EXCLUSIVE TO SANTA FE PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS!

Day of the Dead in Mexico is a uniquely beautiful and joyful three-day festival—a time when families come together, prepare special foods, and create colorful altars in celebration of loved ones who have died. Our week begins with photographing the various preparations for Day of the Dead and Halloween in San Miguel de Allende. In the classroom, we review the use of our cameras in manual mode, practice techniques for approaching and photographing people, and review how to employ flash unobtrusively. To deepen our understanding of what we are witnessing, a cultural expert joins us to discuss the significance of Day of the Dead, and we make our own class altar to honor loved ones.

On the afternoon of Day of the Dead, we photograph the festivities in San Miguel’s main cemetery, where families gather with food and drink, decorate gravesites with marigolds, play music, and dance. In the evening, we visit some of the private homes with altars that are open for public viewing. Additional topics include digital camera settings, composition, low light situations, and metering. Each day also includes an edit-and-critique session of the photographs taken the previous day.