Be inspired by the photographers on the 2020 List. 2020 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Abbie Briggs ABBIE BRIGGS Madison UNITED STATES ABHAY PATEL Delhi INDIA ABHISHEK SINGH New Delhi INDIA ADAM SINCLAIR Melbourne AUSTRALIA ADESH GAUR Uttar Pradesh INDIA ADRIAN TAN SINGAPORE ADRIAN WHEAR Melbourne AUSTRALIA AHMET HOJAMYRADOV Minsk BELARUS ALEX FRAYNE Adelaide AUSTRALIA ALEXANDRA AVLONITIS Manhattan UNITED STATES ALEXEY STRECHEN Moscow RUSSIA ALICIA HABER Montevideo URAGUAY ANEEKA MANKU Birmingham UNITED KINGDOM ANGEL CARNICER Zaragoza SPAIN ANNA MARCHIOLI Clamart FRANCE ANNETTE LANG Nice FRANCE ANTONIS GIAKOUMAKIS Athens GREECE ANWAR SADAT Nairobi KENYA ARTURO CAÑEDO Lima PERU ASHISH PATEL Delhi INDIA ASSIA STARKE Vienna AUSTRIA ASTRID NEUNDLINGER Vienna AUSTRIA B JANE LEVINE New York City UNITED STATES BELINDA CORNEY London UNITED KINGDOM BENNY VAN DEN BULKE Adegem BELGIUM

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2022 List. 2022 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Adrian Pelegrin ADRIAN PELEGRIN Playa del Carmen MEXICO AHSANUL HAQUE FAHIM Dhaka, BANGLADESH AJ BERNSTEIN New York UNITED STATES ANWAR EHTESHAM Dhaka BANGLADESH ASEN GEORGIEV Sofia BULGARIA ASLI GONEN Eskisehir TURKEY BRIAN DOUGLAS Ontario CANADA CAHLEEN HUDSON New Taipei City TAIWAN CHETAN VERMA Gurgaon INDIA DEAN GOLDBERG New York UNITED STATES ELIZABETH PAOLETTI UNITED STATES EMIR SEVIM Istanbul TURKEY EMY MAIKE Baden Württemberg GERMANY FRANCESCA TIBONI Cagliari ITALY GABRIEL MIELES GUZMÁN Guayaquil ECUADOR GABRIELE GENTILE Parma ITALY GIANLUCA MORTAROTTI London UNITED KINGDOM GIORGIO GERARDI Venice ITALY JAN ENKELMANN London UNITED KINGDOM JEAN ROSS New York UNITED STATES JELISA PETERSON Texas UNITED STATES JENS F. KRUSE Mallorca SPAIN JONAS WELTEN Salzburg AUSTRIA LAINE MULLALLY Stockholm SWEDEN LELE BISSOLI Vercelli ITALY

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2025 List. 2025 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Stephanie Duprie Routh ABDULLA SHINOSE CK Malabar INDIA ALEJANDRO DAVILA Pachuca MEXICO ANTON BOU Montreal CANADA AYANAVA SIL Kolkata INDIA BETTY GOH SINGAPORE BUKU SARKAR Paris FRANCE CYNTHIA KARALLA New York UNITED STATES DAVID GRAY New York UNITED STATES EVA MALLIS New York UNITED STATES FANJA HUBERS Utrecht THE NETHERLANDS FUTURE HACKNEY London UNITED KINGDOM GIORDANO SIMONCINI Rome ITALY GUILLERMO FRANCO Córdoba ARGENTINA HIROYUKI ITO New York UNITED STATES JAY HSU Yilan City TAIWAN KAT PUCHOWSKA Barcelona SPAIN LAETITIA HEISLER Berlin GERMANY LUISA MONTAGNA Parma ITALY MASSIMO LUPIDI ITALY MATTEO BERGAMI Bologna ITALY MEERA NERURKAR Düsseldorf GERMANY NASOS KARABELAS Greece ATHENS NICOLA CAPPELLARI Vicenza ITALY PARISA AZADI IRAN & DUBAI PARVATHI KUMAR New Jersey UNITED STATES

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2021 List. 2021 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Meryl Meisler AGATA LO MONACO Gela ITALY ALAN THEXTON Melbourne AUSTRALIA ALEX RUTHERFORD Surrey UNITED KINGDOM ANDRES GONZALEZ Porto PORTUGAL ANDREW ROVENKO Melbourne AUSTRALIA ANDRÉ LOBÃO London UNITED KINGDOM AURÉLIEN BOMY Nantes FRANCE BARRY BOTTOMLEY London UNITED KINGDOM BASTIAN PETER Basel SWITZERLAND BEN ALLAN London UNITED KINGDOM BETTY MANOUSOS Athens GREECE CAMILLE WHEELER Austin UNITED STATES CARLA HENOUD Beirut LEBANON CAROL DRONSFIELD Brooklyn UNITED STATES CHICHEK BAYRAMLY Baku AZERBAIJAN CHRISTINA SIMONS Melbourne AUSTRALIA DAMIEN GORET Brest FRANCE DANIEL GOLDENBERG Buenos Aires ARGENTINA DANIELA PEREIRA Montevideo URUGUAY DANNY JACKSON Essex UNITED KINGDOM DAVID KUGELMAS New Jersey UNITED STATES DAVID LAWLESS Winnipeg CANADA DAVID SHORTLAND London UNITED KINGDOM DREW KELLEY California UNITED STATES EDUARDO ORTIZ Valparaiso CHILE

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2023 List. 2023 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Ypatia Kornarou AARON RUBINO San Francisco UNITED STATES ALESSANDRO GIUGNI Milan ITALY ALEX GOTTFRIED BONDER Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA AMY NEWTON McCONNEL Arizona UNITED STATES ANASTASIYA PENTYUKHINA Moscow RUSSIA ANDREE THORPE Ontario CANADA BARBARA PEACOCK Portland UNITED STATES BRANDEN MAY Atlanta, UNITED STATES DARREN SACKS London UNITED KINGDOM DOUG WINTER California UNITED STATES ELSA ARRAIS Leiria PORTUGAL FABIO CATANZARO Venice ITALY GILES ISBELL Chiang Mai, THAILAND IDA DI PASQUALE Rome ITALY JAN PONNET Antwerp BELGIUM JAYESH KUMAR SHARMA Varanasi INDIA JEFF ROTHSTEIN New York UNITED STATES JUAN BARTE Madrid SPAIN JUAN SOSTRE California UNITED STATES KONRAD HELLFEUER Görlitz GERMANY LEANNE STAPLES New York UNITED STATES MENA SAMBIASI Madrid SPAIN MONIKA JURGA POLAND NAIMA HALL New York UNITED STATES NSIRIES Bologna ITALY

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2024 List. 2024 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Anna Tut ALEXANDROS ZILOS Athens GREECE AMY HOROWITZ New York UNITED STATES ANA-MARIA ALB Bukovina ROMANIA ANN PETRUCKEVITCH UNITED KINGDOM ANNA TUT Krasnogorsk City RUSSIA CARMEN SOLANA CIRES Madrid SPAIN CATIA MONTAGNA SCOTLAND/ITALY DASHA DARVAJ UMRIGAR Karachi PAKISTAN DEDIPYA BASAK Kolkata INDIA EDWIN CARUNGAY San Francisco UNITED STATES FRANCE LECLERC Chicago UNITED STATES ISABELLE COORDES Münster GERMANY JOHN KAYACAN Los Angeles UNITED STATES JUSTINE GEORGET Lyon FRANCE MARIETTE PATHY ALLEN New York UNITED STATES MATTHIAS GÖDDE Beckum GERMANY MEI SEVA New York UNITED STATES MIA DEPAOLA Washington D.C UNITED STATES NAZANIN DAVARI Tehran IRAN PAUL COOKLIN UNITED KINGDOM PEDRO VIDAL Barcelona SPAIN RAFA ROJAS São Paulo BRAZIL ROMAIN COUDRIER Marseille FRANCE ROWELL B. TIMOTEO La Union PHILIPPINES SASHA IVANOV St. Petersburg RUSSIA

Presenting the work of visual storytellers from around the world. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. PICTORIAL STORY LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. PICTORIAL STORY A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. PICTORIAL STORY THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. PICTORIAL STORY ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. PICTORIAL STORY COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. PICTORIAL STORY OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. PICTORIAL STORY REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. PICTORIAL STORY WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. PICTORIAL STORY LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. PICTORIAL STORY WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. PICTORIAL STORY SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. PICTORIAL STORY RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. PICTORIAL STORY DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. PICTORIAL STORY SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. PICTORIAL STORY SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. PICTORIAL STORY 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. PICTORIAL STORY THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. PICTORIAL STORY ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. PICTORIAL STORY THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. PICTORIAL STORY IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. PICTORIAL STORY UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. PICTORIAL STORY VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. PICTORIAL STORY UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. PICTORIAL STORY NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. PICTORIAL STORY THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness.

Celebrating together the book launch of VOLUME ONE – NEW YORK! The photographers have captured the very essence of New York. THE PICTORIAL LIST VOLUME ONE - NEW YORK BOOK LAUNCH EVENT 10.19.2024 explore the event There may be no better way to communicate what we have done than through photography. Can you believe it?! We finally did it! It was with great excitement and pride that we got to celebrate together the book launch of VOLUME ONE – NEW YORK! When we officially started The Pictorial List in January 2020, it was a passion project born from our collective love of photography. We wanted to create something meaningful for photographers — a global, inclusive community that would inspire and support visual storytellers from all walks of life. This beautiful 276-page hardcover volume is more than just a book. It’s the embodiment of our mission to honor the past while propelling the future of contemporary photography. The photographers in this book have captured the very essence of New York — its vibrancy, its contradictions, its soul. They are all a testament to the power of photography to reveal, to provoke, and to inspire. Thank you to every one of you. You guys were our guinea pigs in this journey, and we are so thankful for your patience, graciousness, and the help you extended to us as we found our way. Your trust and collaboration made this publication possible, and we couldn’t have done it without your understanding and willingness to grow alongside us. Your work, your stories, and your passion are at the heart of VOLUME ONE – NEW YORK, and we are deeply grateful for your contributions. Thank you to Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico, my remarkable co-author, whose dedication, vision, and expertise was always instrumental in bringing this book to life. Karen’s passion for the project and her keen insight has enriched every page, adding depth and warmth to our story. I am deeply grateful for her hard work, creativity, and partnership throughout this journey. Thank you, Karen, for your invaluable contributions and unwavering commitment to making this book truly special. Here’s to many more creative adventures, new stories, and all the fun along the way! Special thanks to Meryl Meisler for her wonderful personal foreword and for welcoming our managing director and co-author, Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico, and our editor, Bill Lacey, into her and Patti’s home, giving us an intimate glimpse into Meryl’s creative process. Your generosity and openness have truly enriched this project, and we are so grateful for your contribution. A heartfelt appreciation goes out to the incredible Pictorial team — Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico, Karin Svadlenak Gomez, Bill Lacey, Ibi Gowon and John St. — who dedicate their time and energy every day. Their unwavering dedication is invaluable. The collective efforts in writing, editing, and curating daily have transformed The Pictorial List into a vibrant and creative platform. You write, edit, and curate daily, and it’s because of your hard work that The Pictorial List has become such a vibrant and creative platform. An immense and abundant thank you goes out to Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico and her husband, Michael Pomarico, whose dedication and tireless work behind the scenes brought this event to life. Their warmth and generosity were endless, hosting me with such care, treating me to wonderful experiences, and making me feel right at home. Beyond the unforgettable event, they shared the magic of New York City and the spectacular autumn colors of upstate New York with me — moments that will forever hold a special place in my heart. We would also like to express our gratitude to the wonderful Newburgh community. You have been so gracious in donating what we saw on the day. A very special thank you goes to Ted Doering and Shirley Noto, who generously allowed us to use this magnificent old bank to hold our event. Your kindness and support mean the world to us, and we couldn’t have asked for a more stunning venue to showcase this book. A big thank you to Michelangelo for filling the day with such beautiful music, and to Jessica for her warm and attentive hospitality. Your contributions made the event truly special! For over two centuries, the question has been asked: “Is photography truly an art?” At The Pictorial List, we believe the answer is a resounding yes. This volume stands as proof that photography is a vital expression of self — a medium capable of capturing both the extraordinary and the everyday in a way no other art form can. Thank you all for being part of this journey, and thank you for helping us celebrate the launch of VOLUME ONE – NEW YORK. We hope this book inspires you as much as it has inspired us. Here’s to the beauty, complexity, and endless possibilities of photography. Thank you 💖 Melanie Meggs Founder and Creative Director THE PICTORIAL LIST VOLUME ONE- NEW YORK BUY NOW

The Pictorial List was launched in January 2020 as a passion project to inspire and support the diverse community of photographers and visual storytellers. © Bill Lacey we are THE PICTORIAL LIST mission: Our mission is to support, elevate, and celebrate diverse voices through the visual arts, with a particular focus on photography as a powerful medium for storytelling. We aim to foster inclusive environments that inspire, educate, and connect visual storytellers from all backgrounds — regardless of gender, culture, race, life status, neurodiversity, or mobility — on local, national, and international platforms. By nurturing creativity in a supportive environment, we ensure that all voices are heard and visual narratives have the space to flourish. The Pictorial List Inc. is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit arts organization founded by Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico and Melanie Meggs in 2024, following the publication of their first hardcover book, The Pictorial List – Volume One – New York. United by a shared belief in the power of photography to elevate diverse voices and foster meaningful connection, Karen and Melanie co-founded the organization to expand the reach and impact of their curatorial work and to provide a platform for photographers. The Pictorial List began in 2020 as a passion project initiated by Melanie Meggs — a digital platform built to inspire and support a global community of photographers. Over time, it grew into a collaborative space for creative exchange, shaped by a dedicated team. Each member plays a vital role in helping the organization evolve while staying grounded in its founding values. … the goal of art was the vital expression of self. - Alfred Stieglitz WHY PICTORIAL? The Pictorial List was chosen as both a name and a philosophy — a nod to the Pictorialists of the early 20th century who dared to ask, “Can photography be art?” They believed in photography not just as a tool for documentation, but as a means of expression — equal to painting, sculpture, or poetry. Their photographs challenged conventions and opened new pathways for visual storytelling. At The Pictorial List, we carry that spirit forward. Like the Pictorialists, we believe in elevating the photographic voice, and we aim to spotlight those who use the camera as a brush, a mirror, a witness, or a whisper. Through our nonprofit work, we aim to advance the art and science of photography and multimedia by empowering artists — especially those from underserved, marginalized, and diverse communities — to harness visual storytelling as a means of advocacy, reflection, and creative transformation. THE PICTORIAL MAGAZINE Our digital magazine offers in-depth pictorial stories and interviews with photographers around the world. These features move beyond aesthetics, revealing the social, emotional, and personal layers behind each body of work. Whether focused on human stories, cultural shifts, or overlooked places, the photographers we feature share their worlds with generosity, honesty, and heart. At The Pictorial List, we believe in the quiet power of photography to reframe the world — and we are committed to ensuring that all voices have the opportunity to be seen, shared, and celebrated. DISCOVERY + INSPIRATION + COMMUNITY editorial team COFOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melanie Meggs COFOUNDER + EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico EDITOR Karin Svadlenak Gomez EDITOR Bill Lacey COMMUNITY MANAGER John St. COMMUNTY MANAGER Ibi Gowon

My first strong influences that sparked my interest in capturing street life go back to the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and German photojournalist Thomas Hoepker. For me, a good street picture must have some thought-provoking note beyond being merely decorative, some humorous or quirky details, some kind of storyline: telling an unstaged, candid story from the big theater of life. Humour in pictures is what I like best. I like pictures that pose questions rather than provide answers. Most of my photos are taken candidly; nothing is staged or manipulated. I like chasing for the offbeat, on a quest to find some extravaganza in the ordinary, some fun element, some beautifully layered scene. Any interesting scene that hits my eye. I try to stay as invisible as possible. Finding something special in the ordinary that might only exist for a split second before it’s gone forever. The two old grannies I captured in 1991 in San Gimignano, Italy, one with the Hanimex 110 pocket camera: a time document today. As all the millions of smartphones today will be at some point in the future. I would characterise myself as a classical flaneur – though sometimes more of a long-distance runner – with a camera. Ready to take action in an instant, react to any kind of scene that strikes my fancy and unfolds in front of my camera. And that’s what I love so much about this subject: you don’t need any clumsy gear, you don’t have to travel anywhere, you're always there! That’s why it is so magical for me, many have said this before: It’s positively an obsession! My photos have been featured in periodicals and on various digital platforms and hubs and have also received awards in international street photo festivals and competitions. THOMAS HACKENBERG My first strong influences that sparked my interest in capturing street life go back to the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson and German photojournalist Thomas Hoepker. For me, a good street picture must have some thought-provoking note beyond being merely decorative, some humorous or quirky details, some kind of storyline: telling an unstaged, candid story from the big theater of life. Humour in pictures is what I like best. I like pictures that pose questions rather than provide answers. Most of my photos are taken candidly; nothing is staged or manipulated. I like chasing for the offbeat, on a quest to find some extravaganza in the ordinary, some fun element, some beautifully layered scene. Any interesting scene that hits my eye. I try to stay as invisible as possible. Finding something special in the ordinary that might only exist for a split second before it’s gone forever. The two old grannies I captured in 1991 in San Gimignano, Italy, one with the Hanimex 110 pocket camera: a time document today. As all the millions of smartphones today will be at some point in the future. I would characterise myself as a classical flaneur – though sometimes more of a long-distance runner – with a camera. Ready to take action in an instant, react to any kind of scene that strikes my fancy and unfolds in front of my camera. And that’s what I love so much about this subject: you don’t need any clumsy gear, you don’t have to travel anywhere, you're always there! That’s why it is so magical for me, many have said this before: It’s positively an obsession! My photos have been featured in periodicals and on various digital platforms and hubs and have also received awards in international street photo festivals and competitions. LOCATION Braunschweig GERMANY CAMERA/S Sony A7 MkIII WEBSITE https://hackenberg.info/ @THOMAS_HACKENBERG_PHOTO FEATURES // Theatre of Life

In my work I investigate the contrasting sensations of life, of love/lovelessness, of common walking and in a more candid way, of the workers' struggle covered with those glimpses of modernity sometimes fictitious and other times not obtained. The street was my school to a great extent and photography was a logical consequence to express myself from my memories, what I observed, what I lived and what I learned through people, history, books and poetry books. "Sijifredo", is a work of visual storytelling that rescues one of the most striking aspects of my Father (the title of the work carries his second name), which was to build parallels between episodes of his history with what he saw in a current moment of his life. This visual journey, through its color atmospheres, explores the human desire to have the possibility of staying one more day with that loved one who has died, but who has left a deep mark in terms of values and spirituality, without selfishness and without any emotional debt at the time of his departure. JANO SANDOVAL In my work I investigate the contrasting sensations of life, of love/lovelessness, of common walking and in a more candid way, of the workers' struggle covered with those glimpses of modernity sometimes fictitious and other times not obtained. The street was my school to a great extent and photography was a logical consequence to express myself from my memories, what I observed, what I lived and what I learned through people, history, books and poetry books. "Sijifredo", is a work of visual storytelling that rescues one of the most striking aspects of my Father (the title of the work carries his second name), which was to build parallels between episodes of his history with what he saw in a current moment of his life. This visual journey, through its color atmospheres, explores the human desire to have the possibility of staying one more day with that loved one who has died, but who has left a deep mark in terms of values and spirituality, without selfishness and without any emotional debt at the time of his departure. LOCATION Santiago CHILE CAMERA/S Canon EOS 700D WEBSITE http://www.janosandoval.com @JANOSANDOVAL.PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // Sijifredo

PICTORIAL STORY GHOSTS OF THE ANDES December 11, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and story by Federico Quintana Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Photojournalist Federico Quintana focuses on editorial, wildlife, documentary and human-interest work. Now working on personal projects, Federico travelled to the Bolivian Andes, documenting the lives of people from salt and tin miners to remote indigenous tribes. In this fascinating story for The Pictorial List, Federico tells us about his time getting to know the culture of the elusive and mysterious Chipaya people, who live high up on the Bolivian salt plains. In the year 2000, I was working in Northern Argentina’s Salta and Jujuy provinces, covering a story on one of the highest railways in the world, “El Tren de las Nubes” a unique railroad system, covering the three frontiers of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina, which are all at an altitude between 4000 and 6000 metres on the Andean plateau. On the Argentinian frontier to Bolivia in the Jujuy region lies the first of the three greatest salt flats in the Andes, “Salinas Grandes”. I became very interested in this mysterious train that travels in this high altitude region, serving mostly indigenous people across these frontiers. I wondered at the time about how difficult the conditions of life could be in this area, as there is almost no natural drinking water available, crops are out of the question, and very few animals other than Llamas, Vicuñas and Guanacos can muster the altitude and climatic conditions, which can go from extreme heat and burning sun during the day to well below freezing conditions at night. It was here that while I was investigating, I heard rumours of a very particular indigenous tribe that lived in the middle of one of the largest and least known salt flats in the Andes. Coipasa, has a 70 km circumference and is second only to the much better known “Uyuni”, considered to be the largest in the world with its 100 km circumference at over 4000 metres altitude. These salt flats were created by the very quick rise (in a geological time frame) of the Andes, the second highest range in the world after the Himalayas. As the mountains were formed by the tectonic plate friction on the pacific side of the south American continent, these enormous salt water lakes rose to the clouds, and later simply evaporated, leaving a cape of salt several meters deep as the Andes rose. I started researching the possibility of reaching this remote tribe, but little information was available and no guide would dare venture in the Coipasa salt flats, as it was uncharted territory surrounded by the river Lauca, which often cannot be crossed. Bolivia is an ethnically very unique country in South America. Its population is ninety percent indigenous and directly descended from the great Inca empire, which extended across all the Andean regions. There are two main blood lines in the country, the Quechua and the Aymara, descended from Lake Titicaca and from Machu Picchu. In fact, Spanish is only the third language in Bolivia. The Chipaya are, however, a unique tribe in many ways. Most interestingly they don’t belong to either of the other groups and speak a unique language only known to them. The Chipaya say they descend from the Uros or Uru, a pre-Inca people of which most traces have been lost. What is known about the Uru is that they lived in conical shaped homes called “Chulpas”, made of earth and Lama remains, and were customarily not burying their dead, but leaving them sitting or lying in there Chulpa with no door and the possibility to be visited and offered coca leaves and alcohol by passers-by. The Uros were apparently chased away and decimated by the Incas, so they took refuge in the most inaccessible place they could think of to maintain their people and culture alive. The Coipasa salt flat, which was still flooded, had these requirements. The Chipaya call themselves “Qnas Soñi” or people of the water for this reason, and say they were here before the sun was born. To this day the Chipaya do not get along with the other tribes of ethnic Aymara or Quechua descendance and keep to themselves. I made a first attempt in 2001 to reach this elusive tribe. I had hired a guide from a geology mineral and mining company that had a lot of experience exploring the region for big international mining firms. The Andes are extremely rich in precious minerals, such as silver, carbon, copper, tin, selenium (nowadays fundamental for batteries) and even uranium. Even my guide though, had never seen a Chipaya and had only heard about them. We spent two weeks circumnavigating Coipasa in a desperate effort to reach the centre of the salt flats, but all attempts had failed, and extraordinary rains had rendered travelling with our vehicle extremely dangerous. The salt can form a thin layer, kind of like ice, and hide some very deep holes with water running underneath. They are called “Ojos del Salar” (eyes of the salt flat). If the vehicle should fall into one it would become unrecoverable. The rivers around were also too high to cross. So I returned home with my hands in my pocket and a curiosity level that was now worse than ever, and I decided to plan a second attempt in a drier season. On the second attempt to visit the Chipaya three month later, we finally managed, but still, it took us two weeks of trial and error to reach the centre of the salt flat, and once there, we weren’t exactly sure that we would manage to leave so easily. The main village, a few huts, two dirt roads, one north to south and one east to west seemed abandoned, only an occasional silhouette would appear in the distance but would quickly disappear after noticing our presence. We eventually encountered an elderly man who, despite a great language barrier (he spoke almost no Spanish, Aymara or Quechua), managed to explain that the village only served for school and village meetings once a month and that the Chipaya were going about their business scattered around the salt flats. After setting up camp near a crossing point on the Lauca river, we began to see a little traffic, and little by little the Chipaya started developing a little curiosity towards us. At first I would spend days walking great distances on the salt looking for distant Chulpas, but when I would reach the location I would find nothing. On occasion I would find scattered bones and skulls in their interior, mixed with fruits, cigarettes, empty bottles of sugar cane alcohol, and so forth. Silhouettes in the distance would still disappear very quickly after noticing me. It was only my persistence of not leaving that eventually led to an encounter. At dawn outside my frosty tent I heard a woman speaking to Manuel in very bad Spanish. This woman came just to find out what was our business in her territory. We had a lot of coca leaves with us — “ Pacha mama ” ( Mother Earth ). Across the Andes coca leaves are of incredible economic and spiritual importance, as they establish a connection to the spiritual world and are a means of exchange and monetary form, in addition to being a hunger and fatigue suppressant and to help with altitude sickness considerably. So after showing our good intentions, this woman slowly, day by day, introduced me to the Chipaya way of life and eventually introduced me to her family as well as the very special braids and clothing adopted by the tribe. Their way of life is still a mystery today, as the entire form of subsistence of the Chipaya is still unclear. The salt flat ground cannot grow any crops, and drinking water is just not available, except for the salty murky river waters that surround the flats. The Chipaya, like most Andean people, can walk incredible distances at high altitude and across very rough terrains, the women can easily walk 30 kilometres a day with a child on their backs, and I would see them disappear into nothingness ever so often. Very few animals also lived in the flats, mostly Lamas but it was also a mystery to me how they survive. A group of the strongest men in the community worked by mining the salt in unbearable conditions. The one and only vehicle in the village served that purpose and was a 1960’s old diesel truck. The miners would set up the truck in the wet season when the salt was softer, and spend a full day loading the truck in an eight man effort. At the end of the day, two of the men would set out for a 20 hour drive to sell the full truck’s load for the equivalent of 50 US Dollars, only to drive back and start over. But many men were missing, and I came to find out that several worked in abandoned tin mines further east and decided to follow up on that upon my return. I spent several more days with my acquainted Chipaya woman who little by little introduced me to her family and introduced me to community members in the village during a school-day. She had two little girls and one teenage boy who spent his days hunting for ducks or flamingos. As the flocks would fly over their Chulpa, he would cast out a “boleadora” consisting of three strings attached in the centre with three stones at the extremities. By rotating it fast enough he would send it flying as strongly as he could, hoping to intercept the flock of birds, eventually being successful for dinner. The woman's husband was at the mines. Miners in Bolivia have a history and tradition that dates back to colonial times when the Spaniards enslaved and forced indigenous populations to extract gold and silver for them and made Spain one of the richest and most powerful nations in the world. After their departure and the depletion of all their mines, thousands of kilometres of uncharted underground pathways were left abandoned, and Bolivian indigenous people claimed their ownership, threatening a great rebellion should there be any attempt to expropriate the mines. Because the indigenous population percentage is so high the government allows this, as indigenous rebellions would be stronger than governmental control. Miners in Bolivia hold some form of syndicate with its own rules and it is a great honour to become a miner. Nonetheless, being a miner, especially in tin mines, is not without a very high cost. Miners need to be chosen and accepted by other miners to start with. They come in very young, around the age of 15 or so but seldom make it very far beyond their thirties. The work in the mines consists of exploring uncharted galleries, without maps of any source and without any geological knowledge. It is about trial and error, but with dynamite sticks and rudimentary pump drills. The altitude is almost always around 6000 meters, and the underground exploration can go down sometimes to 500 meters. Tin gas is extremely toxic, causing profound emphysema and eventually killing the miners from lung disease. Furthermore, the passages and corridors are full of vertical ventilation shafts where a false step might send a man three levels down, and the use of dynamite in this environment leads to terrible accidents more often than not. Miners are strong in Bolivia, they can overthrow a government if they wish. Their lives are short, but they live proudly and are highly spiritual in their beliefs. Religion in these regions of the world is often Pagan, as there tends to be a mixture of the ancient ways and the Catholicism that was forced upon the population. What generally remains is a mixture of the two. A working day in the mines always starts with a reunion on the outside. The miners gather and discuss their daily plan as they equip themselves with the necessary tools. Among those, there is a substantial quantity of coca leaves and sugar cane alcohol in small plastic nylon pouches. The miners will later descend to their areas in small groups and gather in small cave-like rooms deep inside the mine. A process of drinking and praying to Pacha mama then begins and lasts for hours before the miners will start their exploration in wild physical conditions. They will ask mother earth to be forgiving, they know they are in the territory of demons and are afraid. They say that the Virgin Mary guards them outside, but inside they need to be friends with the demons “ Tíos ”. In fact, there are several statues throughout the mine, about life-size, completely painted in red with green blazing eyes and very obvious phallic conditions. Miners will enter these demon dens and offer them alcohol, coca leaves and lit cigarettes in order to be permitted to work in their turf with no harm to their person. The population size of the Chipaya was never very clear, as the community and tribe is never all together, but an estimate is of around 2000 people. The tribe had a lot of problems at the time from a lack of resources, mainly drinking water, and the government not acknowledging their existence. © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana © Federico Quintana Although this reportage is not very recent, I am quite sure the conditions of the Chipaya and miners across Bolivia remain the same to this day. view Federico's portfolio Read an interview with Federico >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. 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