“Tamara Merino’s approach to documentary photography is sensitive and poetic. Through her passion for storytelling, she travels the world to photograph social and cultural issues with a focus on identity. Her fascination with counter-cultures motivates her to tell untold stories that surprise and fascinate. Tamara’s genuine respect for others and her passion for understanding the world through photography result in an intriguing, awe-inspiring body of work that teaches us about the lives of others.” – Danielle Villasana, USA, photojournalist
Tamara is an independent documentary photographer and photojournalist based in Chile focusing on social and cultural issues, identity and migration.
She has worked on projects such as female migration in Chile, opal mining in Australia, an LGBT community in Mexico, and local communities in Brasil, among others.
Her photography has appeared in multiple online and print publications worldwide including National Geographic, The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Wired, Fish Eye Magazine, Joia Magazine, Folha de Sao Paulo, Roads and Kingdoms and Sydney Morning Herald.
Tamara was selected to participate in the 2015 World Press Photo Latin America Masterclass and in 2017, her work was exhibited in Washington D.C. as part of the 2017 World Press Photo side exhibition.
She was a finalist for the Magnum Foundation's Inge Morath Award in 2016 and her work is part of the Photographic Museum of Humanity PHMuseum.
Tamara is an awardee of the Foundry Photojournalism scholarship; and in 2017 was selected to participate in the "FIFV", Internacional festival of photography in Valparaiso and the Portfolio Review of ERRANTE International Photography Festival 2017.
Tamara has a degree in photography from the Universidad del Pacífico of Santiago, Chile and photography residency at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
She is a part of Women Photograph and Ladera Sur Chile.
See Tamara Merino's 'Underland' on Witness, World Press Photo's online magazine.
Tamara Merino received nominations from Mads Nissen and Danielle Villasana. Find out about the 6x6 nomination process and our growing community of global nominators.
