By Jo-Ann Hem Lee | 2025-10-29
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In this recent photograph, I managed to capture the enigmatic petroglyphs of the Valle del Encanto beneath the majesty of the Milky Way, something unprecedented until now.
These ancient figures, carved into granite rock with quartz tools by one of the most mysterious and feared cultures of the Andean world, the Diaguita culture, originally from the Atlantic Amazon, stand as silent witnesses of time.
The engravings date back to around 1000 B.C. and rise facing the Pacific Ocean, in the Limarí River basin, Coquimbo Region, Chile.
The image was taken during the Luzlux photographic expedition, a project created with the purpose of exploring, studying, and portraying Chile’s most hidden, beautiful, and culturally significant corners.
With this photograph, I wanted to imagine the story of an archaeologist who, decades ago, discovered this place and might have spent countless nights studying these carvings, trying to decipher their meaning beneath the immense starry sky.
A tribute to that profound connection between ancient peoples and the universe.
To bring it to life, I had the valuable collaboration of my expedition partners: Fernando Rey, Glendor Díaz, and Pablo Alfranca.
Camera: Canon 5D Mark IV
Lens: Sigma Art 14-24 mm 2.8
Tripod: Vanguard VEO 5 264CB
Tracker: Skywatcher Star Adventurer
Two photographs were used for the final result. One captures the general image of the landscape, the person, and the sky as seen, and the other is a photo of the sky taken using a tracking mount technique to achieve greater detail and clarity in the sky. Both photos were taken at the same time, place, focal length, and with the same equipment. During post-processing, they were merged, and the shadows, highlights, and contrast of the image were adjusted.
