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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Thirty One: Interpreting cultural festivals -- Mexico’s Day of the Dead > A Cloud of Incense, The Day of The Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005
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02-NOV-2005

A Cloud of Incense, The Day of The Dead, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005

A pot of burning incense creates clouds of smoke that mysteriously rise from a grave on The Day of the Dead. I moved in to emphasize the roses on this grave – both those in the sun and others in the darker background, where the long stems of other flowers create an arch. Through it all floats scented smoke, creating a screen of abstraction that is as hauntingly beautiful as it is mysterious.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30
1/100s f/5.6 at 49.4mm iso80 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time02-Nov-2005 16:28:58
MakePanasonic
ModelDMC-FZ30
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length49.4 mm
Exposure Time1/100 sec
Aperturef/5.6
ISO Equivalent80
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance (10)
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis21-Aug-2006 23:48
The red flowers represent the flavor of life. The mysterious incense conveys the rites of mourning here. The two forces stand in juxtaposition to each other, creating a form of spiritual tension. As you say, Christine, the two seem to have combined as a celebratory dance of the spirits, a perfect metaphor for this holiday, The Day of the Dead.
Christine P. Newman21-Aug-2006 21:23
It is interesting how the flowers remain of such a bright red with the incense. It is like a celebration, a dance of the spirits as the others have said.
Phil Douglis24-Nov-2005 05:00
Thanks for joining the dialogue I have been having with Mia over this image, Diana. I am glad you see the spirits surrounding the living in this photograph, because that is the essence of what The Day of the Dead in Mexico is all about.
Guest 23-Nov-2005 23:53
The spirits in the smoke surround the living. I love this image.
Phil Douglis15-Nov-2005 23:26
Thanks, Mia, for adding specifics. I can't see your dead soldier, but I see the butterflies, and I felt the presence of the spirit in the smoke you mentioned earlier. The scent of the incense and flowers was overpowering. It was a very sensual experience, and I shot image after image until the smoke's mysterious flow evoked the very feelings you are expressing here. Yes, Mia, I felt it when I was there. How could I not feel it? The smell, the sight, the sound of the celebrants, the distant music, the tension of being surrounded by crowds of both living and dead persons, sent shivers down my spine. I could see the clouds of incense from a great distance and gravitated towards them and proceeded to shoot until I had expressed what I wanted to say to you.
Mia 15-Nov-2005 22:07
Phil, I enjoy the exercise and your reaction is my reward. It is great to deal with someone who is so open-minded.
Now, back to that picture – I “see” some spirits. For example, on the (almost) top right side of the picture, between the red and the white gladioli, I see the top of a greenish caped no-faced person looking slightly down (maybe the soul of a dead soldier). On the left side, I see small white butterflies in the gladiolas,…
There is so much life, action and interaction in this picture. In general, I have the impression that the bright and clear part on the left bottom side represents our down to earth world while the section in the white smoke seems more ethereal, almost spiritual, but also very much alive. And I think the scent of incense must add to that spiritual dimension. Did you feel it Phil, when you were there?
Phil Douglis15-Nov-2005 21:07
Mia, your imagination is marvelous. You can never go too far in responding to my pictures, so no need to ever apologize for your wonderful imaginings. Now that you mention it, I can see spirits in that smoke, too. If you want to give the spirit a gender and a costume, that's fine. I don't know who you are, and I can't go to your own galleries to comment on your images, or even send you an email to thank you, but you are becoming one of my favorite mystery guests. I greatly enjoy your ability to enter an image and let your mind go with it. Please don't stop!
Mia 15-Nov-2005 20:54
I can almost imagine the curved white gladioli starting a slow dance movement with the rising smoke, accompanying the barely visible fairy with a transparent white robe who dances gracefully in the middle, above the roses. In fact, she is partly in the top roses. I like to imagine that the spirits use that white smoke to show themselves to us in a very subtle way. They are soothing our souls. Thanks for giving us that opportunity Phil. (I apologize if it is going too far.)
Phil Douglis14-Nov-2005 23:27
Thanks, Mia, for this thoughtful commentary. I like your phrase "mysterious sort of disorder" -- that's exactly what I see as the basis of this image. The difference between the flowers that are full of health and those that are wilting might well be a metaphor for the living and the dead people who share equally in this festival. Most of all, I am delighted that your imagination is moved to such a degree by this photograph. That, for me anyway, is why I make such pictures and teach expressive photography.
Mia 14-Nov-2005 22:39
Phil, Yes, this is a beautiful and mysterious sort of disorder and I can imagine the incense floating in the air. The mood created by the white smoke and the white flowers is fantastic and the sun shining on the red roses help to create a great contrast. The colour red represents at the same time the life and the blood. Some flowers are dying, others look very healthy. The shiny metal can on the left adds incongruity to the picture. I like what this picture does to our imagination.
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