An introspective portrait on the road, Colin Dodgson’s new photo book captures a week-long journey through Peru on Belmond’s luxury sleeper train
Most people’s idea of a holiday doesn’t involve surfing waves the height of a house, but Colin Dodgson isn’t most people. “My body is totally destroyed,” the renowned photographer says, speaking over the phone from Hawaii, where he’s recovering from a week of surfing world-class waves in Fiji. “I think I cracked a rib last week.”
Growing up around nature in Tarzana, California, Dodgson’s tranquil photographic world is guided by intuition rather than meticulous planning. Not unlike catching a wave, he never tries to force a particular moment, trusting that whatever unfolds before his camera will give back something beautiful. He’s journeyed into the rainforests of Belize and the wildlife reserves of Argentina, capturing conservation projects with the same lyrical, sensitive eye that has made him one of the most in-demand fashion photographers working today. When it comes to editorial work, Dodgson has a unique ability to coax something relaxed and essential out of his subjects – whether capturing supermodel Rianne Van Rompaey naked in the sun, or filmmaker Gus Van Sant kicking back in his office.
Marking his third book shot in South America, Dodgson’s latest project documents a week-long journey through Peru on Belmond’s luxury sleeper train, the Andean Explorer. Travelling from Cusco to Arequipa, the project jumbles spectral shots of open expanses and weather-beaten architecture with the energy of bustling markets, tender portraits of locals, and moments of introspection on the road. Some of the most striking images are still lifes inspired by Dutch vanitas paintings, in which Dodgson arranges snacks, wonky root vegetables, and curious found objects into tactile vignettes of everyday life in Peru. Hand-printed and dreamily sequenced by the artist back in California, the book – Andean Explorer, As Seen By Colin Dodgson – launches this week at Photo London.
Here, upon its release, Colin Dodgson speaks on avoiding altitude sickness, his respect for the natural world, and why the best memories don’t always make the best pictures.
“I grew up surfing, and it’s not every day that the ocean delivers what you really want from her. But when you do get those moments, it’s transformative. You can have the best day of your life. With my work, I think I’m understanding that no one’s a god – you just have to be open to the right moment or the right conditions.
“Last August, I was commissioned by The Wall Street Journal to take a trip on the Eastern and Oriental Express from Singapore to Penang. From that, I became familiar with the train journeys that Belmond does. Not long after, they contacted me to do a project for them on the Andean Explorer.
“Something that was really amazing is just how high up you are. In Cusco, you’re at 3,800 metres. You have to acclimatise to the altitude. I had an oxygen mask at the hotel on the first day and they said, ‘Don’t drink because it could be dangerous’. I had a beer and I felt fine. I figured, I’ll calm my mind and I’ll calm my body at the same time.
“I never really have a plan. I’m sort of processing everything as it’s presented to me. The train was really amazing because it moves slowly, so you have time to capture a lot of different things – as a photographer, the slower the mode of travel, the better. I see these trips as little residencies, chances to expand my visual language. I was making tons of work.
“I think the most interesting thing I saw was when the train went through this market in a town and it cut through the crowd like a knife. We were in the observation car at the very end, and you could look back and see all these people starting to fill back across the train tracks. They were selling everything – tyres, knives, baby food. I saw a donkey’s head. It was incredible. I tried to take pictures of it, but you couldn’t really [capture the moment] from the train. Sometimes my favourite experience doesn’t necessarily make the best image.
“It’s funny, in my personal life, I like to declutter as much as I can, but I’m drawn to collecting objects when I’m working. It’s kind of exciting to see new things, you know, a book or a drink or whatever it is that I've never seen before. I learnt that the first potato ever was from Peru, originating around eight thousand years ago. Slowly, they went everywhere around the world. I had a moment of realisation that I could make work of these objects I found, and so it changed from collecting into creating.
“Back in California, I had all the images laid out on the floor of my studio for a month and a half, and I couldn’t crack the sequencing. Then suddenly it all came together in ten minutes. It kind of happened unconsciously. Instead of showing events as they are, I think the book reflects how the trip appears in my memory.
“I’m genuinely curious about everything – from a molecular level to a stellar level. I don’t try to make others feel things with my work, but I hope that my images inspire people to get off their phones, and go and experience the world for themselves.”
Andean Explorer, As Seen By Colin Dodgson will go on show as part of a solo exhibition at Somerset House during Photo London 2025, from 15 – 18 May 2025.
