Los Mestizos: Survivors of History
Customer Feature: Inti Pachurin, Documentary Photographer
Inti Pachurin recently stopped by the store and shared the exciting news that his project, Los Mestizos: Survivors of History, was installed at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. for the permanent collection.
"This body of work represents ten years of visiting the Andes, the jungle/rainforest, and the coast of Peru. My project is unique because although others have photographed my people, they do so as "explorers"—not as a member of the community. "Mestizos" roughly translates to 'mixed race' and although my name is Incan and I am an Incan descendent, I am Mestizo and passionate about spreading our heritage and our story through an authentic and empathetic lens rather than as an outsider looking in." - Inti Pachurin
Discover how Inti uses photography to preserve culture in this interview.
Tell us about yourself and/or fun anecdotal information you’d like to share.I am a mestizo (mixed race) with Inca heritage born and raised in Lima, Peru. I’ve always loved American muscle cars and my first car back in Lima was a 1967 Mustang. I have been in New York since 2001. My first car in the U.S. was another Mustang, a 1964 ½ that was born on the same day as me, May 2nd. I recently sold it and regret it constantly.
How did you get started in photography?I started as a freelance street photographer in New York City in 2003 photographing celebrities and doing spot news.
Why did you choose photography?Photography is how I express myself, and it lets me take back ownership of the representation of my culture and my country from Western photographers who have dominated that field for many years.
What inspires your work?To me a critical part of every story is who the storyteller is. They are the one who decides how the story is going to go and interprets it in their own way. My mission is to tell the story of my own people from a native point of view and document the changes we are facing for future generations to witness.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career?How did you face them and learn from them?
Adapting from film to digital, dealing with the software and workflow was a huge adjustment. All the books and tutorials were in English so that was a challenge too. Learning new skills in my second language which was (and is) still developing. I worked on my English by watching stand-up comedians with the captions on, the same comedy specials over and over. I still love stand-up. For my 50th birthday one of my gifts was tickets to Cedric the Entertainer. Thankfully I no longer need the captions.
How do you keep the passion of photography going strong?I never get tired of photography. It’s an extension of my soul, part of me. Even if you took away all my cameras, I would still make photos with my eyes and save them in my brain as images.
What is your favorite image making tool?My Leica Monochrom, Hasselblad H5D, and my Hensel Porty L 1200.
How do you create your work?
I get to know the soul and heart of my subject and build a bridge of trust. Photographers from abroad may come and take photos, but their connection to the subject is voyeuristic. When I photograph my people, I never have to pay them because we have a genuine connection.
How do you see your business changing in the next 5-10 years?I used to do a lot of red carpet work, spot news, sports, things like that. Now that my work has been recognized and acquired by the Library of Congress I am shifting my attention to focus on my work doing environmental portraits of mestizos (mixed race people) from South America. I hope to continue adding to the LOC collection so it can be preserved forever. I have also been working on creating a body of work to publish in a book or series of books, a dream of mine.
I used to struggle with depression. At times I felt very alone. Eventually I realized we all need to love and be loved in our lives and you just have to go for it, or accept it when it comes. If I could give my younger self advice it would be to not let shyness be such a barrier. I could have saved myself some pain. Then again, maybe I wouldn’t be as sensitive now if I hadn’t gone through that.
Why have you chosen Foto Care as your part of your support structure?I chose Foto Care because of the friendly, one-to-one attention. I’m not a number there or a sales target. They genuinely care about their photographers and their journeys. Tommy Arce is my guy.
Inti Pachurin (Son of the Sun), a Peruvian photographer based in New York, has an MA in Communication Sciences from The University of San Martin De Porres (USMP) and specialized courses at The International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York City. With over 20 years of experience, he has photographed US President Barack Obama, Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, musician Jay-Z, and indigenous people of Peru and Bolivia.
His work has been featured in galleries in New York, Miami and Lima, as well as published in The New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine and The Daily Mail online, among others. He shares his knowledge with young photography students in South America every summer through seasonal workshops and internships.
Inti uses Hensel Lighting and has been an ambassador for the brand since 2008.
An Inca descendant, perfectionist and self-critical artist, Inti says, “taking pictures sets him free”.
Learn more: www.intipachurin.com / Instagram: intipachurin / YouTube: Inti Pachurin