Ernesto Benavides is a Peruvian documentary photographer working within South America. Earlier this year he was awarded the Latin America Professional Award for Cautivos, a black & white series documenting the striking scenes of the Catholic Ayabaca pilgrimage in Peru.
In our latest interview, we chat with Ernesto to find out more about his fascinating project, his experience capturing intense emotions on camera and explore what is next for the Latin American photographer.
© Ernesto Benavides
What inspired you to follow in the footsteps of Ayabaca pilgrims and document their arduous journey through Peru? Was there a particular aspect of the pilgrimage that captured your attention?
A few years ago, I embarked for the first time on the journey to the sanctuary of Señor Cautivo de Ayabaca, motivated by a childhood memory of seeing men carrying a cross on the highway in the middle of the desert in southern Peru. Many times, I have witnessed the physical hardships and rituals to which pilgrims subject themselves with such devotion to purify their souls. I do not have the faith they possess, a faith that on many occasions I saw give the penitent pilgrim the necessary energy to finish their journey. I had to experience it to understand, to feel. Last year, I decided to walk with Nil, Pepe, and Aldair for parts of their long pilgrimage from southern to northern Peru. We crossed that desert in southern Peru, a beautiful 70 km journey, where I finally understood that to continue walking, the energy I needed was no longer in my legs.
What were some of the challenges you encountered while photographing this project? Did the nature of the difficult environment impact your work?
Putting myself in the shoes of the pilgrim has definitely been one of the most difficult challenges in this project since the beginning. The first journey, walking alongside them for a few days and crossing the “Dry Forest” in northern Peru, left my feet blistered and my legs cramped; but it also left me with deep admiration and energy that has helped me continue with this project in the following years.
© Ernesto Benavides
Your images in this series often focus on the raw emotions seen on the faces of pilgrims, who in the case of the Ayabaca pilgrimage are often criminals in search of redemption. How did you approach building trust between the subjects and your camera?
On my first journey, I met Rinaldo, “Uncle Rey.” I approached him and his group out of pure curiosity to talk and get to know them. In Rinaldo, I saw part of a tattoo near his neck that seemed to represent the crown worn by the “Señor Cautivo.” I asked him to show it to me, and I was shocked when he took off his shirt, revealing a huge tattoo of the “Cautivo’s” face over the scars left by his past life as a criminal. Capturing the image of a criminal seeking forgiveness has since that day become a key piece of my work. The trust with those who shared their stories and images grew along the way to the sanctuary. On my last trip, I met Martin. I asked him, “Why are you telling me this?” as I listened to the confession of a man who lives in a world where life has no value. He simply replied, “Because I trust you, through the way you approach people without passing judgment, only with the desire to listen.”
© Ernesto Benavides
While walking through the desert with the pilgrims, you must have experienced some unique situations and met fascinating people along the way. Is there a story that stands out in your mind?
That day, Nil, Pepe, Aldair, and I walked 50 km. Midway, we stopped to rest under the shade of a “Tambo” by the road. Suddenly, a huge truck stopped, and from the back, a group of people got down, who I later understood were Venezuelan migrants on a journey entirely different from the one we were on. I was photographing a group of pilgrims on their path of faith, while the sheer energy and presence of this group of migrants helped me understand the economic and social hardships driving them on their journey to Peru.
The photographs in Cautivos are all shot in black & white. What influenced your decision to take this stylistic approach?
The main advantage of black-and-white photography is that I can play with light and shadows, how they contrast and relate to each other within an image, to achieve the dramatic effect I want in this work.
© Ernesto Benavides
Since winning the Latin America Professional Award for this series, how has your career evolved? Do you have any new projects in the pipeline?
Winning this award has been a tremendous joy for me. It has helped spread my project worldwide in an incredible way. I am very grateful for this. Of course, I am currently working on new projects that will be released soon.
What advice would you have for photographers entering this year’s Sony World Photography Awards?
To those photographers who submit their photos to any contest, I recommend that you dedicate yourselves to your projects without thinking about the prizes. Do them for much more personal reasons, fall in love with your projects, and give them time. It is over time that we find the possibility to enrich our work in a personal way.
Ernesto Benavides recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the release of his photo book, Cautivos, based on his winning project. The campaign closes on Monday, 28 October. Support Ernesto’s project and learn more.
© Ernesto Benavides
