In December 2015, I spent a week exploring the landscapes, forests and trails of the Aysén Region, Chile. The expedition centred upon two towns, Coyhaique and La Junta, and a stunning seven hour drive between them. This series is a culmination of a week's photography in the region, beginning with excursions through the dynamic, evolving settings of Reserva Nacional Coyhaique and the shining rocks below Cerro Castillo. This series of photographs extends to the surroundings of La Junta, including Lago Verde and the Ventisquero Colgante glacier of Parque Nacional Queulat.
Stopping at Puerto Cisnes halfway through the day's drive, the silence and sense of desertion was immediately noticeable. It was such a remote place to access by land and thus felt particularly isolated. However, the size of the minuscule port town betrays the fact it is a component of Chile's global frontier, receiving imports across the Pacific from China.
Further along the route to La Junta, the road was blocked by a wall of brown cows and a handful of shepherds on horseback guiding them. As one calf escaped, a rabble of dogs barked aggressively, surrounding it. In just one attempt, a shepherd swung a lasso firmly around its neck. Although this was for them a routine operation, any outsider would consider this an event to behold. Similarly, at the fishing town of Puerto Raúl Marín Balmaceda, accessed by car ferry, I found Don Juan and his elderly relative cleaning their boat in an equally striking setting.
Whilst this series draws attention to the Aysén Region’s diverse beauty, it also attempts to highlight the integration - whether subtle or not - of human activity into the natural landscape.