Ernesto Benavides is a Peruvian documentary photographer working primarily within South America. As a press photographer for the international news agency Agence France-Presse, his work has been published in media such as Wired, Audubon, The New York Times, Grazzia, Brand eins, Le Monde, El País, Private, 6mois, Le Chasse Mare, and Leopard.

 

In 2021, his work "Presidential Vacancy" won second place in the Spot News, Stories category of the World Press Photo awards. His work "Dredges" was one of the 12 finalists for the Oskar Barnack Leica awards, while simultaneously winning the bronze medal at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie, and the 2017 IPYS Peruvian photojournalism award. "Dredges" was also presented at the screenings of the Voices Off Festival in Arles and was included in the Songzhuang Chinese International Photo Biennale, in addition to being presented in Colombia for the exhibition "Energ(etica): Art and Sustainable Energy". In the same year, Mr. Benavides was also awarded second place at the POYLATAM awards with his work, "La Pampa", documenting the illegal mining fields in the Peruvian rain forest. Previously, his photobook "Wanu" was presented at the Indira Festival in India , won second place in the IPA Awards, and was a finalist in the Poyi awards in the category Best Photobook. In 2012, his work “Conga” got second place at the POY (Pictures of the Year). He has been a winner of the All Roads Photography Program of National Geographic (2011) and the IAPA (Inter-American Press Association) awards (2010).

 

Mr. Benavides is a founding member of the photographic collective "Supayfotos", exhibiting nationally and internationally since 2007. Benavides holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Lima.