Growing up in Bogotá, photographer Felipe Prieto discovered his passion away from the relentless energy of his hometown. He spent quiet nights contemplating the dark sky, awestruck by nature. After moving to Philadelphia to pursue photography professionally, he turned his lens toward landscapes, wilderness, and the revelations of open spaces. “I’ve always felt like I’m just a small part in this world,” Prieto says. “But that’s what excites me—the chance to capture even a small portion of this big space.”
This sense of awe, paired with his Latin American roots, gives Prieto a perspective on the great American outdoors that is both singular and universal. These qualities are central to “Nuestro Lente; Nuestra Tierra,” an original series powered by Chevrolet that celebrates the profound influence of Latine culture on how we see the world. Each story reveals how culture and community shape our perception of nature while celebrating the voices behind the lens. The series honors both our home landscapes and those who uncover their more profound meaning.
Yearning for new opportunities, Prieto first moved to Philadelphia, where his curiosity soon led him from city streets to nearby nature reserves. In time, he discovered Bedford—a place he describes as “almost untouched by humans”—where nature became an outlet for his creativity and patience behind the lens.
Now, that pull toward open spaces takes him south to Texas to visit, where he captures the vast landscapes that continue to fuel his work. Prieto’s journey from the city to the countryside often involves long drives along highways and dirt roads, through rocky terrain and untamed pathways.
For this series, he drives the Silverado LT Trail Boss to breathtaking locations in the Coastal Prairie Conservancy and Chocolate Bay, Texas, showcasing the unique vistas that inspire him. The truck becomes a partner in his creative process — its Z71 off-road suspension makes every drive effortless, letting him chase beauty across both familiar and wild terrain. With easy access to his gear, Prieto can focus on crafting authentic, meaningful work.
For his sessions, Prieto often charges drones, cameras, and laptops while waiting for the perfect lighting —those moments when patience pays off with a seasonal shift or birds suddenly crossing the sky. The truck’s standard 120-volt power outlets keep him ready for the shot and allow him to focus on the narrative his photography will tell.
Prieto’s approach to photography is deliberate, rooted in patience and observation. He waits for the right light, weather, or subtle movement to align with his vision. “I try to be thoughtful and take my time with every image,” he says. “I like to set up my camera and look at the settings and see if that’s what I like before pressing the shutter.”
This attentiveness has led him to see patterns and changes in the environments he frequents. Prieto cherishes places untouched by humanity. A lake near his Pennsylvania home becomes a living subject, transforming with the seasons—frozen in winter, bursting with color in spring, and hushed beneath summer humidity. For him, these cycles echo the changes he once documented in families and communities, reminding him that time leaves its mark everywhere.
More than anything, Prieto is drawn to the quiet lessons nature offers. He loves exploring the stillness of a mountain ridge, the sudden flight of birds, or the texture of tree bark—all signs of a deeper meditation on belonging. “I like to walk around with my camera,” he says. “It’s like therapy for me.”
As Prieto drives the Silverado LT Trail Boss across valleys and ridges, his camera clicking with precision, he becomes a vessel that connects the artist and the landscape. That’s how a shared vision comes into focus: meaning is found in standing still and quietly listening as nature speaks to us.
As Prieto drives the Silverado LT Trail Boss across valleys and ridges, his camera clicking with precision, he becomes a vessel that connects the artist and the landscape. That’s how a shared vision comes into focus: meaning is found in standing still and quietly listening as nature speaks to us.
