Two Pictures a Day
Oaxaca, Mexico 2018
® Linda Hollinger
This is my 5th workshop with Ernesto and my first time in Oaxaca and I hope it will not be my last! The Day Of The Dead “Dia de los Muertos” is a celebration of life more than a mourning of death, honouring the souls of loved ones with festivals and lively celebrations. It was a special gift to be able to enter the cemeteries to photograph very poignant moments as loved ones gathered to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. Ernesto has enabled us to enter a magical world that few people get to experience. He has cultivated a special relationship with the people he encounters and they recognise him and welcome him back. His strong bond with the local people afford us to experience a culture unlike any other, a world filled with spirituality and humanity. It was very special to be invited to a funeral, to be invited into a strangers home for a meal, or mourn at a graveside with a family we did not know. I am truly touched by the warmth and generosity of the Mexican people, their hospitality and simple way of being.
Our editing sessions were rigorous and educational, Ernesto’s honest and helpful critiques pushed us to improve our vision and to go beyond, searching for harmony between magic and culture.
Besides our critiques, we had the privilege to see Ernesto’s latest work. Thank you Ernesto for sharing those amazing, poetic, powerful images with us. I look forward for the book when it is completed!
I would like to thank my fellow students, Juan, so kind and generous. Your prints were amazing and I look forward to seeing your work from the workshop when it is complete. When I am feeling unhappy, I will think back to your “mushroom face” and smile!
Niki, your work is amazing. Your energy unbound! I have learned so much from the both of you and I feel very privileged to have shared this workshop with you.
Thank you Ernesto for making this workshop a very special journey. I hope to have the opportunity to return, one time is just not enough!
Linda Hollinger
® Niki Boon
I embarked on this course feeling that my photography required a lift or at the very least I was seeking further growth.
Ernesto more than delivered on this front. My artistic vision and life outlook have been enriched on so many levels after 12 days of deep learning.
I was utterly intrigued and absorbed by the region of Mexico that Ernesto and Juan introduced me to. The magic, the festivities and love we shared with the people and communities was magical and I will be forever grateful for these memories.
Thank you for sharing your time, your energy, thoughts and love Ernesto. Niki Boon
