People of the Rainbow Gathering

Ever hear about Rainbow Gatherings? They're temporary community events typically held in outdoor settings; a place where people practice ideals like peace, love and harmony. The original Rainbow Gathering was in 1972 and was started as an alternative to mainstream popular culture. In the United States, the annual event is held on National Forest land from July 1 through 7. The highlight is when everyone gathers together in a large circle, and each person prays silently for peace.

After going to Rainbow Gatherings for several years, self-taught Canadian photographer and art director Benoit Paillé got permission to take portraits of his "brothers and sisters."

"The pictures you see are very precious since photography is not usually allowed during the event," he says.

Over the last three years, Paillé captured these moments at Rainbow Gatherings across Spain, Canada, and Mexico.

Benoit Paillé on: Flickr, deviantART, Behance

Tags: Benoit Paillé, People of the Rainbow Gathering

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Comment by FredZilch on May 29, 2011 at 8:17pm: People of the Rain Gatherings ... that's funny. We used to just call them smelly hippies back in the '60s. After sharing a bowl of herb we'd munch granola and hug trees.

Comment by sAm on May 18, 2011 at 5:56pm: Such amazing photos, well done!

Comment by karen acosta benitez on May 18, 2011 at 3:10pm: WOW.....................................................! BREATHTAKING

Comment by John Russo on May 17, 2011 at 10:00pm: the rainbow gathering photos are fantastic as are most of the stuff on this site. simply awesome.
however i'm bumed out by the comment made by d. voightlander.
it's a lousy thing to say.
negative & untrue

Comment by Alyssa Anda on May 17, 2011 at 12:56pm: @Carrie-I love that observation. It's exactly what I was feeling, but you put it into words. :)

The first photo is my absolute favorite! :)

Comment by Kristine Relojo on May 17, 2011 at 10:13am: An arresting bunch of photos! The photo of a man standing on rocks by the sea is my favorite.

Comment by D. Voightlander on May 17, 2011 at 9:40am: Those photos are so detailed, I can almost SMELL the dirty hippie smell. You can't cover that up with patchouli.

Comment by Mycycle Mic on May 17, 2011 at 9:27am: The Rainbow Gathering would roll through one of my old college towns, I'm not accusing anyone of anything, and the store keepers would get very on edge. Let's just say, a lot of inventory was moved with little exchange of currency.

Comment by Carrie Thovson on May 17, 2011 at 5:55am: I feel like I'm looking into the past and the future at the same time.