Lens on a human landscape captured in Oaxaca
One of the most frequent complaints about contemporary photography is that we’re flooded with a constant stream of images, most of which don’t deserve our attention. The very nature of how we "feed" with images has in fact changed, with most people no longer even seeing photos in front of a computer screen but in the much smaller one of a mobile phone. This, in addition to creating the conditions for rapid and distracted observation, therefore superficial, of photographs that are affected by a continuous scroll doesn’t allow certain images that would require a wider viewing surface to be appreciated. Such is the case with photos like this:
I took this photograph in Oaxaca de Juarez, from a bridge that allows us to approach the Central de Abastos (general market) of the city. These are the kind of images that present the vastness of space but at the same time give the opportunity to read something about the human condition and therefore offer a reflection on the people who live in this place.
On paper, I can assure you, a photo like this you caress it while you look at it. If we look at the negative we can highlight the elements even better thus having a better perception of the composition:
From observing the positioning of people within a vast space like this and seeing them immersed in activities, others simply waiting, perhaps a bus or a taxi, we have elements of understanding the society that populates the place.
This bed of asphalt inspires me a lot and I photograph it anytime I am there in Oaxaca. From a bridge overhanging a vast motorway junction, circled by buildings and structures, I can see a urban landscape that not anyone is going to photograph. And the main reason is because is considered not a nice place of the city, even dangerous, where you find prostitution and maybe drug dealers and thieves. It is the Oaxaca you don’t expect, the one of the working class, not the touristic Oaxaca.
My eye as a street photographer is fascinated by it. I observe from the bridge and take the photograph that will tell me a lot about the journey and an idea of photography that is certainly not that of many photographers who come here and who perhaps take refuge in the cliche.
Hey, guys, if you want to live a fantastic experience in Oaxaca until June 30th the Day of the Dead Photo Expedition is offered at a special price that allows you to save money. Check it out:
Oaxaca, Mexico · 2027
More than a decade leading Día de Muertos photography expeditions in Oaxaca
One photographer. One mentor. One experience.
Día de Muertos in Oaxaca is one of the most extraordinary moments of the Mexican year.
For four days, you will photograph Oaxaca during Día de Muertos with Alex Coghe, working exclusively one-to-one and developing your own photographic response to this extraordinary celebration.
This is not a group workshop.
There will be no group of photographers moving through the streets together, no predetermined group itinerary, and no pressure to photograph the same subjects as everyone else.
The experience is built around a simple idea:
Photography is ultimately a personal and solitary act.
We can walk together, photograph together, discuss photographs together, and learn from each other. But the moment of seeing and making the photograph belongs to the individual.
This is why this experience is deliberately private.
You will have Alex's direct attention throughout the experience, allowing the days to develop according to your interests, your photographic approach, and the reality we encounter in Oaxaca.
Oaxaca During Día de Muertos
There are few places in the world where photography, culture, memory, and human emotion intersect as powerfully as they do in Oaxaca during Día de Muertos.
For four days, we will photograph throughout Oaxaca's historic center, traditional markets, neighborhoods, cemeteries, public celebrations, and surrounding communities.
We will respond to what is actually happening rather than following a rigid itinerary.
Día de Muertos is intense, emotional, chaotic, beautiful, and deeply human.
It offers extraordinary possibilities for documentary photography, but it also demands sensitivity, patience, observation, and respect.
The purpose is not to collect photographs of Día de Muertos.
The purpose is to experience it, understand what is happening around you, and create photographs that reflect your own way of seeing.
A Completely Personal Photographic Experience
Everything is adapted to you.
Your photographic experience.
Your interests.
Your way of working.
Your pace.
Your equipment.
Your ideas.
You may want to concentrate on documentary photography, portraits, the urban landscape, human encounters, the rituals themselves, or the quieter moments surrounding the celebrations.
We can follow those interests throughout the experience.
We can spend hours walking and photographing.
We can stop to discuss a photograph.
We can return to a location at a different time.
We can change direction because something unexpected has happened.
We can spend time photographing without interruption and later sit together to look at the work.
There is no group schedule to follow and no need to wait for other photographers.
The experience belongs to you.
Your Photographer and Mentor
The experience is led by Alex Coghe, an Italian photographer, photojournalist, educator, and writer based in Mexico City since 2009.
Alex has worked professionally in Mexico and internationally for more than fifteen years, photographing documentary stories, portraits, editorial assignments, urban environments, and everyday life.
His work has been published internationally, including by L'Équipe and France Football, and his professional experience has also included projects for Leica and Burberry.
Since 2011, Alex has worked with photographers from different countries and at very different stages of their development.
His approach to teaching is based on observation, intuition, visual awareness, editing, and the development of a personal photographic language.
Technical perfection is never the primary objective.
The goal is to become more conscious of what you are seeing, why you are photographing it, and what you want your photographs to communicate.
During the experience, Alex will work directly with you in the field, discussing your photographs, your decisions, your approach to people and places, and the development of your own visual narrative.
Photography Before Technique
You do not need a particular camera.
You do not need a particular lens.
You do not need to follow a particular photographic style.
What matters is your curiosity and your willingness to look.
Photography is not primarily about having the perfect equipment or applying the correct technique.
It is about seeing.
The technical aspects matter, but they should support your vision rather than replace it.
The experience is therefore designed to help you become more aware of your own photographic decisions and gradually develop a more personal way of working.
Field Work
The days will be spent photographing across Oaxaca and responding to the constantly changing environment of Día de Muertos.
Depending on your interests and on what is happening during your stay, our work may include:
Historic Oaxaca and its streets
Traditional markets and neighborhoods
Cemeteries and Día de Muertos rituals
Public celebrations and processions
Family and community traditions
Portraits and encounters
Night photography
The quieter moments surrounding the celebrations
The human and urban landscape of Oaxaca
Nothing is guaranteed or staged.
The strongest photographs often appear when you stop looking for the expected image.
Editing and Sequencing
Photography does not end when we stop shooting.
Time will also be dedicated to reviewing and editing your work.
We will look at what you photographed, identify the strongest images, discuss sequencing and visual consistency, and consider how individual photographs can become part of a larger body of work.
Editing is an essential part of photography.
A strong photograph is important, but understanding how photographs work together is what can transform a collection of images into a coherent body of work.
You will leave Oaxaca not simply with a large number of photographs, but with a clearer understanding of what you are trying to say through them.
Who Is This For?
The experience is suitable for photographers at different levels.
You may be relatively new to documentary or street photography, or you may already have years of experience and want to work more deeply on your vision.
Previous experience is not required.
What matters most is curiosity, openness, and a genuine desire to photograph.
You do not need to photograph like Alex.
You do not need to photograph like anyone else.
The purpose of the experience is to help you photograph more like yourself.
Gear
Travel light.
One camera and one lens are often more than enough.
A 28mm, 35mm, 40mm, or 50mm lens can work extremely well in Oaxaca, depending on your approach.
Bring spare batteries and memory cards.
A laptop can be useful if you would like to work on editing during the experience.
Comfortable walking shoes are essential.
Most importantly, bring the camera you know and trust.
What Is Included
✔ Four days of private one-to-one photographic guidance with Alex Coghe
✔ Field photography throughout Oaxaca during Día de Muertos
✔ Individual photographic coaching
✔ Direct field guidance and discussion
✔ Individual image editing and sequencing session
✔ Personal portfolio and photographic development discussion
✔ Local transportation related to the photographic activities
✔ Pre-experience preparation and planning
✔ Assistance with photographic planning before arrival
✔ Three nights accommodation in a centrally located place in Oaxaca City
✔ Welcome dinner
Optional Companion
The experience is designed for one photographer.
If you would like to bring a companion who is not participating as a photographer, this can be arranged in advance.
A maximum of one additional companion is permitted.
The companion can join you during the experience and share the accommodation, subject to availability.
Additional companion: $500 USD
If the companion also wishes to participate as a photographer and receive photographic instruction, the experience becomes a private two-person workshop and the price will be adjusted accordingly.
What Is Not Included
International or domestic flights
Airport transfers
Meals other than the welcome dinner
Travel insurance
Personal expenses and gratuities
Photography equipment
Anything not specifically listed in “What Is Included”
Investment
Private One-to-One Día de Muertos Experience
$2,400 USD
The experience is limited to one photographer.
Dates are arranged privately according to your travel plans and Alex's availability around Día de Muertos.
Because accommodation and local arrangements become extremely limited during this period, early planning is strongly recommended.
Why This Experience Is Different
Most photography workshops bring photographers together and ask them to follow the same itinerary.
That model can work.
It is simply not how I want to teach photography.
I believe that photography is ultimately an individual act.
We may walk together, talk, look, photograph, and edit together, but the photograph itself is yours.
There is something important about giving a photographer enough space to see without constantly being influenced by what several other photographers are photographing beside them.
This experience is therefore intentionally private.
No group.
No predetermined photographic style.
No race to make the same photograph.
No pressure to produce a particular kind of image.
Just you, your camera, Oaxaca, Día de Muertos, and the opportunity to work closely with an experienced photographer who can help you look more carefully.
More Than a Photography Workshop
Día de Muertos disappears quickly.
The streets change.
The celebrations move.
People return home.
What remains are the photographs.
The purpose of these four days is not simply to document one of Mexico's most famous celebrations.
It is to use Oaxaca as an environment in which to look, photograph, edit, question, and develop your own way of seeing.
You will have the opportunity to work in the field, discuss your photographs, edit your work, and think more deeply about your photographic practice.
This is not a photography tour.
It is not a group workshop.
It is a private photographic experience built around you and your way of seeing.
One photographer. One mentor. One experience.
ABOUT THIS PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE YOU CAN READ:
https://fstoppers.com/opinion/dia-de-muertos-cannot-be-photographed-hurry-902337
