Hello!

Thanks for checking out my life’s work (so far).

Here you’ll get to know a bit more about me and what I do.

You can reach me by mail at santiagoarcosv@gmail.com

or you can call/write me

+593 985973485

I am a freelance photographer based in Guayaquil, Ecuador. 

My work is focused on covering social, human rights and environmental issues for international media, and collaborating with Humanitarian Agencies and Ngo’s who work to solve them.

In my 16 years of photography I have worked on personal long term projects in my country, and have covered almost every kind of assignment in the region.  This work has been honored with prizes like POY Latam first places in 2013 and 2025 and the Magnum Foundation & NYU Photography and Human Rights Fellowship in 2013. 

In 2025 I cofounded Luz de Fondo, a multimedia agency focused on documentoing the work of NGO’s and their impact.

If you want to know some more about me, here are some FAQs!



  • I'm living in my home city Guayaquil, Ecuador and I'm up for assignments wherever the story will take me.

  • Pretty fluid. I lived in Canada a few years while growing up and haven’t stopped speaking it since.

  • I do. My strength is photography but over the years I’ve made some videos that I really like. Check them out HERE

  • Yes! I use it often as a resource both for photo stories as well as videos.

  • Yes, heres the list:

    2025. First place in POY Latam, in Spot News singles.

    2019. Grantee of the Thomson Reuters Photojournalism Grant.

    2017. Honorable mention in Aurora Prize for The Skin of Palestine short video.

    2016. Awarded the funds for Art Creations by the Ministry of Culture of Ecuador

    2015. Winner of the “Photojournalism for Peace: Juan Antonio Serrano grant for

    peace photography”

    2014. Selected to participate in New York Time’s New York Portfolio Review.

    2013.‍ ‍Magnum Foundation & NYU Photography and Human

    Rights Fellowship.

    2013. First place in POY Latam. Environment Category, Stories.

    2010. First place in “Diario el Telegrafo” Award, Student Category.

  • Yes, I received HET Training in 2019 somewhere in Mexico, and have been able to practice it quite often while covering everything going on in Ecuador.