"Oh voyagers, oh seamen,
You who come to port,
and you whose bodies will suffer
the trial and tribulations of the sea
or whatever event.
This is your real destination...
not farewell. But fare forward."
T.S. Eliot, The Dry Salvages
This is a beautiful time of the year.
During the last week of October and the beginning of November, traditional Mexicana culture celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed on, by honoring a holiday christened the Day of the Dead, or Dia De Los Muertos. This is no sombre affair: Dia de los Muertos is a joyful, colorful celebration of life, a seasonal reminder on how precious this life is.
Capturing the spirit and the beauty of this cultural holiday are the images of photographer Raoul Ortega's most recent photograph series, Dia De Los Muertos. Raoul Ortega is a Sacramento photographer of note, probably best known as the unofficial-official photographer for designers Van Der Neer. His artistic eye keenly captures their modern yet romantic aesthetic.
These Dia De Los Muertos photos could easily fit inside the pages of a fashion magazine, but the images contain more than just pretty girls in colorful clothes. Caught on film is the concept that life while fleeting, is beautiful and worth celebrating.
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| All images by Raoul Ortega Photography. Used by permission. |
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| From the series, Dia De Los Muertos. Photos: Raoul Ortega Photography |
Raoul Ortega on Facebook
Raoul Ortega on FlickrSee the Dia De Los Muertos series in its entirety HERE.
30 comments:
These images are amazing and so colorful! They capture the Day of the Dead so well and in the right light too...a celebration!
Liesl :)
Beautiful Bella! So AWESOME!!!
Love these photos, very inspirational!...x
Wonderful photos and Mexican celebration.
Just what I needed.
Mil besos, my dear Bella
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Gorgeous photos, saturated with beautiful colors. And I love T.S. Eliot! This is a fantastic combination, Bella. Well done! XO, Jill
These are gorgeous photos! I love Dia de los Muertos. I hope there are some amazing celebrations in NYC :)
I'm blown away by these photos. Thanks for introducing me to such a talented photographer!
Santina
You KNOW how much I absolutely LOVE these!!! Soooo cool:)
The detail work is really out of this world...thanks for sharing!!
Enter my Shabby Apple Fab Frock Giveaway!!
I love this time of year. Makes me sad to have to miss out on all of the festivities of the Bay area this week though. He's such a talented photographer. Both artful and culturally fascinating to me and what a beautiful way to celebrate! Thank you for the intro of his work.
WOW! What an amazing amazing shoot! Great clothes.....great make-up......great photography!!! <3
Thanks for sharing... :)
I am so loving these since i'm obsessed with colour and costume make up - that last shot is amazing!
This time of year always reminds me of endless festivities in the lead up to my birthday... what with Halloween, Bonfire night... lots of celebrations, love it!
x.o.x.o
beautiful pictures - thank you for sharing these amazing pics with us!
Ariane xxxxx
incredibly beautiful
Beautiful images, love this!
A national celebration paired with the beauty of the Mexican vestidos and the indian traditional hair and accessories creates such stunning photographs.
These are really stunning.
I'd read about this tradition but the celebratory aspect of it wasn't emphasised so this post has been an education - wonderful photos!
Wow stunning images!
Bella, these photos take my breath away. Thank you for sharing these images as they made my day!
oh i love this...
i am hoping my makeup tonight will be even half as fabulous as this!
El dias de los muertos, un dia para celebrar la vida.
estoy super orgullosa que tu as escribido de un dia tan precioso. La gente se quibocan cuando ven el nombre, por lo serio que suena. Pero que bueno que tu aclaras que esto es un dia para celebrar la vida de uno, y de los que a pasado.
I love how I can share some spanish heritage with you my bella. This would be such a fun theme for a party.. hmm... maybe that'll be the theme for my 23rd birthday. How fun right? lol
Holy cow. These photographs are stunning!! I absolutely love the make up.
Wonderful post! I love the Day of the Dead tradition in Mexico, and these photos are absolutely breathtaking.
I love the wonderful art that comes with the Day of the Dead! I see these photos and they make me want to see the real thing someday!
Stunning photography! Thank you for introducing this artist.
Those images are stunning.
xo,
Tracy
Hola Amor,
I adorar Dia de los Muertos!
from the bright colors to the calavereas and what Dia de los muertos means, honoring our past loved ones. amazing fotos and modelos.Gracias for the follow.
besotes
Wow, how amazingly gorgeous!! I just love the use of color in Mexican traditional clothes. Clothes in south Asia are also similarly colorful and I really miss being surrounded by so much color.
I'm very grateful you showcase local talents like Raoul Ortega. It's awesome that Sac has such a great artistic and cultural scene. I live in Roseville and I'm often so starved for culture and art, lol! I'm glad I get to experience it vicariously through your blog! ^_^
the best halloween outfit of 2011
congrats
great post
Always following
The Dolls Factory
Lovely!
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