Santiago Arcos (b. 1991) is a photographer born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Since the age of 19, he has been exploring documentary photography/video and photojournalism. In his personal work, he focuses on social and environmental issues.
Arcos has worked for several newspapers in Ecuador and has contributed to international publications including Slate France, World Policy Journal, The New York Times Lens Blog, Yahoo News, A Photo Editor, Madame Figaro China, Soho, Anaconda, Ecuador Terra Incognita and BEX Magazine. He has also undertaken assignments for organisations and media including Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian Journeys, UNICEF, UNHCR, Hivos, ECHO, Volkskrant, Der Spiegel and Audubon.
In 2013, he was selected for the Magnum Foundation NYU/MF Photography and Human Rights program and received first prize at POY Latam the same year. In 2014 and 2016, he participated in the New York Portfolio Review.
His work has received several awards and grants, including the Fotoperiodismo por la Paz: Juan Antonio Serrano Prize (2015), the Ecuadorian Ministry of Culture’s Fund for Artistic Creation (2016), and the Reuters Photojournalism Grant (2019). In 2025, he received a POY Latam award in Photojournalism.
World Press Photo Involvement:
2026 World Press Photo Contest winner
Santiago Arcos on Social Media:
Instagram: @santiarcosv
