Most photographers have dabbled in the moving image, and thanks to today’s advanced digital technology, increasingly more young photographers are getting out into the field to shoot photo essays or make movies.

The recent “boom” in Colombian film is also inspiring a new generation of visual artists to explore a country steeped in stories, and that for decades was very off-limits to even the most brave and intrepid documentarians.

A group of students from the faculty of communications at the University of Medellín embarked recently on a visual road trip to capture scenes of everyday life in rural Antioquia.

Near the town of Carmen de Viboral, the crew found an ideal location to film a short with actor Juan Gabriel Mesa taking on the role of a solitary farmer named ‘Abelardo’ and holding his prize-winning rooster. Even though the picture was staged for a specific film project, its authenticity as very Colombian moment caught our editorial team off-guard and hence, was selected as a Big Picture.

Young photographers need encouragement and a showcase for their talent. For the Medellín-based Esteban Valencia, a bright future as a cinematographer seems on the cards and in a country where what is often imagined is real and what is real can be imagined through a lens.