9 Sanurai Gallery
Valles Sagrados, Peru 2019
® Alexander Rehorovsky
Dear Ernesto, you were so right when you wrote to me that this would be so much more than just a photography workshop. I enjoyed it to the last drop, your teaching, your kindness, the program that was so intense, the friendliness of the local people, the long walks in the thin air, the friendship of the group, the editing sessions and the future books that are going to be born, the unexpected ritual of the Timescale ceremony, the food and the single malts, the carnival festivities…seeing the men of the mountains turned into white birds suddenly appear running full speed from the mist at the horizon at 4500 meters felt so surreal…yet it were especially the simple moments, with the families, the shepherds, their children, up at their homes in the clouds that for me transformed the exotic into magical. I am taking home so much with me. Thank you Ernesto, thank you Patty, Giorgio, Milton, Calvin, Juan, Francesco, Xan. Hope to see you again. Alexander Rehorovsky
® Calvin Chen
Our friend Xan relays a story to us about a man he met on his travels. They were looking up at the big sky and the man turns to Xan and asks him…”where you come from…is there a moon?”
And with that one question, all of a sudden the world became more magical to me. Our trip is made up of many moments like this, small quiet magical ones that make you contemplate life and appreciate it on a different level.
In some sense it is about the photographs. But the photographs are a search for something higher, both a reflection of ourselves, and and of things greater than us.
I will carry with me all these moments… Juan’s gorgeous project of Mexico, Giorgio’s incredible book to be published, Milton’s moving use of color, Alex’s secret stash of whiskey, Patty not so secret endless stash of alcohol, Xan’s style that he still needs to pay me for, and Francesco’s incredible lightness of being.
Thank you Ernesto for bringing these Samurais together. We have all been reborn. Calvin Chen
® Francesco Pavia
Here we are in the Peruvian mountains, in an incredible and international group! An experience that has remained in my heart,
of real life, the peasants and their inexpressible hospitality, the power of nature and millenary rituals.
The sacred valley is a magical place, and rural areas are of an untouched beauty.
Strict and shared editing spared only the photographs that succeed in approaching poetry, or as Ernesto would say, “going beyond” reality.
The workshop is also pleasantly gastronomic, so don’t think about going back slim! Francesco Pavia
® Giorgio Negro
September 2005, Cuzco, Peru. It is the beginning of an adventure, of a journey, of a love story with photography and with continents that, like no else, lures me and, at the same time, makes me uneasy like a mirror reflecting the darkest sides of my soul. And also a beautiful friendships begins, a friendships that will go far beyond photography.
February 2019, Cuzco, Peru, again…. The journey stops for a fleeing moment, the friendship has transformed into many friendships, many extraordinary photographers. Some of them, gathered around a table here in Pisac, with passion and sweetness, help me make a dream come true. It is the birth of “Pathos”, my book, son of these 14 years spent looking for something that one cannot see but is there, under the surface of trivial things, hiding from our eyes everyday more hasty and more afraid of discovering that joy and pain do exist where we less expect it. 14 years of workshops and trips, alone or with some friend. A dream that in Cuzco has become a physical object, with a cover and 140 pages.
But the journey will continue, the dream will not fade away; I will not wake up anymore. Thank you Ernesto. Thank you Dario, Juan, Alexander, Calvin, Francesco, Milton, Patty, Xan and all those who have been dreaming along with me. Giorgio Negro
® Milton Zambrana
Deeper…more intense…the friendships…the experiences…like the simple food hiked in and served above 14000 feet…it nourishes everyone and somehow binds us all together. As the days go on we grow even closer and as always, some tears are shed. The pain of the climb is felt deep in the soul, it hurts to see such beauty and to realize how hard life can be at times…
We celebrate around a tree that in the end gets cut down and we all sweat together in the womb of mother earth. I heard someone say “thank you” for changing the direction of life itself…photography done in this way can do that…can alter a path…can alter how and what you see. Personally, I press the shutter fewer times and I feel rewarded for doing so…I always feel whole here. The daily edits are tough, the level is high as always and Ernesto’s subtle guidance is always sharp and on target. Ernesto, Juan, Patty, Xan, Giorgio, Calvin, Francesco and Alexander…my brothers…to walk among you, to see your work and get a glimpse at your humility has been a privilege that I will carry with me always. Long live the samurai! Milton Zambrana
® Patty Dada
A rich culture among magical mountains, a workshop that exceeded all my expectations (and that had already attended the Life and Death workshop in Oaxaca, which was infinitely wonderful), colleagues who learned enormously … grateful to the universe for the moment that we share. Really unforgettable moments.
This workshop was not only about photography; ended in a very enriching experience for all the senses. Calvin, I learned a lot from you just by watching you. You are a person with enormous qualities and very generous. Milton, the way you deal with people is, for me, an example to follow and your photographs are a delight. Francesco, I loved being with you. Your energy was magical, a thousand thanks!
Juan, Xan and Giorgio life gave us once again the opportunity to meet and make our friendship deeper and deeper. They are a treasure that the universe gave me. Thanks for inspiring me so much. I love you three so much.
Ernesto, to you all my gratitude; you cannot imagine how much you have helped me grow. Namaste. I hope to have you as a teacher on many other occasions; I hope that life will reunite us again soon. Patty Dada
® Xan Quintana
Magic happens, sometimes…and this time, it happened …again!
This time was Peru; the Andean misty mountains home to one of the most fascinating ancestral cultures: The Incas.
In this unique frame, a group of warm-hearted souls gathered together around and exceptional master of ceremony.
Photography was again the excuse, but another lifetime experience raised in all this context.
And just arriving, we hiked up high in the mountains, where there is no air; to witness an ancestral ceremony were men dressed like birds courted the women from the nearby villages. Something not to be forgotten.
Another day was a colorful carnival celebration where trees were dressed in party, with balloons flying around, while the locals dressed in their best costumes danced and singed around.
Or on another occasion, we were in this remote village where we stumbled upon this family with children that played around with “we, the astronauts” that had come from the outer space to share with them a few hours of an unforgettable encounter.
And unforgettable was also the Temazcal ceremony over new moon we shared. A way of being reborn again into something new….
But overall the magic was brought together thanks to an exceptional group of Human Beings that share this passion for photography, and share a respect, gratitude and joy for life…
And of course, none of this would be possible without the knowledge, experience and sensibility of an exceptional guide, that deeply knows the place and the culture and knows well how to get the most out of every one of us (photographically and humanly) in a very gentle and generous way…
Thanks Ernesto. Each time I go to one of your workshops, I feel I step forward not only photographically, but learn a lot about life itself. I hope life shall returns you a bit of the lot you’re giving to us.
And thanks as well to my ‘comrades’, with whom I shared laughs, thoughtful silences, single malt and whose solidarity and warm heart, fed mine. Your beautiful and soulful images motivate me to keep trying harder in this way of life that is called photography…
Gracias amigos! Gracias por la magia. Xan Quintana
