We gathered in photographer Luvia Lazo Gutierrez’s studio this morning at 9:30 a.m. to start our three-day photography workshop in Teotitlan del Valle. We are here to explore the Day of the Dead visual landscape of the village, gain creative insights and technical skills, and see the world through a more defined lens. I found myself noticing more details and finding the particularities of an object rather than stepping back to see the bigger picture.
This year, I sold a photograph to Scholastic Magazine and to a few others over the years. However, I’m not a professional. I always consider myself open to learning something new and to have my work (in whatever medium) evaluated with constructive feedback from others. That’s why I’m participating. Plus, it’s an inspiration and fun to walk around the village with Luvia, who was born and raised here. She has a lot of knowledge and is an excellent teacher. We trailed her like ducklings.
Apple flew Luvia to Cupertino recently to participate in the launch of the iPhone 16. They gave her a new phone (which behaves more like a point-and-shoot camera) plus a computer. At age 34, she is a success story. Her work has been featured in the New Yorker Magazine. She is recognized as an up-and-coming artist by Leica and Fujifilm, and she was selected for a five-month artist residency next year in New York. I’ve known Luvia since she was age 18, when she was first starting out in photography. She worked with me then to help organize Oaxaca programs taught by faculty from the Duke University Center for Documentary Studies. I’m proud to think I had a little something to do with getting her started.
Being part of a small group is very supportive and energizing. We also learn from each other, and while we notice the same things, we have different points of view. That can be very instructive as we share our work with each other.
After visiting the village market this morning and the cemetery this afternoon, we were asked to create a personal narrative through the photographs we will take over these three days. Luvia encourages us to tell a story to honor someone we love who has passed since we are here for Day of the Dead. She describes using photos to write a letter to a loved one rather than words. This could include images of favorite food and drink, flowers, colors. She says that when you learn to tell a story you have a tool for photography. With photography, your subconscious is always working.
Luvia also asks us not to be attached to every photograph we take and experiment. She suggests that we get closer, change angles, and choose a different perspective by photographing from below or above a subject. Photography can be conceptual rather than literal. She showed us photos of cactus leaves, for example, that looked like sculpture because they were close-ups and the eye saw the smooth skin of a corner of a plant rather than the whole.
If we want to take a photo of a person, Luvia reminded us to ask permission first: Puedo a tomar su foto?
Tomorrow, we plan to be at the market very early to capture the morning light, and then visit families where we will take portraits.
Here are a few of my favorite shots from today. I am using my iPhone. Others are using DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
For the black-and-white photos, I use an App called TinType. I like it because it plays with depth of field and shadows.
