Bioatelier Magazine # 2 by Bioatelier

Vol. 1 / N˚ 2 / July - August, 2011

Za ña D L a a i ly mb sto C a ay e r i e s jam qu fr a rc e a n o m d a

Zona Reservada Reino de pumas, venados, y cĂłndores

Caminata de montaĂąa y ecoturismo Explora el bosque junto a pobladores de la comunidad campesina de San BartolomĂŠ y el equipo de guardaparques.

Inicio de visitas guiadas: domingo 10 de julio 2011 Informes: 982367209 / 991561612 / 991375467

Nuestra Naturaleza. Nuestro Desarrollo

Vol. 1 / N˚ 2 / July - August, 2011

CONTENTS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF "EL NIÑO” Zaña, sanctuary of natural disasters and cultural paradise

SELLING THE CATCH OF THE DAY ! The typical fish market of the Humboldt Current

TILES WITH THE AROMA OF EUCALYPTUS Machacuay, endangered ancient techniques

PHOTOGRAPHING WHILE IN MOTION An Xtreme sport through a rugged route in Jocos

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FRONT COVER PHOTO: Sunset on the Zaña River © Héctor Carballo

CANON EOS 5D Mark II. Lens 17-40mm.

"Standing on the wooden suspension bridge, I was caught up shooting in the sunset. Unexpectedly, I was rewarded by the crossing of a cart. The scene was complemented wonderfully with the backlight and reflections." Héctor Carballo. |3

EDITORSTAF Editor’s Note

STAFF

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Lic. Rocío Figueroa

rom day one, we have devoted ourselves, like first-year beginners, in hitting the target on the right formula that will make sustainable photography & travel. This is why the second issue brings changes in format and content compared to the first one. Explaining them in detail, we believe, will take away the surprise factor. We just keep our fingers crossed, hoping you like it. The growing response to the virtual magazine, in the first issue, Spanish and English version, is a good motivation for us to keep photographing Peru and sharing with you new stories in the upcoming issues.

Now we present four travel photographic reports, focused on cultural diversity and biodiversity. They take place in Lambayeque and Cajamarca, the Northeastern area of Peru. We were captured by two life stories about roof tile artisans and fishery workers, who are coping with daily environmental challenges which affect their own survival. In addition, we show two unique agricultural valleys, Zaña and Jocos, in the process of reinventing themselves behind the aftermath of their history, ecological and political respectively. We believe photography is unpredictable. No matter the type of camera, nor how much you pre-programmed the shot, you will always accomplish something extraordinarily different. Go, handheld camera, and experience your unpredictable spirit around Peru. Welcome!

biatelier@bioatelier.com

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Héctor Carballo

tupacarballo65@gmail.com Uruguayan - Argentine International Photojournalist UPI, Agence France Presse, Sipa Press Agency (France), The New York Times, The Times London. TELAM Agency, Noticias Argentinas, Editorial Atlántida (Argentine). La Nación Daily / Editor (Paraguay). El GráficoPerú Magazine, La República Daily / Editor (Peru) ART, DESIGN, TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY EDITION

Lic. Rocío Figueroa Héctor Carballo CONTENT EDITION

Hugo Medrano

medrano.hugo@gmail.com Argentine Journalist Diario Clarín (Argentine) WRITING

Rocío Figueroa / Héctor Carballo

rfigueroa@bioatelier.com Peruvian Photographer Degree and License in History M.A. Studies in Environmental Development Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

photography & travel is published by photography agency 00511-4467835 Lima - Peru

Gino Muñoz sesion24@hotmail.com Peruvian Journalist Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. Diario La República (Peru) LAYOUT

Alexis Alemán

mycorven@hotmail.com BILINGUAL EDITION

Lic. Rocío Figueroa

Descubre y vive la Leyenda

Agencia de Viaje - Operador de Turismo visitanos en:

wwwperulegendario.com operaciones@perulegendario.com

ZAÑA - LAMBAYEQUE

In the footsteps of

Niño

Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Lens 17- 40 mm.

Reportage by: Rocío Figueroa & Héctor Carballo

6© |Héctor Carballo

Zaña

Is probably one of the most impressive places where to raise awareness of natural disasters taken place in the present world.

Located 32 miles from Chiclayo, the capital of Lambayeque, Zaña is now considered part of the tourist circuit called “Colonial Lambayeque”. Tours explore traces of churches such as La Matriz, La Merced, San Francisco, and the convent of San Agustín. Including also Cerro Corbacho and Paredones, the river, and the suspension bridge.

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ince prehistoric times, it is a fact that the climate event of “El Niño” has been influencing biodiversity and cultural expressions in the North of Peru. Evidence shows that the villa, Santiago de Miraflores de Zaña, founded in 1563, was razed to the ground on March 15, 1720. Zaña forms part of the list of urban settlements devastated by “El Niño” in Peru, as it is also the case of the pre-Columbian capital of Lambayeque Culture, occurred approximately between 1050 and 1100 AD. The events are cyclical and defined by heavy rains and floods, generated by the emergence of warm surface water in the Equatorial Zone, affecting the Peruvian cold sea of the Humboldt Current, causing much havoc worldwide.

Altitude: 184 ft Season: dry

They are the descendants of farmer families from one of the most exquisite and prosperous villas of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Their ancestors, black slaves and Asian workers, remained in this place despite pirate Edward Davis’s sacking of the villa in 1686, and the natural devastation in 1720. Imported by the Spaniards, they arrived to cultivate sugar cane, in a land inhabited by Moche indigenous since its early years.

Zaña maintains its agricultural spirit, which is reflected in their customs and daily activities. Early mornings and evenings are the best moments to enjoy documentary photography because natural lighting is on our side and villagers leave or return home by carts, bicycles, donkeys, and mototaxis. Every May 15, “Zañeros” celebrate their Patron Saint “San Isidro Labrador”, a great time to join them.

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One Tuesday afternoon, we only had a few hours to get to Zaña. We went in search of the full moon. Such a natural sight is a mystery everywhere, especially in a town full of legends about pirates and floodings that made it disappear. Once there, our eyes were caught by the fragility of the convent of San Agustin.

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Up above the dome of the convent we achieved our panoramic views. Through our lens, feeling bathed by the light of the sunset, we were intrigued about the devastation of the valley, full of colossal blocks of what once was the church “La Matriz”. This is a place where Santo Toribio of Mogrovejo was buried in 1606. Inside the bell tower, although we know the Maria Angola bell is a replica, the atmosphere of shadows and lights felt part of the legend.

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In a glimpse of an eye, the sun and the moon gathered together. This is a fascinating place that deserves to be restored to full value because of their living culture expressions, which overcame climate risks and continue their adaptation to ecological preconditions of the ZaĂąa Basin.

ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

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ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

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LAMBAYEQUE “SANTA ROSA” OUTDOOR FISH MARKET

SELLING THE CATCH OF THE DAY!

Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Lens 17-40mm.

Reportage by: Rocío Figueroa & Héctor Carballo

FOTOGRAFIA: HECTOR CARBALLO | 25

Santa

Rosa

Fish Market

We visited one of the most important trading centers of marine species in Peru. Most are endemic from the Humboldt Current. Relentlessly, not only the species, but also life stories and the economy of workers are putting up with the threats against this marine current.

he fish market is located in the district of Santa Rosa, province of Chiclayo. Species, daily commercialized, are endemic from an ocean current that is cold, on average 62.6 °F. It is very productive because of the large phytoplankton outcrop. This is the staple food for fish, which rises from deep cold waters in the coast of Peru and Chile.

ing from Lambayeque and industrial fishing from Chimbote, Callao, Piura, Tumbes and Chile. Daily activities in “Santa Rosa Regional Fish Market” are a clear example of how ocean ecosystems defy geopolitical borders, creating in this sense an ecological community based on fishermen families, Peruvian and Chilean ones, who might be called “Humboldt” people.

Butterfish, Pacific mackerel, Pacific bonito, grey mullet are fish highly commercialized, frozen and salted, inside Lambayeque, Cajamarca, Amazonas, San Martín and Ecuador. Species are supplied by artisan fish-

Merchants, porters, cleaners, clerks, longshoremen and more, who are related to the company named “Empresa de Comerciantes Mayoristas de Productos Hidrobiológicos S.A.”, share their concern about the decreasing catch per fishing unit. Awareness among them is increasing about the importance of avoiding over-exploitation and pollution of oceans, and respecting closed fishing seasons. It is exciting to photograph daily scenes while feeling the hustle and bustle of the market. It is recommended to arrive early morning and watch out for that slip on the wet floor.

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Altitude: 13 ft Season: dry

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ÂŠ RocĂo Figueroa

Workers deal with wet environment. If crossing along Peru, bulk ice is essential for keeping the fish refrigerated inside heavy duty trucks.

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They have their own postmodern lifestyle and dress style, which arises from the fishermen culture from centuries ago…

Check out: jersey stitch and turtleneck sweaters, with rolled up sleeves, knitted hats, waterproof boots and jeans wrapped in plastic material. Useful to feel protected against the wet environment of the market.

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Porters face, every morning, a very competitive job. Young people are rewarded, by far, by transport companies of fishery products. Some wear boots, girdles and belts. But older workers never give up the fight. Although they deal with many risky situations due to lack of protection, they trust on their expertise.

ÂŠ RocĂo Figueroa

Defying the slippery floor, we anticipated when porters showed up, who are unpredictable and fast. We accomplished successfully our photographic mission, programming our camera in high speed.

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At the wholesale fish market area, the “raya” is sold dried and salted. It is widely consumed by traditional gastronomy of Lambayeque.

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Retail sellers are organized by their own rules. Nothing is wasted inside the fish market. This is a kind of “flea market”. Even children earn some coins with discarded fish. They act mischievously, so go unnoticed if you are willing to shoot photos at their mischievous actions.

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with

TILES

MACHACUAY - CAJAMARCA

Reportage: Rocío Figueroa & Héctor Carballo

arom

Canon EOS 7D. Lens 17-70mm

eucalyp

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yptus

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Machacuay The “Convention for the Safeguarding of the

Intangible Cultural Heritage”, UNESCO, protects the knowledge of traditional technology; however, to what extent it is favorable when we think about environmental conservation.

oof tile artisans from the city of Cajabamba, located in the small village called Machacuay, have been applying handcrafted techniques and using local raw material for a long time. But a traditional knowledge does not necessarily guarantee environmental welfare. Traditional and non-industrial activities can be at odds with ecology. In this case, the effect of the smoke, generated by wood-fired furnace, leads to human health problems such as respiratory infections. It also produces CO2, polluting the environment. This issue becomes critical due to global warming.

Local biodiversity is also affected due to the spread of eucalyptus tree species, which is highly consumed by tile artisans. Despite its Australian origin, it is found all over the world. It is winning the battle among trees used for firewood and timber in Cajabamba. Some believe it is an invasive species, while others uphold it is useful for accelerated reforestation. The current fact is that local species such as capulí, maguey, alder and willow are endangered trees, speeding up the deterioration of both the diversity of forest species and the health of ecosystems. As the construction industry grows in Cajabamba, large scale tile production is highly demanded, being the eucalyptus a suitable ally. Traditional and handcrafted knowledge on manufacturing tiles is vulnerable because the know-how depends on local and natural resources, which are not anymore in the surroundings of the communities responsible of knowledge transmission from generation to generation.

Altitude: 8698 ft Season : dry

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ÂŠ RocĂo Figueroa

Being a roof tile artisan requires great physical strength and wisdom. Turning on the wood-fired furnace occupies much of the day. The same can be said about maintaining it on during 72 hours continuous. Shooting this place is challenging due to wide range of natural lighting.

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ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

In the mountain ecosystem of The Andes, all traditional economic activities are determined either by wet or dry seasons. The manufacturing of tiles is related to the dry season, during the Andean summer.

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ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

Baking 3,000 tiles take almost 10 hours, using eucalyptus woodfire. The smoke and the yellow flag alerts: "roof tile artisans working!"

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STEPPING ON AND ON....

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It is the Andean midday and the temperature stifles us. The light is harsh, causing intense contrasts, which do not favour the skin, but it enhances colors, textures and shapes. Using low ISO and high speed on your camera is a good option for anticipating the movements of feet. Barefoot, they step on the mixture of clay and sand. Tasks involve all members of the family, who practice the technique from centuries ago.

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On the short break, communal chewing of coca leaves mixtured with powered lime is a must. Lime is carried in small containers. This is an ancestral Andean tradition. Women explain how roof

tiles are useful for ripen and sweeten the “chiclayos”, a kind of pumpkin which is prepared as a sweetpudding. During the harvest season, you can also find corn and potatoes over the tile roofs of the houses.

Shooting portraits and counteracting the hard shades, due to midday sunlight, requires using a spot metering. On the other hand, using a natural fill-in flash lighting would take away spontaneous gestures.

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Tiles are for the Andean summer, which goes from April to September. The future challenge of roof tile artisans will be to maintain this activity small-scaled and handmade style. A pending task will be to modify technology, used in furnaces, into a green one to benefit environmental conservation and improve their quality of life.

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JOCOS VALLEY - CAJAMARCA

PHO

TOGRA

PHING while in motion

Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Lens 17- 40mm

Reportage by: Rocío Figueroa & Héctor Carballo

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Shooting photos in Jocos, immersed in heavy clouds, while our pickup truck was in motion at 22 mph . 62 |

ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

The narrow and gravel road, single and curvilinear lane, which runs through the valley, is full of 4921 feet high ravines. Stopping the pickup was not recommended because vehicles, going up and down the road unexpectedly, could surprise us at any time. Despite the schizophrenic route style, one spectacular way to visit and photograph Peru is by land.

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Jocos

Jocos Valley conveys history that can be captured in present day photographs. After the agrarian land reform and the armed conflict, former ranches and cow sheds are trying to be recovered as part of the new tourist circuit Cajabamba – Lluchubamba – Sitachocha – Jocos.

rom 12700 feet high, up above the Pumacama Mountain, you can make out Jocos in the distance. It looks like an armed giant with limbs in miniature. The higher the surrounding nature is in the valley, the closer the sky and clouds are felt through our finger tips. But when it takes to climbing, limits and risks always appear. With the pickup in motion and handheld camera, going up the road to the heights of Jocos represents a challenge similar to the adrenalinic mountain climbing or other extreme sport. For a photogra-

pher, the way to the valley is a path to the unexpected. Before the agrarian land reform, Jocos was one of the most important centers for the manufacture of cheese, butter and milk; the peasants recall. Never again the valley regained its peak in the rearing of livestock. Less was expected when it was besieged by terrorism in the 1980s. Now the former ranches, such as Santa Lucía, are being restored by private investors. Villagers wish to live off tourism. Jocos is a peaceful community where nature is the identity of the valley. Supported by a wide angle lens, a fixed speed and automatic aperture, we registered most of the scenarios connecting Jocos, its geography and the sky.

Altitude: 9350 ft Season : dry

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Jocos is a valley located in the Central Andes Mountain Range. You can find here, in just one place, many typical mountain geographic accidents such as curves, counter curves, cliffs and plains. The valley is a natural spectacle which belongs to a geographic area surrounded by abysses due to sharp ascent from 9350 to almost 13000 feet.

ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

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It was July and dry season. We arrived at the wheat harvesting time of the year, when landscape has usually a golden color and families get together for threshing. It is all about husking wheat by the continuous trampling of horses, donkeys sometimes. If you ever visit a peasant community, such as Jocos, the action during the day is out on the crop fields while the village remains silent for long hours.

ÂŠ RocĂo Figueroa

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Hunting the wheat

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ÂŠ HĂŠctor Carballo

The value of always carrying a camera with you is rewarded when you accomplish to capture unexpected scenes. On a sunny afternoon, near 13000 feet high, we saw on the road clouds coming from beneath us, from the valley at almost 5000 feet of distance. We were taken by surprise when we saw a bank of white heavy clouds at every turn of the trail, a wonderful climate phenomenon. Every curve was really unpredictable, we enjoyed it. With no time for hesitation, inside the pickup, we opened the window, made sure the camera was strapped to our wrist and opened the lens angle, otherwise it would have been impossible trying to see through the viewfinder. Now we were ready for the feast in the clouds!

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Photography declares red alert over man-made environmental disasters Deglaciation continuous on snowy mountains of the Cordillera Blanca (Callejón de Huaylas – Ancash)

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Peru & photography

are unpredictable