Cavedracones Photography blog

Dia de Muertos is a Mexican celebration going back hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived in Mexico.  It was originally practiced by the Aztecs and other tribes of southern Mexico who welcomed back the spirits of their ancestors every year at the beginning of Summer.  With the arrival of the Spanish and Catholicism this ancient tradition became associated with All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1st and 2nd.  Over time this celebration has spread throughout Mexico and Latin America, and many other countries including the U.S. The following video published by the British Museum does a very good job of explaining the celebration. Rich and colorful cultural traditions such as the Day of the Dead provide lots of opportunities for photographers.  Although it revolves around the remembrance of dead family members, it is a celebration of life and not a sad or solemn occasion so taking photographs is perfectly OK.  As I mentioned earlier, this fest...

One of the many benefits of living in Southern California is there are plenty of photography opportunities.  Fortunately various groups and state agencies have seen the value of protecting California's beautiful and varied natural habitats for future generations.  One of these habitats is the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach.  It's a very popular spot for bird watchers and wildlife photographers.  Even if you don't have expensive cameras or the very long telephoto zoom lenses sometimes required for wildlife photography, you can still get good pictures at this location. The  Bolsa Chica Conservancy  runs the Bolsa Chica Interpretive Center which runs various educational programs and guided tours.  They are located on the north end of the Reserve near the intersection of Warner Ave and PCH, and they have a small parking lot which fills up quickly so come early.  The south parking lot is located on PCH directly across from the e...

About a year ago and half ago I discovered conventions are the perfect opportunity to get awesome photos.  I'm not a professional photographer so I sometimes struggle to find interesting things or people to photograph.  I am a huge fan of film and the horror genre so this convention is the perfect mix of both.  It features some of the talented actors and artists involved in the creation of the creatures and films that we all love.  As you will see below, it also attracts plenty of talented cosplayers. Son of Monsterpalooza  is an offshoot of the much larger Monsterpalooza which was held in the Pasadena Convention Center last April.  It is being held in The Marriott Burbank Hotel and Convention Center on September 16-18.  If you are a horror/scifi fan or just learning photography, I highly recommend you head out to Burbank. Below are some of the photos I took at last year's convention. Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula The great Harry Houd...