BIOGRAPHY
Andrés Felipe Valenzuela Parra was born in Bucaramanga City, Colombia. He studied journalism at the Universidad Autónoma, UNAB, where he began his career as a photojournalist at Periódico 15 (newspaper), covering urban and social issues in the local and national context.
In 2007 he traveled to Bogotá D.C. to complete his first studies in digital photography at La Salle College.
That same year Andrés returned to Bucaramanga and he became the official campaign photographer of one of the most important politicians in the country who aspired to the Governorship of Santander department.
Taking advantage of his work, he traveled throughout the region, simultaneously creating reports and photographic series for his personal portfolio. In 2008, Valenzuela joined the Santander Governorship as a journalist and photojournalist; and at the same time, he combines his passion for photography by developing personal and freelance work.
In 2011 he began his postgraduate studies in photography at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, finishing in 2012 with the exhibition of his essay 'Hombres de la informalidad' (Men of informality) at the Leopoldo Rother Museum of the Institution, with important criticism from colleagues, professors and artists.
For three years he worked as an official photographer of the Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá D.C), where he made continuous publications for 'Nota Uniandina' (academic magazine) and other projects of the institution, highlighting the photographic exhibition 'Historias de país' (Stories of a country, 2015).
From 2016 to 2018 he worked at the Bogotá Education Office; and during the period 2018-2022 he was a communications advisor and photographer for the Ministry of National Education of Colombia, a job that gave him the opportunity to travel every corner of the country taking photographs for the National Government. In 2023, he joined the National Federation of Departments as a photographer and videographer.
Valenzuela's photographs have received awards and important national and international recognition from different contests such as: CNN Latin-America, Moscow International Foto Awards MIFA (Russia), MonoVisions Black & White Photography Magazine (UK), Fine Arts Photography Awards (UK), Climate Tracker Health & Climate International Photo Contest; Semana Magazine National Photo Contest 'Colombia Expuesta', International Youth Organization for Ibero-America (Spain); Departmental Journalism Contest (Colombia); Latin American Photography Contest 'Cuartoscuro' (Mexico); and others.
Andrés Felipe Valenzuela has had the opportunity to share professional and artistic training scenarios with the guidance of renowned figures in the world of photography such as: Piero Pomponi (Italy); Chema Mádoz (Spain); Juvenal Balán and Julio Larramendi (Cuba); Ruven Afanador (Colombia), Ian MacAlpine, Frank O'Connor, and Patti Gower (Canada), among others.
He is currently based in Ontario, Canada, where he graduated with a degree in Photojournalism from Loyalist College.
