Rooted in Light
The San Luis Valley and Mount Blanca are more than just landscapes to me—they are threads woven into my ancestral story, places where history, memory, and personal vision converge. With a family lineage that stretches back centuries, rooted in both Spanish settler and Indigenous ancestry, I feel a profound connection to this land. Every time I photograph its vast plains, shifting light, and the imposing presence of Mount Blanca, I am not just capturing a scene; I am engaging in a dialogue with the past, present, and unseen. It is to this area I go to restore myself.
Infrared photography allows me to see beyond what is immediately visible, revealing a hidden world—much like the way history lingers in these lands, waiting to be rediscovered. The way the valley glows in infrared, the way the shadows stretch and recede across the landscape, and the ethereal contrast between sky and earth all speak to something deeper than aesthetics. This place is sacred, shaped by generations of people who lived, struggled, and thrived here. My art becomes a way to honor that history, to capture the essence of a place that holds centuries of stories, both known and forgotten.
Mount Blanca, towering and timeless, serves as both a landmark and a metaphor in my work. Its presence is constant, yet it changes—veiled in clouds, illuminated by the setting sun, standing silent beneath the stars. It reminds me of the enduring strength of my ancestors and the resilience woven into my own journey. In many ways, my photography here is an act of reclamation and rediscovery, a way to reconnect with the land that has always been a part of me. The ethereal glow of infrared allows me to depict this landscape not as a mere geographical space, but as a dreamscape of memory, spirit, and transformation—a reflection of my own artistic and personal evolution.
