Carlos Jaramillo
Carlos Jaramillo (b. 1988, McAllen, Texas) is a Mexican-Colombian American photographer based in Los Angeles. His practice explores identity, heritage, and the intersection of tradition with contemporary life. Working primarily in portraiture and documentary photography, Jaramillo’s images draw on the formal qualities of art history while remaining grounded in the lived experiences of his subjects.
A graduate of the School of Visual Arts (BFA, Photography), Jaramillo’s work often highlights underrepresented communities and the ways in which cultural identity is expressed through ritual, fashion, and environment. His celebrated project Tierra del Sol (Pomegranate Press, 2022) documents the annual charrería in Pico Rivera, California, blending studio portraiture with vernacular style to honor a vibrant cultural tradition. The book was named one of Smithsonian Magazine’s top 10 photography books of 2022 and has been exhibited at Guerrero Gallery (Los Angeles), Selenas Mountain (New York), and internationally.
His editorial and commercial work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, The Guardian, and Smithsonian Magazine. Through his practice, Jaramillo seeks to create images that resonate across borders—works that amplify voices, preserve stories, and challenge conventional narratives about Latin American identity in the United States.
