El Dia del Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is popular celebration throughout Latin America, especially in Mexico. I know zombies are the flavor of the month in today’s popular culture, but that is not what this celebration is about.
The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday and is celebrated throughout Mexico. Family and friends get together to pray and remember their loved ones who have passed away. This is not a time of mourning, but rather it is a joyful celebration of life, food, friends and family.
The history of the Day of the Dead is a syncretism of Pre-Hispanic and Spanish customs. The celebration takes place on November 1–2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).
In the beautiful colonial city of Oaxaca, Mexico I was able to take in the sights, sounds and smiles of the Day of the Dead.
On the days leading up to November 1 and 2 (along with celebrating the Catholic holidays, on the 1st, people celebrate the lives of lost children, and on the 2nd they celebrate the spirits of adults) many parties erupt on the streets of Oaxaca. This is another Day of the Dead tradition called Comparsas which is a carnival-like procession of people in costume, dancing and wild music accompanied by a banda band (think Mexican Polka music).
On the morning of October 31, young children, dressed in costumes and accompanied by their parents and teachers, paraded around town on their way to school. The children comparsas circled around the town’s zocalo (public square) which made for a vibrant public spectacle.
Photographing this procession was exciting, but technically difficult at times since there were fast moving subjects in low light. Two keys elements in street photography are preparedness and patience and they surely came in handy that morning.
I remembered a quote from photojournalist Steve McCurry when he learned to watch and wait on life. “If you wait,” he realized, “people will forget your camera and the soul will drift up into view.”
I waited patiently for a “soul to drift up into my view” and I was rewarded with this bewitching portrait.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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One of the highlights of photographing El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Mexico was visiting the small town of San Agustin Etla about ten miles outside of Oaxaca. The town is known for their wild celebrations, outrageous costumes and nonstop Banda music.
Most of the world is familiar with Halloween since it is a huge commercial enterprise, especially in the United States. While death is treated as something to be feared in Halloween tradition, the exact opposite holds true with the Day of the Dead where death is looked upon as a source of celebration.
The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday and is celebrated throughout Mexico. Family and friends get together to pray and remember their loved ones who have passed away. The celebration takes place on November 1–2, in connection with the Catholic holidays of All Saints' Day (November 1) and All Souls' Day (November 2).
The Day of the Dead celebrations are embodied in the town of San Agustin Etla where my five senses were duly assaulted by outrageous costumes, deafening music, enticing street food and a boisterous party atmosphere.
The evening’s festivities culminated in a friendly town rivalry in which the neighboring town paraded over to San Agustin’s central square to begin a face to face show down. I knew the atmosphere was going to be unhinged when I saw a security squad of men with batons form a human barricade between the two towns.
For a good hour or so the two towns partied on their respective sides of the street trying to outdo one another with flamboyant costumes, riotous dancing and piercing Banda bands. Of course, I happen to be right in the middle of all of it.
I set my camera on a low ISO setting and fired my Canon 550 EX Speedlite flash to “drag the shutter” which gave this scene a sense of motion to convey all the commotion that was happening around me.
After experiencing the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, Halloween will never be the same.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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I am back from my epic Mexico trip just in time for Thanksgiving here in America! I am still processing the photos from my amazing time in photographing the most Mexican holidays, El Dia del Muertos or The Day of the Dead, in Oaxaca City.
The Mexican people believe that the spirits of the dead come back to visit the living on earth, usually this occurs on the 1 and 2 of November and on these nights and others, many families gather in local cemeteries to celebrate the dead. They cover the gravesites with colorful flowers and thousands of candles. Many generations within a family sit around the gravesite and have a party for dead family members. They eat their favorite foods, drink mescal, a liquor made from the agave cactus, and they sing while the mariachis play the deceased’s favorite songs.
Just outside of Oaxaca City is Xoxocotlan Cemetery where you can truly experience The Day of the Dead festivities. On the night of October 31, many local families begin their nightly vigils in this small cemetery, that is densely packed, as they sit by the tombs and wait for the return of the spirits.
I stood off in the distance observing this family before I approached them and asked permission to take a photo.
“¿Photo, por favor?”
The two gentlemen responded with a nod of approval all the while the two young ladies were completely unaware of my presence since they had their complete attention towards their cell phones and texting as fast as their fingers would allow.
Finally, the older gentlemen on the left started to speak of their deceased relatives and the two young ladies quickly put away their cell phones and gave him their undivided attention.
Of all the photographs I took that evening this one happens to be my favorite. This photograph embodies the essence of El Dia del Muertos with the portrayal of generations of families coming together as one to celebrate, learn and respect the spirits of their deceased relatives.
Photographed with my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 24-105 f/4 L IS lens at 6400 ISO using just the ambient light of the surrounding candles.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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“Most of my images are grounded in people. I look for the unguarded moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person’s face. I try to convey what it is like to be that person, a person caught in a broader landscape, that you could call the human condition.” - Steve McCurry
Photographing Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebration in Oaxaca City, Mexico put my skills as a travel photographer to the test. The fast paced action of the spontaneous street parades, the wild Banda bands and joyous spirit of the Mexican people made for a memorable week.
While I spent a good portion of that time behind the lens, I also found time to step out from behind it and be an active participant in the celebrations and meet the locals.
I met Alejandro, a college student, on my second evening in town and he invited me to join his group of girlfriends and dance the night away on the streets of Oaxaca.
I had a unique cultural experience getting my haircut from Carlos the barber. Although I took four years of Spanish in college, it was still a task to communicate with him to make sure I would not go bald. In the end, I still had my hair and he taught me about futbol and I shared my passion for American football.
I met Cesar while enjoying my morning coffee at a sidewalk cafe on Oaxaca’s zocalo (public square). He shared some great tips on where to photograph the best street parades and the small cemeteries, without tourists, where I could get an intimate feel for the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead.
Now that I have returned to the United States, looking at my photographs brings both happiness and sadness. As much as I cherished meeting, photographing, and understanding the Mexican people, I also know that I may never meet these people again in my lifetime.
Everyone I met on my journey had a story to tell and storytelling is the essence of a travel photographer.
Come join me on my journey....
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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"To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy." - Henri Cartier-Bresson
The children's parade (comparsas) at Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos) in Oaxaca City, Mexico.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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