Behind Cinco Aventuras

Cinco Aventuras is a collection of five photographs. Each one came out of an adventure that shaped how I see the world and how I make pictures. These are the stories behind them.

Growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, elevated by mountains and surrounded by clouds, my world felt expansive but grounded. I spent hours watching nature documentaries on Discovery and NatGeo with my father, who shared his love for the wild with me. I’d imagine myself as part of those expeditions, uncovering untamed landscapes and hidden worlds.

Those early dreams planted a seed that has grown into this lifelong pursuit: chasing light, adventure, and stories across every landscape I can reach.

When my family moved to the U.S. in search of peace and opportunity, my dreams were still a work in progress. I went through phases: wanting to be a YouTuber, an architect, even some kind of businessman.

One ordinary day in June 2017, I spotted a Spiny Orb Weaver spider with a fascinating, face-like pattern on its back. I tried to capture it with my phone, but it was too small, the background too cluttered, until I found an app with manual focus. When the spider came into sharp clarity against a blurred backdrop, I was mesmerized.

That tiny moment sparked a deep love for the art of noticing, for seeking out the overlooked, and for finding the beauty in even the smallest things in front of me.

Giving Back to Protect the Places We Love

With a deep love for nature and a commitment to preserving the landscapes that inspire my work, I’m thrilled to share that 5% of each sale from “Cinco Aventuras” will be donated directly to Protect Our Winters. This organization is advocating for climate policies that protect our winters and natural spaces. Their work supports sustainable solutions and environmental education, ensuring that future generations can experience the same beauty we cherish today. By contributing to this cause, each purchase not only brings home a piece of nature’s magic but also helps protect it for the future.

The First Choice

Selecting the photographs for “Cinco Aventuras” was a journey in itself. Each image represents a piece of my story, but finding the right balance was challenging. The only one I knew would make the series from the start was Winter Road.

This image came after an intense adventure in the Eastern Sierra, where a 54-inch snowfall left us stranded in a van for two days. After being rescued by some crazy snowboarders in huge trucks, we hiked through untouched snow, taking care not to leave marks, and arrived at Movie Road before sunrise. The whole landscape was blanketed in white as the first light hit the peaks, a morning that felt like pure magic, captured forever in that photograph.

A Stellar Pick

There are pieces of media that impact our worldview and our aspirations, and Interstellar has been one of those for me. With every astro shot I take, I can hear the Interstellar soundtrack slowly playing as I click the shutter and I can feel that sense of wonder I first felt in my initial watch of the film.

After experimenting with the star trail technique over the years, I set out to create a piece that would capture the magic of the night sky in a way I could truly be proud of. I returned to a secluded fire lookout I’d scouted before, knowing its perfect alignment with Polaris, the North Star. By shooting a series of images over hours, I stacked them to reveal the Earth’s rotation around its axis, creating a hypnotizing, circular effect.

This image was largely inspired by both Christopher Nolan’s film and Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night.

My Favorite Conditions in One Photograph

I find that landscape photography is both an art form and a way of preserving fleeting moments, of capturing nature in constant change.

Of the five photographs in this collection, A Clash of Seasons was the first I captured, and it marks a significant leap in my craft. This image showcases a rare overlap of fall and winter, a phenomenon I set out to find.

In October 2022, I spent the month driving across New England, exploring one of the world’s most vibrant regions for fall foliage. Amid all of this beauty, my main goal was to capture ‘snowliage’: the magical blend of fresh snow on autumn leaves. Vermont rewarded me with just that, giving me one of my favorite photos to date.

21 Years in the Making

Capturing the northern lights had always been a dream, but this display surpassed anything I could have imagined.

Known as a “substorm of a generation,” it broke a 21-year record with an eruption of vivid greens and purples, the aurora’s colors intertwining in an exceptional display. Standing beneath this light show felt surreal, a reminder of nature’s power and unpredictability.

This image represents one of those rare moments where all the elements align, a cosmic performance that left me in awe and continues to inspire my work.

A Night of Surreal Beauty: “Cosmic Beach”

In this night of surreal beauty, the ocean and sky seemed to mirror each other in a magical display.

Above the clouds, the Milky Way stretched in breathtaking clarity, while below, bioluminescent waves pushed their electric shimmer onto the shore. Standing between these two worlds felt like stepping into a scene from Avatar.

Thank You

Thank you for joining me on this journey through Cinco Aventuras. Each image in this collection represents a piece of my story and a fleeting moment in nature that I got to keep.

Your support not only brings these stories to life but also helps protect the landscapes that inspire them. See the prints.