Black and White Photography from the Amazon Rainforest - My Most Important Work (part 1)

These images of a strange land mark a significant turning point for me as a photographer and person. At first I hated these images after I uploaded them to my computer. Then I realized I had captured something special; quite possibly my best work. First let me fill you in on the back story as to why these images exist.

In 2008 my mortgage business had come to a complete screeching halt and I wasn't sure what to do with my life. I had been going down to Panama for a couple of years trying to put together a mortgage program for foreigners who wanted to buy property in Central America but that also was axed by the banks after the real-estate market took a tumble. So I did what any sane person would do and moved to Colombia.

I bought my first digital camera the year before thinking I would take pictures of my girlfriend. Well, we broke up and that never happened so the camera sat in the closet. When I decided to go to Colombia I brought that camera with me and began shooting passionately. Life is so incredibly different and the culture is so diverse in comparison to the US. In the states everyone is on a similar playing field. We have the internet, Starbucks on every corner, smart phones and an abundance of everything...quite frankly Americans are spoiled. In Colombia I saw a wide arrange of class of people; and first time in my life I saw classism. Maybe I heard that term in a history class but I wasn't sure what it really meant. Basically you have everyone from the extremely wealthy to the indigenous people at the "bottom of the totem pole."

This strange beautiful land intrigued me and wanted to know more. I wanted to learn another language. I wanted to see what seemed to be an endless sea of culture and unique people. The camera was my vehicle for exploration; my golden key to have access into wherever I wanted to go and whoever I wanted to meet. Later I would learn how powerful this camera could be and at first I abused the power.

What I mean by that is that I took for granted everything in the past. I was a spoiled rotten American making a good income from my late 20's until my late 30's. Fast cars, fast women, a big house, expensive this and that. I had anything I wanted. But then when I lost all of that, because I didn't save, I didn't invest properly, it all ended. So Colombia gave me something to look forward to, an exploration. But I still was in that selfish mentality and felt entitled. It sounds cliche as I write this, but it was true. I was a part of the system, doing my part like a good American. That was somewhat stripped away in Colombia, but being a gringo also put me in the elite class of Colombia. At least access to the elite class, so naturally things really weren't any different in my mind.

Let me get back to photography and why these images are so important. Rant over...lol.

So I had this camera and started photographing everything and everyone I encountered while living in Colombia. I was living in Medellin, a city of roughly 4 million people. But I would venture out into the country side and visit small pueblos (towns) on the weekend. But when I got invited to travel with a group of new friends to the Amazon, I thought to myself "how cool! I can shoot some Indians which will be great for my portfolio." I remember saying that to my friend, The Moo, at the time and he cooly said, "they aren't Indians. That's a made up word by Columbus. They are indigenous." I didn't think anything of his powerful comment at the time.

I went with a group of six people all from Medellin, a mix of photographers and their girlfriends. We flew to Leticia which borders the three countries: Colombia, Peru and Brasil. This small town on the Amazon River Basin is a bizarre world. Countless different languages spoken by indigenous cultures and three different countries all sharing this tiny little town in the middle of a giant rainforest. I mean giant. It's so hot and sticky you can't even begin to imagine; combine that with something strange and bizarre in the air. I can't begin to explain how bizarre this place is.

Our main goal as a group was to get out of there and find some indigenous people that have little or not contact with the outside world. In Leticia people don't have much, but I did see kids playing Nintendo.

We hired a guide and he took in his wooden boat deep into the Amazon. We traveled for a couple of days until we encountered our first tribe of people that have very little access to people. Yes there are boats of people going up and down the river, but we did manage to hike deep into the forest and have the encounter I was looking for.

I was so completely out of my element. It's such a harsh environment to live in, crazy amounts of strange and sometimes dangerous insects everywhere and sweltering heat that never ends. Then there is the heavy rain for hours; everything you own is wet. Luckily Nikon cameras are sealed and hold up pretty well. You will get a rash if you go to the rainforest. LOL.

I'll share more stories of my experience and the people I met in a different post because it's fascinating. But circling back around to the beginning as to why I hated these images initially. I had this vision in my mind of photographers that looked like paintings using off camera flash (the speed lights wouldn't work due to the rain). I wanted to create a certain look and I was so disappointed by these images.

Then it dawned on me days later that these photographs were something special. I had captured something so unique and that is rarely witnessed in the modern world.

The people living deep in the Amazon are truly living in the moment. There's no judgement from society. They live each day in such harsh conditions. They are who they are and somehow manage to survive day to day. You and I don't have that, we have everything and it comes with a price: judgement from society.

I engaged with these beautiful people on a human level, I couldn't communicate with them verbally, but I could engage with them on a human level. Some of the people you see in the photographs above had never seen a camera. Have you ever taken a picture of someone who doesn't understand a camera? I will stop here and continue part two later (and more images of course).

Enjoy these powerful images that changed my perspective on how I should live my life.

~Mikey