7 Nights and 8 Days, Sunday, October 28 to Sunday, November 4, 2012. Bill Bamberger returns in 2012 to lead this very popular expedition that gives you an intimate view of Oaxaca’s extraordinary Day of the Dead celebrations.
You get a taste of how the city and a smaller village celebrate. Bill teaches in the Folklore Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in the renown Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. His approach is both creative and technical.
Travel with us to Oaxaca, Mexico where you will explore the magic and mystery of Day of the Dead through photography– a feast for the visual senses. This seven-night, eight-day expedition is a cultural immersion experience. Come with us to document the food, religious symbols, people, cemeteries and family celebrations both in the city and in the rural Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle. By the end of the week, you will better use your digital SLR camera for visual storytelling and cultural discovery.
We will accept 10 participants. Last year we filled quickly. If this is something you’ve always dreamed of doing, don’t hesitate!
This workshop is for beginning and intermediate-level amateur photographers who want to learn more about their digital SLR cameras and move more comfortably beyond the automatic setting. Technical topics covered include using natural light, aperture and shutter speed, using a tripod for night-time photography, using bounce flash, focusing on details, photographing people and taking the time to set up your shot.
The workshop features documentary-style photography, which involves some degree of assimilation and a greater understanding of the culture and people you are photographing. On this journey you will photograph people in their natural settings, experience local rituals, visit family environments, all as you immerse yourself in both the city and rural life of Oaxaca.
During our week together, we will review each other’s work, give feedback, and offer supportive critiques. The workshop includes a mix of class instruction and being out on the streets to capture the action. We offer structured group discussion and opportunities for individual feedback with Bill during privately scheduled coaching sessions.
You will have the option to undertake an independent project during the week to document Day of the Dead family observances and rituals. Here is what 2011 participant, photographer Nick Eckert, created:
About Photographer and Educator Bill Bamberger
For two decades Bill Bamberger has been photographing people around the world and their daily lives. His photographs have appeared in Aperture, Doubletake, Harper’s and the New York Times Magazine. He has appeared as a featured guest on CBS Sunday Morning, About Books (CSPAN2), and North Carolina People with William Friday. His first book, Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory (DoubleTakeBooks/Norton, 1998), won the Mayflower Prize in Nonfiction and was a semifinalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
Bamberger’s work explores large social issues of our time: the demise of the American factory, housing in America, adolescents coming of age. A trademark of Bamberger’s exhibitions is that they are first shown in the community where he has chosen to photograph prior to their museum exhibition. Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory premiered in an abandoned department store a block from the closed furniture factory, while Stories of Home was first shown in a custom-designed 1,000 square foot mobile art gallery on San Antonio’s Mexican-American West Side.
Bamberger has had one-person exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and the National Building Museum. He was one of fifty-six American artists to take part in Artists and Communities: America Creates for the Millennium, the National Endowment for the Arts millennium project where he produced part II in an ongoing series about teenage boys coming of age.
Bill lives in Durham, North Carolina, and teaches photography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Duke University. He has lectured at museums and universities, and has taught classes and workshops for the public good in underserved communities across the country. His ability to relate to people to draw them into the photographic experience as a subject is why he makes an outstanding instructor. Website: billbamberger.com
Preliminary Itinerary (subject to change)
Day 1, Sunday, October 28: Travel to Oaxaca and check-in to our lovely bed and breakfast close to the Zocalo. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 2, Monday, October 29: After breakfast and a brief orientation, we’ll embark on a group walking expedition around the city, visit markets selling wild marigold, special breads, candies, and holiday ritual necessities. After lunch we will meet for class, then enjoy free time to capture the “magic hour” before dinner. Options to explore churches, street parades, public altars. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast, lunch.
Day 3, Tuesday, October 30: After breakfast and class, we will arrange an optional guided visit to Monte Alban and the Atzompa pottery village. Otherwise, you will have the day on your own. We’ll meet in late afternoon to review our best of day work. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast.
Day 4, Wednesday, October 31: After breakfast and class, you will have the afternoon free. At 3:30 p.m. we will go together to the famed Xoxocotlan cemetery for an extraordinary Day of the Dead extravaganza. This is a VERY late night, so be prepared! We will stay until at least 12 a.m. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast.
Day 5, Thursday, November 1: After breakfast and a debriefing session, we will leave for the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. After lunch and check-in at our bed and breakfast posada, we’ll enjoy a village walkabout orientation. Overnight Teotitlan del Valle. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 6, Friday, November 2: After breakfast and a briefing session, we will pair you with another participant and introduce you to a local host family for a cultural immersion experience. This gives you the opportunity to meet people and share in their customs and traditions. The families welcome you into their homes where you will share the traditional meal and go with them to the village cemetery. We’ll see you back at our B&B after nightfall. Overnight Teotitlan del Valle. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 7, Saturday, November 3: After breakfast we will share experiences and photos of the day before in our last class session. You’ll have the rest of the day on your own to meander or prepare your Best of Week photo exhibition and celebration supper. Includes breakfast and dinner.
Day 8, Sunday, November 4: After breakfast leave for your home countries.
What You Should Bring
1) Your energy and enthusiasm
2) Digital SLR camera
3) Laptop computer
4) Software for organizing and presenting images (such as Lightroom)
5) Batteries and battery charger
6) Camera Memory card(s) and data sticks
7) Pen and notepad
Plus, sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, sun hat
(Upon registration, you will receive a complete packet and information guide with suggested packing list and other useful information.)
Lodging/Accommodations. To keep this experience affordable, we have selected accommodations that are clean and basic. We will spend three nights in Oaxaca at a bed and breakfast featured in the New York Times, and three nights at a posada/hostel in Teotitlan del Valle. If you prefer luxury accommodations, please consider a different program.
Cost: The basic cost for the trip is $1,395. USD. This includes seven nights lodging shared occupancy with shared bath, seven breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners, transportation to the villages included in the itinerary, and all instruction. Most travel workshops of this type and length cost more than twice as much! It does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips/gratuities, travel insurance, liquor/alcoholic beverages, some meals as specified in the itinerary, site entry fees, and transportation.
You will have the option of sharing a double room with shared bath for the base price of the trip. Please indicate your preference.
Option 1: Double room with shared bath; $1,395. Deposit to reserve: $700.
Option 2: Double room with private bath; $1,595. Deposit to reserve: $800.
Option 3: Single Supplement, private room with private bath; $1,795. Deposit to reserve: $900.
Option 4: Add one night lodging in Oaxaca on Saturday, October 27, +$125 each.
Option 5: Add guided visit to Monte Alban and Atzompa pottery village, $65 per person (minimum of 2 people needed). We will arrange for one of the most knowledgeable English-speaking local guides to take you to this famed archeological site, explain its history and then take you to a great ceramics family of Atzompa.
Reservations and Cancellations
A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The final payment for the balance due (including any supplemental costs) shall be postmarked by August 1, 2011. Payment may be made by check or PayPal. We will be happy to send you an itemized invoice.
Please understand that we make lodging and transportation arrangements months in advance of the program. Deposits or payments in full are often required by our hosts. If cancellation is necessary, please notify us in writing by email. After August 1, no refunds are possible; however, we will make every possible effort to fill your reserved space or you may send a substitute. If you cancel on or before August 1, we will refund 50% of your deposit. We strongly recommend that you take out trip cancellation, baggage, emergency evacuation and medical insurance before you begin your trip, since unforeseen circumstances are possible.
To register, contact: normahawthorne@mac.com or call (919) 274-6194. We accept payment with PayPal only. Thank you.
This workshop is produced by Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary and substitute instructors without notice.
Hand-colored sand becomes sculpture depicting Day of the Dead scenes at gravesites and public spaces; by Nick Eckert.
Our group is here in Oaxaca for the Day of the Dead Documentary Photography Expedition. We are practicing using tripods and camera settings for night photography. Tonight is the REALLY BIG NIGHT. We are going to the Xoxocotlan cemetery. That did not stop us from staying out on the streets of Oaxaca until very close to midnight!
Cafe Society on the Zocalo, Oaxaca--Midnight
After dinner last night (at a really great Italian restaurant called La Vieja Lira, [Pino Suarez #100, Centro Historico, 951-516-1122] that I may write about later) we meandered to the Zocalo, cameras and tripods in hand. Bill Bamberger is an extraordinary teacher and coach, and every step of the way will check photo results, give tips and techniques, suggest various shutter speeds and ask us to stretch and experiment.
Blue Arcade, on the Oaxaca Zocalo at Midnight
I experimented with shutter speeds ranging from f3.5 to f9 using automatic Aperature setting on my Nikon D40X. I am using a 28-300mm Nikkor lens. The shutter speed for this one was f7. I started bracketing my photos, and decided I liked this one with the stronger shadows to show the curve of the ancient tree trunk. The zocalo is filled with trees like this.
Tree illuminated--On the Zocalo at Midnight, Oaxaca
I really wanted to capture the strength and sculptural beauty of those massive trees. Lots of pedestrians are out this time of night. Of course, it’s Muertos and there is a lot to celebrate.
Macedonio Alcala at Midnight -- Pedestrian Avenue
You can still see plenty of tourists and locals mingling this time of night. Note the man with the camera around his neck on the right! Perfectly SAFE in case you are wondering.
Just magical!
And, finally, the wonderful El Teatro Macedonio Alcala (below) at night. And, if you click here you can see what it looks like in daylight. The theatre is an incredible performance venue for classical music, theatre, and broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera.
Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos is a sacred celebration that welcomes back the souls of departed loved ones between All Saints Day and All Souls Day. This is a joyful, festive time in Mexico and nowhere is it more so than in Oaxaca, where indigenous pre-Hispanic traditions blend with Catholic ritual practices.
I took the photos in this video during Day of the Dead 2009 and 2010.
Dia de los Muertos is a festive, joyous and religious celebration that is one of the most important in Mexico. Families honor the memory of their ancestors and the continuity of life with the belief that the souls of departed loved ones return to visit once a year. A blend of ancient indigenous and European Catholic traditions, Dia de los Muertos is not a time of mourning. It is believed the practice began long before the Spanish conquest, perhaps as early as the Olmec civilization more than 3,000 years ago. Later cultures — the Toltecs, Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec and Aztecs — adopted the early practices. At the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century, the dominant Aztec celebration was held during the month of Miccailhitonitl presided over by the goddess of the same name (translated to Lady of the Dead).
In an effort to convert the indigenous people to Catholicism, the church incorporated the Aztec celebration with All Saints’ Day and All Hallows Eve (Halloween). In Oaxaca, the celebrations begin on October 31 and continue through November 2. Preparations begin weeks in advance. Although the skeleton is a predominant symbol for both Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, the meaning is very different. In Mexico, the skeleton (calavera) represents the dead playfully mimicking the living and not a macabre symbol at all.
Each Oaxaca village celebrates with parades and processions. Families make an ofrenda or offering on the home altar and on gravesite. In Xoxocotlan, the major celebration is at the cemetery on All Hallows Eve, the night of October 31. All Saints’ Day, November 1, is celebrated in San Augustin Etla and San Pablo Villa de Mitla. In Teotitlan del Valle, the village celebrates at their cemetery on All Souls’ Day, November 2. Throughout the city of Oaxaca there are calendas or processions throughout this several day period, including those with children dressed in costume.
The Ofrenda or Offering
Home altar rooms are the social center and spiritual hub of Zapotec households. This is where the family gathers and greets relatives and friends for engagements, weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, and deaths. Home altars are designed in a specific way to allow the spirits of ancestors to easily return to visit their living loved ones during Day of the Dead. In addition, businesses, hotels, restaurants, churches, museums and offices will also prepare an altar to honor their dead and await their spirits. Some altars will have a path of marigold flowers leading to it to help guide the way, depending upon family traditions. Altars are decorated with the favorite foods and beverages of the deceased along with their photos. Bread, chocolate, beer, mescal, a favorite soft drink, nuts and fruit, marigolds, sugar cane stalks, and skull shaped candies decorate the altar along with with the incense and candles. The aroma of fragrant flowers, copal incense, and the light of the candles are essential elements in helping the dead find their way back from the spirit world.
Visitors to Oaxaca homes in the city or in a village during this time should not go empty handed! It is a courtesy to bring a loaf of pan muerto, chocolate, a bottle of mescal or a six-pack of beer. The hospitality will be reciprocated: you will be offered hot chocolate, a slice of bread and a shot of mescal in true guelaguetza fashion.
The Xoxocotlan Cemetery is a frenzy crowds, candles, flowers, families picnicking, strolling musicians, local costumed revelers and a g-zillion visitors. The sun sets this time of year at around 7 p.m. and that’s when most people arrive. Even then, it’s difficult to find a parking space and there is a taxi line-up going into town. There are TWO cemeteries in Xoxo, and if you have time, be sure to see them both. They are about six blocks apart. The new cemetery is huge and that’s where the biggest party takes place. At the entrance is a giant tent with a bandstand and chairs for the audience. The music ranges from local bands with vocalists to symphony. Lining the side streets are tented booths selling food and carnival trinkets. The old cemetery is smaller and more serene. The grave sites abut each other with few places to walk without stumbling over a candle or a cross. At the center of this space is a crumbling, ancient church whose roof disappeared long ago.
In Oaxaca city, the Benito Juarez and Abastos Markets are filled with food, flowers, sugar and chocolate and sesame candy skulls, egg bread in various shapes decorated with painted heads of saints, mounds of cinnamon sticks, and fabled Oaxaca chocolate, plus whatever else you can imagine. You could get lost in the flowers.
So, as we think about Day of the Dead, it is important to challenge our own cultural beliefs by understanding that death in Mexico is considered a positive part of the life cycle and a time for remembrance.
About Day of the Dead: What it is and isn’t!
It is not Halloween. Mexicans have celebrated Day of the Dead for thousands of years.
It is not morbid; there are no pictures of dead people, ghosts, witches or devils.
It isn’t a cult. It is a Catholic ritual blended with folk culture.
It honors dead relatives, but it does not dwell on death. It celebrates life, cultural heritage, ancestors, and the meaning and purpose of our own life on earth.
Altars or ofrendas are not for ancestor worship, but for offering love and remembrance.
It is not a sad ritual, but a joyful one.
It is not about fear, but about love.
It is not “strange” and is like going to paying respects at a grave, leaving flowers, and lighting a candle.
It is not disrespectful; it is a reflection on the cycle of life.
Countdown to Muertos in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca
October 31–All Hallows Eve
Our family friend, Janet Chavez Santiago, tells us that we don’t want to miss being with them in the village of Teotitlan del Valle on October 31. This is when the Zapotec villagers go to the local market to buy the fruits and special bread for the altar that is part of each family’s home. Her brother Eric tells me that this market day in Teotitlan del Valle is one of the largest and most abundant of the year.
November 1–All Saints’ Day
Oaxacan Zapotecs believe that the souls of all their dead relatives will arrive in the altar room of their houses at 3:00 p.m. So, the family gathers there, eat tamales together, light candles and welcome the spiritual return of their loved ones. At 5:00 p.m. after the special comida, the practice is to visit the houses of their relatives to pay respects to the souls of the extended family members who have passed. Janet says that many family visitors come to their house, too, bringing gifts for the altar that include some of the favorite foods of the dead.
November 2–All Souls’ Day
Everyone stays home to rest, to visit more, and to be with the spirits of the dead relatives. At 3:00 p.m. the souls return to the cemetery and there is a family procession to the graveyard to accompany the souls as they re-enter the graves. Family members sit by the grave side in solitude and reflection in this village. The ceremony here is very low-key compared to Xoxocotlan.
Bill Bamberger is your expedition leader. He teaches at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies.
Travel with us to Oaxaca, Mexico where you will explore the magic and mystery of Day of the Dead through photography– a feast for the visual senses. This six-night, seven-day expedition is a cultural immersion experience. During this annual festival the city vibrates with color, music, and Mardi Gras-like energy. Come with us to document the food, religious symbols, people, cemeteries and family celebrations both in the city and in the rural Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle. By the end of the week, you will use your digital SLR camera for visual storytelling and cultural discovery.
This workshop is limited to 10 participants. Last year we filled quickly. If this is something you’ve always dreamed of doing, don’t hesitate!
Panteon Xoxocotlan I, Dia de los Muertos 2010
This workshop is for beginning and intermediate-level amateur photographers who want to learn more about their digital SLR cameras and move more comfortably beyond the automatic setting. Topics covered include using natural light, aperture and shutter speed, using a tripod, night-time photography, using bounce flash, focusing on details, photographing people and taking the time to set up your shot.
Learning documentary-style photography is different from taking photographs as a tourist. It involves some degree of assimilation and a greater understanding of the culture and people you are photographing. On this journey you will photograph people in their natural settings, experience local rituals, visit family environments, all while immersing yourselves in both the city and rural life of Oaxaca.
You will review each other’s work, give feedback, and provide supportive critiques, as we mix class instruction with being out on the streets. Instruction will include a mix of formal group discussion and individual feedback. You will have the opportunity to undertake an independent project during our stay in the Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle that focuses on themes central to Day of the Dead family observances and ritual.
2010 Dia de los Muertos Expedition Group
About Photographer and Educator Bill Bamberger
For two decades Bill Bamberger has been photographing Americans and their daily lives. His photographs have appeared in Aperture, Doubletake, Harper’s and the New York Times Magazine. He has appeared as a featured guest on CBS Sunday Morning, About Books (CSPAN2), and North Carolina People with William Friday. His first book, Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory (DoubleTakeBooks/Norton, 1998), won the Mayflower Prize in Nonfiction and was a semifinalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
Bamberger’s work explores large social issues of our time: the demise of the American factory, housing in America, adolescents coming of age. A trademark of Bamberger’s exhibitions is that they are first shown in the community where he has chosen to photograph prior to their museum exhibition. Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory premiered in an abandoned department store a block from the closed furniture factory, while Stories of Home was first shown in a custom-designed 1,000 square foot mobile art gallery on San Antonio’s Mexican-American West Side.
Bamberger has had one-person exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and the National Building Museum. He was one of fifty-six American artists to participate in Artists and Communities: America Creates for the Millennium, the National Endowment for the Arts millennium project where he produced part II in an ongoing series about teenage boys coming of age.
Bamberger lives in Durham, North Carolina and teaches photography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has lectured at museums and universities throughout the country and has taught classes and workshops pro bono in underserved communities across the country.
We selected Bill because of his unique perspective and in-depth experience.
Day One, Oaxaca: Meet fellow travelers and your instructor at our hotel for a pre-dinner gathering and discussion. Group dinner.
Day Two, Oaxaca: After breakfast, we’ll embark on a group walking expedition around Oaxaca city to see the highlights and get our bearings. After lunch we will meet for class, then enjoy the free time to capture the “magic hour” before dinner. Options to explore markets, churches, street parades, public altars.
Day Three, Oaxaca: After breakfast and class, have the day to explore on your own. Then after lunch, we’ll go to the famed Xoxocotlan cemetery for an extraordinary Day of the Dead extravaganza. This is a VERY late night, so be prepared! Options to explore Monte Alban archeological site or a crafts village.
Day Four, Teotitlan del Valle: After breakfast and a debriefing session, enjoy free time before we depart in early afternoon for the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. After check-in and lunch, we’ll enjoy a village walkabout orientation visiting artisans along the way. Then we’ll return to our bed and breakfast for supper.
Day Five, Teotitlan del Valle: After breakfast and a briefing session, you will meet and spend the day with a local host family for a cultural immersion experience to capture Day of the Dead indigenous traditions. This might include helping to decorate the home altar, preparing and participating in the ritual lunch, and accompanying the family to the village cemetery. We’ll see you back at our B&B after nightfall.
Day Six, Teotitlan del Valle: After breakfast, we will share experiences and photos of the prior day in our final class session. After visits to local artisans, you’ll have the rest of the day on your own. We’ll meet up in the evening for a Best of the Week photo exhibit and celebration supper.
Day 7, Teotitlan del Valle: After breakfast and a group photo, we’ll complete the evaluation and summary before saying our goodbyes
Note: Please make plane reservations to arrive in time to join us for the first evening orientation and dinner that begins at 6:30 p.m. Your flight departure time should be no earlier than noon on Friday. We are happy to make arrangements for you to arrive a day or two early or depart a day or two later at an additional cost.
Church of the Precious Blood, Teotitlan del Valle
Muertos Merrymakers
What You Should Bring
1) Your energy and enthusiasm
2) Digital SLR camera
3) Laptop computer
4) Software for organizing and presenting images (such as Photoshop Express)
5) Batteries and battery charger
6) Camera Memory card(s) and data sticks
7) Pen and notepad
Plus, sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, sun hat
(Upon registration, you will receive a complete packet and information guide with suggested packing list and other useful information.)
Lodging/Accommodations. To keep this experience affordable, we have selected accommodations that are clean and basic. We will spend three nights in Oaxaca and three nights in Teotitlan del Valle. If you prefer luxury accommodations, please consider a different program.
Cost: The basic cost for the trip is $1,295. USD. This includes six nights lodging double occupancy with shared bath, six breakfasts, three lunches, four dinners, transportation to the villages, and all instruction. Most travel workshops of this type and length cost more than twice as much! It does NOT include airfare, taxes, gratuities, travel insurance, liquor/alcoholic beverages, some meals, entry fees, and transportation.
You will have the option of sharing a double room with shared bath for the base price of the trip. Please indicate your preference.
Option A: Double room with shared bath; $1,295. Deposit to reserve: $650.
Option B: Double room with private bath; $1,495. Deposit to reserve: $750.
Option C: Single room with private bath; $1,645. Deposit to reserve: $823.
Option D: Add one night lodging in Oaxaca on Friday, October 28, +$150 each.
Option E: Add one night lodging in Oaxaca on Friday, November 4, +$150 each.
Option F: Add additional nights lodging in Teotitlan del Valle, November 4+ for $55 per night.
Oaxaca Valley, View from Monte Alban
Reservations and Cancellations
A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The final payment for the balance due (including any supplemental costs) shall be postmarked by August 1, 2011. Payment may be made by check or PayPal. We will be happy to send you an itemized invoice.
Please understand that we make lodging and transportation arrangements months in advance of the program. Deposits or payments in full are often required by our hosts. If cancellation is necessary, please notify us in writing by email. After August 1, no refunds are possible; however, we will make every possible effort to fill your reserved space or you may send a substitute. If you cancel on or before August 1, we will refund 50% of your deposit. We strongly recommend that you take out trip cancellation, baggage, emergency evacuation and medical insurance before you begin your trip, since unforeseen circumstances are possible.
Wild Marigold Drying, preparing for dyeing wool
To register, contact: normahawthorne@mac.com or call (919) 274-6194. Please make your deposit payable to Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC, and mail it to: Norma Hawthorne, 110 Blue Heron Farm Rd., Pittsboro, NC 27312. Thank you.
This workshop is produced by Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary and substitute instructors without notice.
Workshops, Retreats, Expeditions. We offer hands-on, in-depth educational programs and cultural immersion experiences with experts in their field who know how to teach. In small groups, limited to 10 people, you develop skills and explore your creativity with lots of personal attention. We pride ourselves on giving you an authentic, affordable learning experience that is safe and inviting. Come with us to discover Oaxaca as you deepen your knowledge and enrich your connection.
2007-2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material is prohibited without express and written permission. Excerpts, photos and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC along with a link to the original content.
Day of the Dead 2012 Photography Expedition in Oaxaca, Mexico
7 Nights and 8 Days, Sunday, October 28 to Sunday, November 4, 2012. Bill Bamberger returns in 2012 to lead this very popular expedition that gives you an intimate view of Oaxaca’s extraordinary Day of the Dead celebrations.
You get a taste of how the city and a smaller village celebrate. Bill teaches in the Folklore Program in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in the renown Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. His approach is both creative and technical.
Travel with us to Oaxaca, Mexico where you will explore the magic and mystery of Day of the Dead through photography– a feast for the visual senses. This seven-night, eight-day expedition is a cultural immersion experience. Come with us to document the food, religious symbols, people, cemeteries and family celebrations both in the city and in the rural Zapotec village of Teotitlan del Valle. By the end of the week, you will better use your digital SLR camera for visual storytelling and cultural discovery.
We will accept 10 participants. Last year we filled quickly. If this is something you’ve always dreamed of doing, don’t hesitate!This workshop is for beginning and intermediate-level amateur photographers who want to learn more about their digital SLR cameras and move more comfortably beyond the automatic setting. Technical topics covered include using natural light, aperture and shutter speed, using a tripod for night-time photography, using bounce flash, focusing on details, photographing people and taking the time to set up your shot.
The workshop features documentary-style photography, which involves some degree of assimilation and a greater understanding of the culture and people you are photographing. On this journey you will photograph people in their natural settings, experience local rituals, visit family environments, all as you immerse yourself in both the city and rural life of Oaxaca.
During our week together, we will review each other’s work, give feedback, and offer supportive critiques. The workshop includes a mix of class instruction and being out on the streets to capture the action. We offer structured group discussion and opportunities for individual feedback with Bill during privately scheduled coaching sessions.
You will have the option to undertake an independent project during the week to document Day of the Dead family observances and rituals. Here is what 2011 participant, photographer Nick Eckert, created:
About Photographer and Educator Bill Bamberger
For two decades Bill Bamberger has been photographing people around the world and their daily lives. His photographs have appeared in Aperture, Doubletake, Harper’s and the New York Times Magazine. He has appeared as a featured guest on CBS Sunday Morning, About Books (CSPAN2), and North Carolina People with William Friday. His first book, Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory (DoubleTakeBooks/Norton, 1998), won the Mayflower Prize in Nonfiction and was a semifinalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.
Bamberger’s work explores large social issues of our time: the demise of the American factory, housing in America, adolescents coming of age. A trademark of Bamberger’s exhibitions is that they are first shown in the community where he has chosen to photograph prior to their museum exhibition. Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory premiered in an abandoned department store a block from the closed furniture factory, while Stories of Home was first shown in a custom-designed 1,000 square foot mobile art gallery on San Antonio’s Mexican-American West Side.
Bamberger has had one-person exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Yale University Art Gallery and the National Building Museum. He was one of fifty-six American artists to take part in Artists and Communities: America Creates for the Millennium, the National Endowment for the Arts millennium project where he produced part II in an ongoing series about teenage boys coming of age.
Bill lives in Durham, North Carolina, and teaches photography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at Duke University. He has lectured at museums and universities, and has taught classes and workshops for the public good in underserved communities across the country. His ability to relate to people to draw them into the photographic experience as a subject is why he makes an outstanding instructor. Website: billbamberger.com
Preliminary Itinerary (subject to change)
Day 1, Sunday, October 28: Travel to Oaxaca and check-in to our lovely bed and breakfast close to the Zocalo. Dinner on your own. Overnight in Oaxaca.
Day 2, Monday, October 29: After breakfast and a brief orientation, we’ll embark on a group walking expedition around the city, visit markets selling wild marigold, special breads, candies, and holiday ritual necessities. After lunch we will meet for class, then enjoy free time to capture the “magic hour” before dinner. Options to explore churches, street parades, public altars. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast, lunch.
Day 3, Tuesday, October 30: After breakfast and class, we will arrange an optional guided visit to Monte Alban and the Atzompa pottery village. Otherwise, you will have the day on your own. We’ll meet in late afternoon to review our best of day work. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast.
Day 4, Wednesday, October 31: After breakfast and class, you will have the afternoon free. At 3:30 p.m. we will go together to the famed Xoxocotlan cemetery for an extraordinary Day of the Dead extravaganza. This is a VERY late night, so be prepared! We will stay until at least 12 a.m. Overnight Oaxaca. Includes breakfast.
Day 5, Thursday, November 1: After breakfast and a debriefing session, we will leave for the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle. After lunch and check-in at our bed and breakfast posada, we’ll enjoy a village walkabout orientation. Overnight Teotitlan del Valle. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Day 6, Friday, November 2: After breakfast and a briefing session, we will pair you with another participant and introduce you to a local host family for a cultural immersion experience. This gives you the opportunity to meet people and share in their customs and traditions. The families welcome you into their homes where you will share the traditional meal and go with them to the village cemetery. We’ll see you back at our B&B after nightfall. Overnight Teotitlan del Valle. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 7, Saturday, November 3: After breakfast we will share experiences and photos of the day before in our last class session. You’ll have the rest of the day on your own to meander or prepare your Best of Week photo exhibition and celebration supper. Includes breakfast and dinner.
Day 8, Sunday, November 4: After breakfast leave for your home countries.
What You Should Bring
1) Your energy and enthusiasm
2) Digital SLR camera
3) Laptop computer
4) Software for organizing and presenting images (such as Lightroom)
5) Batteries and battery charger
6) Camera Memory card(s) and data sticks
7) Pen and notepad
Plus, sturdy, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, sun hat
(Upon registration, you will receive a complete packet and information guide with suggested packing list and other useful information.)
Lodging/Accommodations. To keep this experience affordable, we have selected accommodations that are clean and basic. We will spend three nights in Oaxaca at a bed and breakfast featured in the New York Times, and three nights at a posada/hostel in Teotitlan del Valle. If you prefer luxury accommodations, please consider a different program.
Cost: The basic cost for the trip is $1,395. USD. This includes seven nights lodging shared occupancy with shared bath, seven breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners, transportation to the villages included in the itinerary, and all instruction. Most travel workshops of this type and length cost more than twice as much! It does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips/gratuities, travel insurance, liquor/alcoholic beverages, some meals as specified in the itinerary, site entry fees, and transportation.
You will have the option of sharing a double room with shared bath for the base price of the trip. Please indicate your preference.
Option 1: Double room with shared bath; $1,395. Deposit to reserve: $700.
Option 2: Double room with private bath; $1,595. Deposit to reserve: $800.
Option 3: Single Supplement, private room with private bath; $1,795. Deposit to reserve: $900.
Option 4: Add one night lodging in Oaxaca on Saturday, October 27, +$125 each.
Option 5: Add guided visit to Monte Alban and Atzompa pottery village, $65 per person (minimum of 2 people needed). We will arrange for one of the most knowledgeable English-speaking local guides to take you to this famed archeological site, explain its history and then take you to a great ceramics family of Atzompa.
Reservations and Cancellations
A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The final payment for the balance due (including any supplemental costs) shall be postmarked by August 1, 2011. Payment may be made by check or PayPal. We will be happy to send you an itemized invoice.
Please understand that we make lodging and transportation arrangements months in advance of the program. Deposits or payments in full are often required by our hosts. If cancellation is necessary, please notify us in writing by email. After August 1, no refunds are possible; however, we will make every possible effort to fill your reserved space or you may send a substitute. If you cancel on or before August 1, we will refund 50% of your deposit. We strongly recommend that you take out trip cancellation, baggage, emergency evacuation and medical insurance before you begin your trip, since unforeseen circumstances are possible.
To register, contact: normahawthorne@mac.com or call (919) 274-6194. We accept payment with PayPal only. Thank you.
This workshop is produced by Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to alter the itinerary and substitute instructors without notice.
Hand-colored sand becomes sculpture depicting Day of the Dead scenes at gravesites and public spaces; by Nick Eckert.
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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Photography, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats
Tagged Bill Bamberger, blogsherpa, class, course, creative, day of the dead, dia de los muertos, expedition, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, workshop