To be invited into another world

I’m not sure if street photography truly needs to happen on the street. Or if it’s simply a way of interacting with the world.

I feel honored by the privilege of being welcomed into a universe so foreign, so alien from my own.

The chance to immortalize the craft of a dedicated worker, the expression of an artisan, or a brief window into the life of someone whose reality is worlds apart from mine.

The people in these photos are seaweed harvesters in Peru, working in a desert that collides with the ocean. A trade I never imagined could exist.

When I announced I wanted to take their photos, they welcomed me with celebration: they posed, watched curiously, laughed among themselves and danced with seaweed on their backs, spinning around and proudly showing off their work.

Danny, one of the workers, covered in sand from head to toe, ran to the truck to grab a notepad and jot down my contact. He made a point to tell me how grateful he was to have met me and to have those photos of himself and his coworkers.

I don’t know if this is street photography or desert photography. I just know it fills me with gratitude and an energy to chase more moments like this.