This past fall, I attended a marvellous celebration of Dia de Los Muertos, (Day of the Dead) in my neighbourhood here in Toronto. One of the central figures in this yearly celebration is La Calavera Catrina – The Elegant Skeleton Woman. At this particular celebration there were a number of “Las Catrinas” – part of a dance troupe – circulating before their performance, among the enormous crowd. I approached this Catrina and asked her if I could make her portrait, and she was very happy to oblige. But I didn’t just want this beautiful skull staring back at my camera, so I started talking to her, regaling her with how beautiful she was in her glorious regalia – skulls adorned with roses, feathers, and jewels. And before my eyes, she transformed, fully becoming La Calavera Catrina.