Hiking with RP
The sound of footsteps and hiking poles making pockmarks in the dirt mixed with the chatter from the group that had just completed a 17.2 km. (10.7 mile) hike up into the Andes mountains. Congratulations were in order for another successful hike, except this was no ordinary mountaineering group. Seven of them cannot see.
La Campana National Park
Being an outdoors fan and living in Santiago, one gets the sense that Chile’s coolest natural wonders — such as Torres del Paine, San Pedro de Atacama, and Easter Island — are too far away. However, Chile’s central valley offers a myriad of options for those adventurous souls who seek a little hiking, trekking or [...]
Nike 10k Marathon
This past Saturday, over 12,000 people ran in Nike’s WeRunSantiago 10-kilometer marathon. One of them was my cousin Gloria, who is an avid athlete and who interested me in going to photograph the event. What surprised me the most was how fast it took the top five runners to run through the city streets of [...]
Working for the Company
Two weeks ago, I worked for the Company of Jesus, more commonly known as the Jesuits, in documenting the flash visit of the Superior General Adolfo Nicolas to Santiago, Chile. It felt similar to photographing His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s visit in 2006, though this time I was the official photographer and had special access [...]
Entabeni: Issues and Conflict
My first post on Entabeni may have left the sensation that all was good in the Bush Eden, but even that little slice of paradise deals continually with issues ranging from the transition of old agricultural fields to a managed wildlife reserve as well as larger and serious problems such as poaching. As subtle as [...]
Entabeni: The Way of the Bush
When my father invited me to join his University of Connecticut African Field Ecology class on a trip to Entabeni Nature Reserve in South Africa, I couldn’t say “Yes!” fast enough. He’s been leading field classes to South Africa for several years, fulfilling his childhood dream to see Africa’s largest mammals and this year, a spot [...]
Working for AmeriCares
This past weekend, I was on assignment in Angol, Chile for AmeriCares, the US-based humanitarian organization. It was the final visit to the field hospital that AmeriCares donated to the city of Angol, thanks to the financial support of the GE Foundation and MetLife. The assignment consisted of documenting the six modular tents that house [...]
The (almost) 50mm Challenge
This past Friday was Virgen del Carmen Day, the most important religious holiday for the patron mother of Chile. The most remarkable show of religious fervor takes place in the north of Chile, in a tiny town that balloons from 800 to several thousand during the Festival of La Tirana. Alas, I didn’t head out [...]
Review of “Safari: A Monograph”
As if by coincidence, while preparing for my upcoming trip to South Africa, David duChemin comes out and publishes “Safari: A Monograph” from his Print and the Process series of downloadable ebooks. Â As he rightly notes, this ain’t your typical how-to guide on photographing a safari in Africa.
In the Land of the Pehuen
Last week, I had the opportunity to get to know one of Chile’s most beautiful areas, the Region of Araucania, original home and last outpost of our indigenous Mapuche nation.
Chile swings to the right
Billionaire Sebastian Piñera won in today’s presidential elections here in Chile.  This marks a break from 20 years of rule by the center-left coalition “Concertación” and swings Chile into center-right territory.  Here’s some photos from his supporters celebrating in the downtown plaza of Rancagua, Chile.
Presidential Election Coverage in Chile
Last night was the end of a long hot day for the presidential elections in Chile. Our outgoing president, Democratic Socialist Michelle Bachelet, leaves office with a record 80% approval rate. The four candidates that presented themselves were either so indistinct or frighteningly wealthy right-wing, that most people I find had a tough time arriving [...]
featured on duckrabbit
Cool! I got featured on duckrabbit, one of my favorite blogs covering the many facets of multimedia production. Check it out.
Artisanal Fishermen of Valparaiso, Chile
The night air was calm, cool and not too humid as I ventured out to Caleta Portales (Portales Dock) in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile.
Photographing Santa Muerte
Ever since I saw the photographs my fellow students from the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop produced at the altar of Santa Muerte (St. Death), I was drawn to this Mexican so-called cult’s fascination and religious worship of something so fundamental to the path of life: death itself.
G. Morty Ortega is a photographer based in Denton, Texas. He specializes in news, humanitarian, travel and editorial photography. Morty shoots both still photography and video for international and national clients. He is available world wide for assignments and stock sales.
