicious.

I’m currently sitting here searching flights back…

What’s your favorite street food in Oaxaca, or anywhere in Mexico?

04/16/2026

In Teotitlán del Valle, this kind of textile work comes from Zapotec communities that have been passing it down for generations. Not as a trend or business idea. Just as part of life. This craft was incredible to experience in person with Nazaria, as it’s a mix of artistry, tradition, and a hell of a lot of hard work and patience.

Wool is carded and cleaned, pulled apart, and spun slowly, with a lot of muscle, into thread. The colors don’t come from bottles of synthetic paints, they come from the landscape. Añil for deep blues, the cochineal insect blood for reds. Plants, nuts, bark, minerals, fruits, each creating their own tones and hues. And when mixed together, they create an entirely different spectrum.

And then it’s woven manually, by hand. One thread at a time.

After spending time with Nazaria, it was obvious. There’s not much separation between craft, art, and culture here. It’s all the same thing. This work is learned at a young age, repeated daily, and carried forward with passion, love, and ritual.

You don’t really understand it by looking at the textiles themselves. You understand it by watching the hands and every expression on her face.

Video - https://youtu.be/sHJ4p0RDwkM?si=HxORPmhp10vo7WPO

04/15/2026

In November, I spent a week in Oaxaca. A region I somehow missed out on when I used to live in Mexico 🇲🇽

I spent my time visiting archaeological sites, collecting alebrijes, searching for incredible ingredients, and obviously indulging in regional dishes. If you know anything about Oaxaca, then you understand that it is at the top of Mexican gastronomy. The food here is absolutely incredible, and each bite will live endlessly in my brain. But the moment that stuck with me most came by complete chance.

I met the extremely lovely Nazaria while walking through a weekend market in Oaxaca City. I saw her explosion of colors, and I was pulled in right away. There are textiles everywhere in Oaxaca, but hers felt different. You could see it immediately. The texture, the detail, the way everything was made by hand, with patience, and without factory machines

I couldn’t help myself but talk with her. She told me about her work, her process, her culture, the Zapotec dialect, and just like that, she invited me out to her home.

A few days later, I found myself in Teotitlán del Valle, a gorgeous area about an hour outside of Oaxaca City. I sat with her while she carded wool, spun thread, and worked with natural dyes like añil, all while telling me stories. This is a place where weaving isn’t just craft, it’s history. Zapotec families have been doing this for generations, passing it down, thread by thread (literally).

For me, this is priceless. Stumbling into someone’s world. Being invited in. Sitting, watching, learning, even if it’s just for a moment.

Those are the things that stay with you. Not the material items. The moments. The connections. The experience to pass on to others.

Full video with Nazaria on YouTube 👉 https://youtu.be/sHJ4p0RDwkM

04/14/2026

Sun. Salt. Simplicity. The three pillars to a happy and healthy life 🇬🇷☀️🐠🍋⛵️⚓️🍷

04/10/2026

Flying around Kalamos on a perfect day 🇬🇷🐠🫶 It’s been awhile that I’ve taken the drone out for a flight. Not a better day to capture beautiful colors of a stunning island 🙌

Ryan Tingle Photography

06/24/2026

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