Best of Week Day of the Dead Photographs: Mark Pollard

Professional photographer Mark Pollard from Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area has taken photos around the world but had never been to Oaxaca, Mexico before.  Mark joined us for the 2012 Day of the Dead Photography Expedition because he wanted to work alongside and get portfolio feedback from our workshop leader Bill Bamberger.

Mark selected ten photos to represent his best of the week. .

Photo 1: (Left) Masquerade Parade along Macedonia Alcala.  Photo 2: (Right) Girl with hanging bottles, by Mark Pollard.

Photo 3:  Lighting candles at the Xoxocotlan cemetery, Oaxaca, Mexico by Mark Pollard, who says, “The grave yard at Xoxocotlan was most memorable for me.  A fantastic experience that produced some engaging photos. Time there with the group and on my own was well-balanced, and so this was both a fun night out and the best way to share the experience with local people.”

Photo 4:  Mark captured this ethereal vision of Monte Alban from a different perspective.  We had a chance to see the world through his eyes, too.

“It was valuable for me to see images that others [in the workshop] took that differed from my own — seeing through their eyes will help break me out of some of my habits and experiment more,” says Mark.

Photo 5:  Mark steps right in to get close to his subjects and loved photographing the comparsas on the street.  They are a combination of street theatre, mime and parade.

Photo 6: (Left).  He captured the texture and color of this sand sculpture perfectly, and gave us the beautiful portrait in Photo 7 (right) of Teotitlan del Valle host Luvia Lazo.

“I found the planning to be thoughtful and comprehensive.  Adjustments were made that reflected the wishes of the group.  Bill did an excellent job in providing instruction without overly directing our work,”  says Mark.

Photo 8:  In Mark’s work we saw that there is beauty in simplicity.  Here he captured a family portrait married with sublime Oaxaca color.

Photo 9:  In search of another comparsa, Mark ended up in Jalatlaco to find the parade of the skeletons, a wall mural and a street reveler waiting for the parade to begin.

Photo 10:  And back on Macedonio Alcala, this parade featured a re-enactment of guiding the spirits back to the underworld lured by the aroma of copal incense and cempasuchitl, and the glorious color of cockscomb.

Mark Pollards adds, “I would strongly suggest this trip to others and will do so — a perfect introduction to this time of year in Oaxaca.”

For information about the 2013 Day of the Dead Photography Expedition in Oaxaca, please contact me!

Taking registrations now for Street Photography in Oaxaca starting January 16, 2013.