Cusco, Peru - Photos of Cusco and Peru by Brett Cole

Brett Cole Conservation Photography

People, Cultural Celebrations, and Landscapes of Peru

I'm a nature photographer by trade, but I've recently started documenting people and culture. Peru is one of the most captivating countries on Earth, with incredible landscapes and biodiversity, rich history and culture, vibrant arts, and warm, friendly people. This gallery provides a unique and intimate look, with a focus on Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca empire. Viewing Tips: Use the mousewheel to scroll down. Press the F11 key to maximize your browser. Haga clic aqui para ver las galerias en espanol. Click here to see more Cusco photos and lor licensing and personal use,

Fernando and pepino (watermelon seed), Cusco

Huaripampa Valley, Huascaran NP

Wildflowers, Sacsayhuaman

Children at a remote orphanage in the Andes outside of Urubamba

Stone terraces and bromeliad, Machu Picchu

Children playing near algae on Lake Titicaca, Puno

A girl and her llama in the tiny village of Yanque

Cathedral, Cusco

Young recruits at a military parade, Cusco

Hikers in front of towering Tualliraju (5830 mt./19,100 ft.), the beautiful “ice flower” of the Andes

Sun-burnt children on Isla Taquile, Lake Titicaca

Cristo Blanco, Cusco

A boy loses his battle with a tower of eggs on the train tracks in Cusco. Taken from 65 mt. (200ft.) with a super-tele lens (no crop)

Coffee seller in Cusco (stroke victim)

Fountain statue at night, Cusco

Last rays on fortress walls, Sacsayhuaman

Retreating glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca

Best friends and an elderly woman spinning wool

Stray dogs and cats have a rough time of it in Cusco

Peru has very few supermarkets per capita. Markets are the norm.

Sacred Valley near Urubamba

Relfection in alpine lake at 5,000 mt. , Cordillera Blanca

Residents' boats at dock, Isla Taquile, Lake Titicaca

Fruit seller at the central market, Arequipa

Monteverde Cloud Forest

Klamath Natl. Wildlife Refuges

Cloud Forests for Kids

Peru for Kids

One World

Plazita overlooking the Plaza de Armas, Cusco

Elderly Cusquena

A boy checks out a street performer, Cusco

Cristo Blanco and Sacsayhuaman

A woman is ignored as she tries to sell dolls to tourists in a bus

Neighborhood in Huaraz

Young recruits at a military parade, Cusco

Clouds envelope the statue of Christ above Cusco

Teenagers rehearse a dance at 6am before sc hool, Cusco

A boy watches dancers practicing in Puno

Cathedral, Cusco

Old weathered door, Cusco

Milagros works on animal drawings, Cusco

A rare site with only two people anywhere to be seen at Machu Picchu

aFestivals in Cusco, Peru

aThis subsection does not have captions

These images do not have captios

These images do not have captios

nCusco, Peru

Girl and soldier

Cristo Blanco

Political sentiment is evident throughout Cusco

Children in Cusco enjoy a close sense of camaraderie and community

Plaza de Armas, meeting place for tourists and residents alike

Terraced hills provide for housing and agriculture

Audience members at one of the popular outdoor comedy shows held every weekend in town plazas

Parade participant

Celebration and fanfare is a constant in Cusco

Print media is still the primary source of information

Bread distributor passing the cathedral on early morning rounds

Many children work shining shoes, tending stalls, and vending

Local teen near graffiti speaking to the changing tourist economy

Grandfather of the boy on the right. Cusquenos are warm and friendly.

Children in Cusco are good natured and generally happy

Soccer (football) and volleyball are Peru's main sports, and soccer fields are found everywhere

Girl selling gelatin cups

A boy off the tourist track

Power lines on a terraced ridgetop. At more than 10,000 feet in elevation in the Andes, Cusco sees a lot of dramatic mountain light.

Illuminated cathedral ornamentation

Christ is the key. Catholicism dominates in Cusco.

Disenfranchised elderly man and police offiers picking seeds from their teeth

Dancer in early morning light

Church steeple near Qorikancha

Toddler so obsessed with the camera his sister has to pull him away

A boy plays as a marching band practices, Qorikancha

The light of the world and hope for the future

Qorikancha illuminated at night

Young man walks through wildflowers near Sacsayhuaman, with Cusco and the soccer stadium in the background

Traditional woman with a hesitant but beautiful smile

Moon and the steeple of Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Old-timey photographers take a break from their work in a plazita to go in front of the camera for a change

A girl and her baby lamb playing Mario Brothers video game at an internet cafe

Siblings looking bored at the end of a long day at an outdoor fair

Shoeshine boy

Night basketball game on Avenida Central

Culture is still alive in Cusco

Plaza de Armas at night

Santo Domingo Convent at dusk

Boy lighting candles during the Festival of Lights

nBe sure to see my Peru children's book. There are 13 more galleries below - rainforests, baboons, conservation,

wetlands, old-growth forests and more! I recommend that you visit the Oregon gallery next.