"A surreal experience that left me with a feeling of love and celebration for life."
How I did it: I cleaned my camera thoroughly a day before, and I went to the nearby cemeteries here in Cholula (Mexico) from Nov. 1st to the 4th. I took many pictures of graves, as well as details, landscapes, and some candids of people.
I also took photos of the previous activities in the market and also of fronts of homes. While I was at it, I got invited inside a home by a woman to pay respects to her recently-deceased mother. I took a photo of the superb altar she had in the entrance. She gave me a bag with bread and fruit as a token for my visit. What a lovely tradition! Later on, I learned that it's customary to bring a long white candle to offer the family when you visit them.
Being with a camera out and about opens you up to many unexpected experiences —and those are the best :)
Lessons & tips:
- Mexico is a good country to photograph, and Oaxaca State is particularly famous, but Puebla turned out to be photo-worthy, too.
- To get more people into the photos, go to the cemetery on November 1st & 2nd, which are the Day of All Saints and Day of the Dead, respectively.
- To get more decoration and less people, go 1-3 days after; the flowers, weather permitting, are still holding up.
- Bring a hat and a bottle of water. I got a bit sunburned. I got early to the cemetery, but I stayed longer than anticipated, way past midday.
- Besides details, also take "landscape" photos of the cemetery in general.
Resources:
- A camera
- November 1st & 2nd
- People decorating their family's graves
It took me 4 days.
It made me awed
See more progress on: photograph the day of the dead
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