TITLE: Taken by Solitude

A vast, open stretch of the Camino de Santiago unfolds across the Spanish "meseta" — a lone farmstead at an intriguing intersection, a tree lined horizon, and hills rising in rhythmic waves. Captured during a solo pilgrimage on foot, the image conveys the solitude and quietude that defined my Camino experience. The layered cloud formations, rendered in deep gradations of gray, mirror the undulating terrain below, giving a sense of both weight and motion. Black and white alleviates distraction and emphasizes the tension between earth, path, and sky.

AUTHOR: BARRY SHAPIRO (United States)


Barry Shapiro is an American photographer whose work is rooted in humanistic observation and the emotional truths that lie beneath the visible surface. Born in 1949 in Pasadena, California, he began photographing at an early age, receiving Photographer of the Year upon graduating from Pasadena High School in 1967. He went on to earn a degree in design from the University of San Francisco in 1972, while exhibiting in early group shows, including at the Pasadena Art Museum.
Shapiro spent nearly two decades as a partner in an architecture firm, continuing to photograph throughout those years. In 1994, he relocated to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, establishing a personal darkroom and deepening his commitment to photography as a primary form of expression. His work explores presence, vulnerability, and the subtle emotional weight carried within people and their environments. As Shapiro reflects, “The art of photography is about feeling deeply, and fully.”
His photographs have been exhibited internationally and are held in private collections across multiple countries. His work has been described as “humanistic photojournalism” by Anthony Bannon, Ph.D., former director of the George Eastman House. In addition to his photographic practice, Shapiro has led workshops around the world, guiding others to see beyond technique and into a more intuitive and personal way of making images.
EXHIBITS
2023 Arizona Biennial, Tucson Museum of Art, Tucson AZ
2017 Wabi Gallery – Collection of framed, signed series, San Miguel de Allende, MX
2016 Kochi-Muziris Biennale Exhibition, “Untamable Light.” Collaboration with poet/artist Valerie Mejer Caso. Kochi, India
2015 La Fábrica Aurora: “Mexico Retrospective 1994-2014.” San Miguel de Allende, MX
2000 WPO Regional Conference Exhibition: Napa Valley, CA
1999 Hacienda Galindo Exhibition: Querétaro, MX
1998 Centro de la Imagen Exhibition: Mexico City, MX
1998 Museo de Allende: “Painting with Light.” San Miguel de Allende, MX
1997 IV International Photographic Competition Exhibition: Instituto Nacional Bellas Artes, San Miguel de Allende, MX
1969 The Pasadena Art Museum: Collective photographic exhibition of young Pasadena photographers.
PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS By Barry Shapiro
1994-2001 Photographic Workshops, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
1999-2006 Eye of the Camera workshops for CEO + WPO: Galindo, Mexico
Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Napa Valley, CA, Costa Rica, South Africa, and Bhutan.