An Amazing Journey Gallery
Iquitos, Peru 2013
® Nilo Rebecchi
Iquitos once again, to look for other fragments of life of this unique community: an island surrounded by boundless nature. We return to the markets and to the harbors where life flows incessantly. With Ernesto and Stan we submerge ourselves in a multitude of people constantly moving, among intense odors, animals everywhere in poor ambience where, all of a sudden, moments of moving beauty reveal themselves to us and immediately peter out.
I try to free my mind and attempt to photograph guided by my instinct. Each morning, by looking at Stan’s photographs, I realize how much human richness permeates these places and I feel that his images indicates to me the road to follow. By being able to look at his images on a daily basis helped me greatly, a true gift.
One morning Ernesto proposed to us to leave Iquitos to visit some smaller communities that live along the Amazon river’s banks closer to the border with Colombia and Brazil. It was the true turning point of the workshop that made the whole trip unique and special. We spent four beautiful days there and we were bestowed with unexpected moments and situations.
These people that live by the river and the forest almost totally isolated gave us permission to enter into their life with in a simple and spontaneous way. Their lives solely relying on solidarity, essentiality and profound relations.
It was a beautiful and revealing experience. Ernesto teaches the workshop giving us the example of his total dedication to photography. I thank him for having shown to me how many new horizons are out there if you are willing to search for them. Nilo Rebecchi
® Stan Raucher
“Let’s get on this boat and see where it goes.” EB
A workshop with Ernesto is always an adventure, but this one proved to be an amazing adventure. After five days in and around Iquitos, a gritty, vital city of over 400,000 that is only accessible by air or water, three hearty souls: Ernesto, Nilo and I journeyed down the Rio Amazonas to see what lay ahead. None of us could have imagined what would unfold. Even after viewing our photos, it is difficult to fathom what we encountered. As always, the quality of our images was paramount. Nilo helped to assure this by both the careful editing of his own work and his comments on mine. His words:” I’m not convinced,” will echo in my mind whenever I’m editing my work. Regardless of how many workshops I’ve taken, Ernesto’s insights always help me to advance my work. After five wonderful days far down-river, we returned to Iquitos at the end of the workshop. I eagerly look forward to returning to Iquitos next year with mis amigos Ernesto and Nilo. Stan Raucher
