Why Andino Photography?
It was February 2016. I had arrived in the United States from Chile, my home country, with just my camera, 2 suitcases and a U-haul filled with many questions without straightforward answers.
I had left Iquique, an isolated city in the north of Chile, that sits on the Pacific Ocean to the east and is surrounded by sand dunes and mountains to the west. Iquique was my home for 27 years. I left my loving family- my mom, my dad, my sister. I also quit my career as a psychologist after completing a 6-year degree program and working another 4 years in the field. I left my friends, the waves that I love to surf, my landscapes, my culture, my comfort zone. I left pretty much everything and I did it all following Nicole, my beautiful and adventurous lifetime partner, with whom I had lived for the last 3 years, and who also encouraged me to follow my dream and passion to become a professional photographer. Before leaving Chile for good, Nicole and I decided to get a tattoo with a symbol that had a deep meaning to me- the chacana.
The chacana, sometimes written chakana, is an ancient and sacred symbol of Incan culture. The Incas populated the Andes Mountain region for centuries before Spanish colonization all but wiped out their culture in the 16th century. It is a representation of the “cruz del sur” or “southern cross” constellation. More than just a symbol, it was also used as a very precise astronomical calendar and method of calculating the cycles of the crop and harvest seasons. It was also a symbol of Incan’s beliefs in duality: day and night, sky and earth, good and bad, female and male energies, everything needs a counterpart to live in balance. Nowadays the chacana is used in celebrations and religious ceremonies by the Quechua and Aymara peoples from Bolivia, Peru and the north of Chile.
When I finally settled in Chicago and first started thinking about launching a small photography business, the first decision I had to make was what to name my company. I played around with names and logos. Andino refers to the “Andes Cordillera” and for the logo, the chacana kept surfacing again and again. It was not only a perfect logo because of what it represents, but also a way to bring back the nostalgia of the hometown and culture that I missed so much.
So that was the beginning of it all. However, as the chacana reminds me, time is circular, everything changes, and my business was no exception. Since Andino Photography booked our first client back in 2016, many experiences have crossed the bridge of my life: mastering a new language, getting to work with amazing people in new places, meeting long time friends and collaborators… basically creating a community. But I also dealt with new unpleasant experiences. As a Latino and an immigrant in the U.S. I have been the object of racism, more out of ignorance than bad intentions, but still hurtful nonetheless. It’s already hard being an immigrant but on top of that, arriving in this country during one the most divided times of our generation (and then a global pandemic came along.)
Not long ago, I went back to Chile for three months and I found a different meaning for the Chacana that had accompanied me for so long. This meaning resonated deeply with me, like it was expressing something that I had wanted to do as a visual storyteller but couldn’t quite put my finger on. The word chacana comes from the Quechua “chaka” that means bridge, or point of union, and the suffix “na” that means instrument. So chacana means “instrument of union between two worlds.” Just like the immigrant who leaves his/her/their country looking for a brighter future in a new land, just like the partners who decide to shape their relationships however they feel right, and just like the activists who give their sweat, blood, and tears to fighting for social justice. In hindsight, I realized that choosing this symbol wasn’t a random action, actually, It was my way to link my roots and past experiences with the people that I wanted to photograph in the future. Suddenly, I realized that the Chacana once again came to me when I felt lost and guided me and Andino Photography to a bigger meaning and a myriad of new goals to achieve (we’ll talk about those another time).
Almost 5 years after I started my migration and career journey, I finally understand the powerful influence of representation to achieve a more equitable society. And how my photographs can help to bring light and give a voice to people that have been pushed to the “back of the line.” But also for all of the people who choose to utilize their privilege for good instead of taking the easy way out.
So, no matter the color of your skin, where you are from, where you live, your gender, sexual orientation or the kind of family you have built, Andino Photography is here for you. The chacana connects all of us, we all need awareness of each other to live in balance, and everybody is welcome.
