¡Feliz Día de los Muertos! While we enjoy Halloween, we’re just as interested in Día de los Muertos, Mexico’s famous Day of the Dead holiday. Every November 1st, the people of Mexico and Mexicans around the world gather with their families to remember their loved ones who have died. We thought we’d honor this day too by sharing some striking sugar skull portraits. Taken by 500px photographers, these shots are inspired by a popular symbol of the Day of the Dead—calaveras, which means “skull” in English.

The traditional custom is to decorate a sugar or chocolate skull in colorful patterns, and the names of living people are written on the skull’s foreheads and given away as gifts during the holiday. Whether you’re looking for something spooky or stunning, you’ll find inspiration in these colorful portraits:

Browse more skull portraits inspired by Day of the Dead.

To discuss portraiture techniques