Federico Rios
Federico Rios is a Colombian photojournalist whose work examines migration, armed conflict, and environmental change across Latin America. A frequent contributor to The New York Times, he has built a career through longterm field reporting and immersive visual storytelling. His photography has appeared in major outlets as the New York Times and also including National Geographic, GEO, Time, and Paris Match. Ros is widely recognized for his awardwinning projects, including honors from World Press Photo, POY Latam, and the Pulitzer Prize.
Federico Rios has developed a body of work defined by sustained engagement with the people and territories he photographs. His reporting often unfolds over years, allowing him to document the human impact of conflict, displacement, and environmental transformation with rare depth. His photobooks VERDE and Darien reflect this longterm approach, offering intimate perspectives on Colombian guerrilla life and the dangerous migration route through the Darin Gap. His work has earned major international recognition, including the World Press Photo Long Term Project award, the James Foley Medill Medal, the Visa dOr Humanitarian Award, and the International Siena Award.
Rios photography has been exhibited in Brazil, Colombia, the United States, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, and VERDE is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His images have appeared in leading publications such as The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Deutsche Welle, and LFI Magazine. Through his lens, he continues to document the resilience of communities navigating violence, migration, and ecological upheaval across Latin America.
Beyond his editorial work, Federico Rios has contributed significantly to contemporary documentary photography through exhibitions, photobooks, and longform visual investigations. His early projects, including La Ruta del Condor (2012) and Fiestas de San Pacho (2013), explored cultural identity and regional traditions in Colombia. Later exhibitions such as The Signature of Los Rios (So Paulo, 2013), Transputamierda (Valongo Festival, 2016), and his presentations on the FARC at La Guardia Community College, Kaunas Photo Festival, and Unseen Amsterdam (2017) expanded his international presence. His solo exhibition Venus 41, trochas e incertidumbres (Museo de Antioquia, 2018) further established his voice in Latin American photography.
His 2020 exhibition Los das postumos de una guerra sin final offered a reflective look at the aftermath of Colombias conflict. With VERDE and Darien, Rios has produced two landmark photobooks that combine rigorous fieldwork with a strong narrative vision. His practice continues to evolve through longterm projects that examine the intersection of human survival, geography, and political tension.
Rios has published VERDE (2020), Darien (2024) and White Line (2025)
Exhibitions: Video Guerrilha (So Paulo, 2013), Valongo Festival (Brazil, 2016), LaGuardia Community College (NYC, 2017), Kaunas Photo Festival (Lithuania, 2017), Unseen Amsterdam (2017), Museo de Antioquia (2018), Bandy Bandy Gallery (Bogot, 2020).