We live in a bubble.
Danny and I had a very limited idea of Lima, Peru until the day we went to the top of "El Cerro de San Cristobal". We were staying at an airbnb in a really nice part of the city and being our first time in the capital of Peru, we thought most of the city was similar, but we were wrong.
I have to admit that I was quite surprised and impressed with the huge gap in the socioeconomic classes of Peru. I was born in Mexico City and the contrast is quite surprising. I grew up seeing the vast difference between the rich and the poor, but seeing it all in one day in a new city, really put things into perfective for me.
A picture says more than an thousand words.
It is said that an image holds way more than words, so I though of taking 11 photographs and combining them all together to create a huge image with thousands of stories.
The ride on the tourist bus with no roof to the top of the hill from which I took these photos was also full of moments of insight and thankfulness for all the blessings I feel I have received. I was almost shocked at how each block seemed to be poorer than the previous block and when we made it to the top, the cityscape proved with its colors and textures that the homes and buildings closest to the shore, were in fact, the most wealthy.
When I finally made it back to my computer to put the series of photos into lightroom and create a panoramic, I was impressed to see how the homes and streets change block by block from the hill where I took this photo, to the shore. Starting with homes with dirt floor, cardboard walls and laminated roofs with very few green areas, moving onto small homes with basic foundations and brick walls and ending with luxury buildings covered in glass and marble floors surrounded by trees and beautiful parks, the feeling of putting this image together was something I had never felt before and that is what I love about photography. It captures and instant which can mean something different for each spectator.
When I see this images as the photographer, I am reminded of how different we are as a society and how we can easily live in a bubble when we are living a comfortable life. I am reminded of how many human beings live in this world under completely different conditions and it makes me feel obliged to make a difference, as small as it may be.
What does the image make you think or feel? Share as a comment.
Peace.
Great images. When I was in Colombia I learned of the estrato system. Where the building you live in will effect the amount you pay in utilities. It ranged from 1-6 and people were also put into those categories.
That is very interesting. I am sure there is something similar in Peru. I will have to do some research.
looks so beautiful