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 festival is spreading throughout the U.S. so every year there are events beings held in more and more cities throughout the country.
Last year I attended Noche de Altares in Downtown Santa Ana, California which is organized by El Centro Cultural de Mexico in the middle of Orange County. Short of getting on an airplane and flying to a small town in southern Mexico, this is the best place to get a sense of what this celebration is all about. There are altars for the deceased, Aztec dancers, music and plenty of vendors selling food and drink.
Below are some of the photographs I took at that event.
Sugar skull masks for sale by vendors
One of the many altars lining 4th Street
Marigolds and notes for deceased loved ones
Virgen de Guadalupe and marigolds
Young girls in traditional Mexican dress posing with La Catrina
Young girl celebrating Dia de Muertos with her family both living and deceased
Notice the food and drink laid out on the altar for the returning spirits of the deceased
Face painters do brisk business at the festival
Photography tips -
Lighting is mixed after dark so bring your fastest lens and shoot RAW if possible which will give you the flexibility to fine tune white balance and lift shadows in post processing. If you don't have very fast glass, come earlier in the day before the sun goes down and bump up the ISO. You will probably have to use flash in certain situations - you just kind of have to use your judgment.
Comic-Con International which puts on the world famous Comic-Con in San Diego is bringing Wondercon back to the Anaheim Convention Center this year on March 31 - April 2. There will be plenty of cosplayers there, and this is another great opportunity for photographers to get some awesome pictures. Andrew Raines @knightatticus as Rhaegar Targaryan and Miyuki Kitsune as Lyanna Stark Skyrim Forsworn - Alana Waffles @alanawaffles Star Wars cosplay Edward Scissorhands T-Flo @sakarson209 as Colossus and Fabian Jauregui @fj_209 as Wolverine Michael Terjesen @baneintherain as Bane from Dark Knight Rises Paul Galliano @thepaulg as Professor Snape and Brandon Pugmire @brandomire as Harry Potter Fairy princess Hope to see you there!
The premiere horror convention Monsterpalooza is back in the Pasadena Convention Center on April 7-9. This convention has something for all horror fans. Hollywood FX studios put on live makeup demonstrations and vendors have unique merchandise for sale. There are presentations, panels, and celebrity meet and greets where you can get autographs from the actors who brought your favorite horror movies to life. Also bringing their favorite characters to life are many creative cosplayers that attend this convention. As a photographer, there are so many photography opportunities. These are some of the pictures I took at last years convention: Akihito Ikeda demo at Monsterpalooza 2016. Actor Mick Ignis and assisted by Ayumi Komiyama. Akihito Ikeda at Monsterpalooza 2016. Actor Mick Ignis. Live makeup presentation at Monsterpalooza 2016. Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders cosplayers. The family that plays togeth...
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...
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