Travel is well and truly possible again in South America. South America, where my family and I still find ourselves.

Over the next two posts, I want to share the photos from my journey. From the beginning in 2018, to almost the present.

All the photos are taken from a digital book that’s part of a larger educational travel photography resource “The Photographer’s Mindset” A Blueprint To Powerful Photos. In the book and in the videos, I do a deep analysis of all these photos. The resource is currently on special, you’ll see links to it in the blog.

With these photos and the little stories, I want to provide some inspiration. Maybe you’ll even get a few ideas for where you might want to travel if you decide to make it to this amazing continent.

Colombia - Where it all began

My journey to South America started in Colombia in the most random of ways. I had never been to Latin America before. and having studied Spanish in university, it was one of my main goals as a traveler to make it here. One day I said “That’s it. I’m going! I don’t know where specifically, but I’m going!”

I was choosing between Mexico, Panama and Colombia. To go to Mexico seemed a little expensive at that moment. It was raining hard in Panama and, Colombia seemed to be just the place to start with, especially if I were to buy a car and drive down the continent, which I was considering. So… Colombia it would be.

Colombia will always have a soft spot in my heart. It was my introduction to Latin America. The people are probably the warmest I’ve met on this continent so far. The country is also truly stunning in places. I made some great friends here. In this photo is of one of them.

Ruth is a dancer. Like many other beautiful young Colombian women, she loved to be photographed. It wasn't long before she asked if I could make a frame of her in front of the stunning backdrop, at a shopping centre in Medellin of all places.

Medellin is a buzzing city, surrounded by spectacular mountains on all sides. It’s the pride of Colombians and definitely a place to visit.

In the same region as Medellin, which is called Antioquia, there are countless coffee plantations in those mountains. The mountains are green and it seemed like it was foggy every time I drove through there.

This particular frame, like many others, is the result of a chance encounter. I had just made a toilet stop by the side of the road. As I was walking back towards the car, I noticed a couple of faintly outlined figures coming out of the fog, walking towards a crossroads ahead of me. I grabbed my camera and walked up to the figures. I could make out a man in a cowboy hat with two horses.

The region of Boyacá is one of my favorites in Colombia. It’s mountainous, the people here are tough, but welcoming, and it’s fascinating photographically.

There are numerous animal fairs around Boyacá. Here, people buy and sell animals. There are also contests for the best-bred animals. Countless opportunities for the photographer.

This boy would practice throwing a lasso over the necks of the sheep. He’d tie them to the fence and untie them again. Through a game, he was preparing the kind of work that would be required of him as he's mature.

My highlight in Boyacá was my time with a local family, the Rincones. When I was driving one day, I saw Olga, the mother, and her son Benjamin standing along a rural road. Since they were trying to hitch a ride, I picked them up.

Later I met their daughter, Isabela, and, to cut a long story short, I soon became a friend of the family. I was visiting their finca, or countryside house every other day. You can watch a video about my time photographing them HERE.

Above is Isabela with her mum, in one of the rare tender moments that I actually managed to capture. Isabela has matured quite a bit since we met. Having been inspired by me and some other travelers who have wandered into their world, she wants to be a photographer.

When I wasn’t busy, Olga would occasionally ask me to drive food to her animals at the finca. One day we picked up the kids after school, loaded the food on my car’s roof rack, and headed off.

The finca was on a hill above the town of Mongui. Olga would unload the food in a pretty photogenic spot. The sheep approached as usual, but when Benjamin and Isabela came into the frame and this moment happened, I had an opportunity to get something special.

Isabela’s favorite pet was a dog she named Hutchy. She'd take Hutchy everywhere. She even dressed her in human clothes. I found this behavior to be pretty eccentric and quirky, both of which make for potentially great images.

One day, I was off on my own at the finca. When I got back to the house, I didn’t see anyone. I called out to the kids and Olga, but got no reply. I went inside and called again. Still no reply. As I approached the entrance of the bedroom, Hutchy, who had been lying on the bed, stood up to take a peek through the doorway. She looked at me with a very human expression as if to say “Yes, can I help you with something?”

The children always wanted to show their favorite animals affection. Sometimes, it looked like they were a little rough, but they grew up with animals, close to nature, and had such a good feel for that world. As a result, they never went too far with all of those hugs and cuddles.

One day, Olga suggested that we have a bonfire at the finca. “We’ll cook some food and Isabela will play the violin. It’ll be beautiful.” She didn't need to be a fancy artist to appreciate beauty. The children were also excited. The bonfire would be something special in an otherwise mundane week. A few of the Rincones' friends were also invited.

We left before dark, carrying the pots, pans, food, and Isabela's violin. When the sun had set, we started the bonfire and fed it with firewood. Isabela took out the violin and began to play. She continued for a while; we encouraged her and enjoyed the moment.

Ecuador - the gateway to the south

I didn’t explore Ecuador anywhere nearly as much as I would have liked. However, I don’t travel to tick-off boxes. If I connect with a place, or with people, I stay.

In Ecuador I made a connection with a porter who carried boxes of fish in a port at Puerto Lopez. We became friends and I shot a film about the port, and him. Through our friendship a whole world opened up to me, so I photographed and filmed that too.

You can learn more about the port and the photo above in a video I posted on Youtube HERE.

The porter’s name is Alex. He has an insane story, which I shot a film around too. Maybe one day I’ll finally edit it. I visited Alex’s family in a sort of a ghetto area in Guayaquil, my favorite city in Ecuador.

The photo above is from a day of bingo in the barrio. Despite the neighborhood being considered dangerous, and not by any means desirable, there was a strong sense of community there. The people were amazing and, it was colorful and photogenic.

Having spoken to Alex, as I was writing this, I found out that sadly, the place has become worse. An all-out drug war has broken out. People get shot every week and, well… I wouldn’t have likely been able to hang out here as I did back then.

Peru - the closest I’ve had to home… for a while.

Peru is where I’ve been since the Pandemic began. I haven’t stayed so long in any country since I became an adult. Not even in my actual home in Sydney.

So, Peru has become a home of sorts for me and my family. We’ve become comfortable here, and happy. But… it wasn’t like that initially.

The (mostly) inhospitable coastline

My introduction to Peru was the desert coastline. Spectacular, but inhospitable and unforgiving. Along the entire coastline there are only certain pockets, where life can be pleasant and relaxing. Where the wind isn’t overwhelming and the waves aren’t deadly.

The famous Pan American highway follows the coastline all through South America. Sometimes it goes inland and there are diversions that take you back towards the shore.

After entering Peru, I was looking to spend at least a few nights by the shore. One afternoon I finally found the ideal place to camp without too much wind. I picked a spot between some dunes, not far from a beach. I thought that I was all alone, which was my general aim when looking for camping spots. The safety situation along much of Peru's coastline isn’t great, so it was better not to be seen when stopping for the night.

Soon though, I learned that I wasn't alone. When I climbed one of the dunes to appreciate the view, I saw some commotion further up the beach. A group of fishermen was casting a net from the shore and had a truck ready to collect the catch. For a moment, I was disappointed that my spot wasn’t so isolated after all. But my photographer instincts quickly took over. I ran to the fishermen and was soon making images.

Though much of the coastline is not great for living, there are plenty of places that are amazing photographically. If you’re open to looking beyond the postcard-like imagery and are ready to embrace the rough and the raw.

Of course, that’s not to say that some places can’t be stunningly beautiful. There is a lot of beauty. Wild, untamable beauty, like in the natural reserve of Iiescas. Where the ocean relentlessly smashes the shore, and sea lions, rather than surfers or sunbathers dominate the beaches.

Further down the coast, things don’t change for the most part. There are some enclaves with humans, some fancy beachside villages not far from the capital - Lima. But, the rest is wilderness. Not far from the world-famous Nasca lines, there’s another national wilderness reserve called San Fernando. More sea lions, rocks full of pelicans, and unspoilt coastline.

A brief trip through the jungles of Peru

When the restrictions of the pandemic were completely lifted, we traveled to the only area of Peru which we didn’t know at all - the jungle.

The jungles actually make up a huge part of Peru. Most of Peru is jungle! But, this jungle is impenetrable. Much of it can only be navigated by rivers. We stuck to the parts which we could access by car.

We only spent a couple of months in the area. I didn’t photograph much. Life was too enjoyable. Clean rivers, waterfalls, family time.

Coming down from the high jungles of Chachapoyas, we stopped in a tiny village called Aguas Claras - Clear Waters, so named for the crystal-clear river which passed through it.

The image above was made in front of one family's home. Just off to the side, the elderly couple’s daughter was selling fried bananas and chicken. They were spending time with their grandchildren, talking and watching life go by.

Stick around long enough on almost any street with people, and something is bound to happen. I talked to the man in the hat, occasionally fired off frames and suddenly… the little dog jumped out the door. I was ready.

We drove to Yurimaguas. The last large town in the jungle reachable by road. The ports of Yurimaguas were full of action. Small boats from the surrounding riverside villages, large ferries coming from and heading to Iquitos. Passengers, porters, cows, furniture, fruits, wood. A crazy mix that’s so unusual to most of us in the so-called “developed world” but so characteristic of life in the Peruvian jungles. You can watch a whole mini-film that I made on Yurimaguas HERE.

I’ve also made other blog posts about our time in the jungles. Further Into The Peruvian Jungles and At The End Of The Jungle Road.