Amaru Pareja was born in Bolivia and lived there for seven years while occasionally visiting Martha's Vineyard for months at a time to visit family. At seven he moved to the states, but didn't land on the Vineyard until 1999. Living on an island of abundant beauty coupled with an interest in the sciences, Amaru focused on the landscape, with a developing style based more heavily on his creative process by use of extended or broken exposures.

Amaru graduated from Hampshire College in 2008 with a BA in Fine Arts and completed his thesis, a photographic outlook of his two homes, Bolivia and Martha's Vineyard. He's chosen the square format for its ability to balance form, shape, and texture in a meticulous fashion. Although he also works digitally, he has concentrated on working in the color darkroom since his years at Hampshire. In January 2010, he completed the construction of his own professional color darmroom on Martha's Vineyard, replicating the equipment once used at school. He now earns most of his income working hard for the warmer six months of the year, while traveling, practicing in the field, and printing in his darkroom during the off-season.