1965-1970 Peru, Bolivia, Paris
Following his studies at La Escuela de Bellas Artes in Lima, La Rosa began photographing with a camera borrowed from his mentor Peruvian painter Ricardo Grau (who later became Fernando's father-in-law). La Rosa soon purchased a 1938 Leica and developed friendships with other young Peruvians who were struggling to become photographers and filmmakers in an environment where photographic supplies and equipment were difficult to obtain. In 1970, with his Leica IIIF, La Rosa created his first series, "Bajada de los Banos", a area of Barranco that parallels the Pacific coast.
