Photoblogs Magazine

Panamericana, Chile (May 4, 2002)

The May issue of the Photoblogs Magazine is out! This issue features a story I wrote, based on my observing trips to Arizona and other amazing places I had the fortune to visit in the last few years. I would like to thank the editors of the magazine for including my story and photographs, and for the wonderful editing work they have done. The issue also features stories by Zishaan Hayath, Whit Wagner, John Mulhouse, Sarah Graybeal and Pablo Montanez, all very talented photographers that have contributed beautiful photos and stories for this issue.

The image above was chosen by Matt as cover photo for this issue of the Magazine. I shot it a few years ago during an observing trip in Chile (some photos from the same trip are featured in the story). We were driving along the road Panamericana, that traverses Chile from end to end on the high desert plains between the ocean and the Andes, when we saw the ground covered with seemingly infinite rows of red aji peppers (similar to chili, but mild). These peppers don’t grow in this barren terrain, but are brought here to dry at the sun of the desert. There are so many of them that we could see the desert tinted of red from the terrace of the astronomical observatory tens of miles away, on the top of the mountain where the telescopes of the Las Campanas Observatory are located. Processing these peppers, which are also used as natural colorant, is one of the few economical activities available for the people (mostly of indigenous origin) living in the poor villages along this section of the Panamericana.