Celebrating Life of the Day of the Dead – Tahiti Underwater Photography
“Every year, for the last 4 years, on the Day of the Dead I celebrate life!”
“As artists, our personal, creative projects keep our hearts inspired with beauty and love. My fine art photography project, La Catrina Sirena, combines my art, my love for the ocean, underwater photography and folk art.”
“Every year, for the last 3 years, on the Day of the Dead I celebrate life! The Mexican “Día de Muertos” is an inspiration for me – life reborn from death. This regeneration is especially poignant to me in relation to conservation. The day of the dead is a metaphor for the damage that we are doing to our planet and the hope that we have for recovery and new life.”
“I had the opportunity to travel to Tahiti in French Polynesia. I saw LIFE! As I heard the whales singing… and my heart grew of appreciation for the beauty all around us. I heard the ocean’s song in the deep blue. This planet is made of water and under the dance of the waves: life signs. As I heard the ocean song, I felt compelled to add my words and found a musician to help me write the music. This is a song for the ocean.”” – Sol
“My Tahiti underwater photography experience was incredible. Meeting freedivers in love, dancing around whales and sharks, I was so connected to the ocean and having a simple, real life. Loving and enjoying every day.”
“This year I am choosing to share less Catrinas with painted faces. This year I want to show real people, real stories and real life.”
Captain Aline in her element
“The amazing Captain Aline embodies the Catrina spirit. Aline is an adventurous soul who found her home in Tahiti. She found an abandoned catamaran on the beach – dead – salvaged it and refurbished it herself. She breathed new life into the bones of the broken boat. Now that dead shell is her home surrounded by sharks and an ocean teeming with life.”
“Aline and Adrien were one of the highlights of my Tahiti Underwater Photography project. They co-exist with the natural world 100%”
Aline and Adrien were one of the highlights of my Tahiti Underwater Photography project
“The Moorea local tour company showed us the incredible life and the truth about rays and sharks. Hollywood sold us the wrong story, sharks are friends and a vital part of the ocean ecosystem. They interacted with the dancing fish. The stingrays even choose to touch the people and “play” with them. Humans entering the marine environment with love, provokes positive and natural interactions. Each interaction, chosen by the animal, is a privilege: sharing moments in life.”
The stingrays even choose to touch the people and “play” with them
“Watching wildlife choose to interact with us is a proof that with love and respect we can all co-exist”
“One of my goals with Catrina Sirena project is to show the magic and the beauty that we still see in our oceans. There is still hope. Documenting the explosion of life force and vitality I saw underwater in Tahiti gives my hope. That we can find the energy to focus our attention on what is real and what is important above all.”
Documenting the explosion of life force and vitality I saw underwater in Tahiti gives my hope – Mother Humpback whale and calf
PHotographing a mother humpback whale and calf was incredible. I was listening to their songs and just loving everything as I moved through the water. “We live in a fast world, so fast that we forget our essence. We forget our connection to the whole and in our endless pursuit of more, we stop enjoying life and are killing our resources, our ocean.”
“Life in this planet depends on the balance. The line between life and death is thin. And I take this time of the year and the concept of La Catrina Sirena, Day of the Dead, to celebrate LOVE and LIFE.” – Sol
Life in this planet depends on the balance
Sol Tamargo – Concept, makeup, styling, photography, and song
Thanks from the bottom of my heart to the people that helped me in this year’s Catrina Sirena project:
Aline + Adrien: Tahiti Freedivers – See Aline’s Slow Marquesas Project on Facebook
Sophie Ellies: Tahiti freediver guide and whale whisperer
Cristobal and Panchita from Nomad Diving arranged the expedition
James Postma – freediver
Iris Vasconez freediver and Catrina
Sofia Ponce – freediver
Maria Leticia Rioja (music writer and interpreter of my song)
Rodrigo Fuentes Video editor
David Sanchez – Made my dream come true by taking me in this trip and shooting along me the underwater videos.
Pilar Escribano – Trip sponsor
The Jam Room – Studio recording the song
