 “The Guelaguetza, Dance of Gods” Limited to 15 participants A Zapotec word signifying “offering”; Guelaguetza was the term used to describe the ceremony and celebration held each year by the pre-hispanic inhabitants of Oaxaca to propitiate the gods in return for sufficient rain and a bountiful harvest. On this, the third year of this workshop, we will stay in Oaxaca, the State Capital, declared Humanity’s Cultural Patrimony by UNESCO. This city owes its fame to the beauty and harmony of its architecture, the richness of its cultural traditions, the wide variety of its typical foods, and its soft temperate climate, spring-like throughout the year. We witness the Guelaguetza celebration in the village of San Antonino, one of the few places where the event is celebrated in the traditional way. We will have unparallel access to photograph dancers and the event. “This is truly is a visually stunning event, the color, the dresses, the movement are a gift to the senses” In addition we will have day excursions to Monte Alban, ancient capital of the Zapotecs and one of the first cities in Mesoamerica. The Zaachila Market where animals are traded or sold. Teotitlan del Valle; traditional Zapotec village whose livelihood centers on hand-loomed wool weavings in striking traditional as well as contemporary designs, Tlacolula’s Sunday market that caters to the villagers in the towns to the east of Oaxaca, and Mitla, crown jewel of the pre-hispanic architecture. Joining Raul is award winning Mexican photographer Marcela Taboada, a long-term resident of Oaxaca, who adds her through knowledge of the local culture and heritage. With Raul and Marcela’s guidance and support, we photograph the amazing Oaxacan surroundings. Every day, in addition to reviews and critiques of images shot the previous day, highly graphic lectures on digital camera settings, accurate metering and exposure, composition rules, creative use of light: mixing different light sources, creative flash techniques as well as editing, sequencing and story development. A key part of this workshop is learning how to use the key tools in Photoshop CS3 and Bridge for the development of an efficient digital workflow. You will learn how to edit, sequence and catalog, how to adjust levels, sharpen and clean images, and how to create stunning black and white images among other skills. Package Price: $2595; price includes single accommodations at the lovely La Noria Hotel, one block from the town center, for seven nights; all breakfasts and lunches, plus two group dinners; airport transfers from the Oaxaca Airport and transportation for the excursions. To enroll please call the Santa Fe Workshops at 505-983-1400 or send an e-mail to info@santafeworkshops.com
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Photography: Raul Touzon
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