During these trying times of COVID restrictions, international travel to Patagonia has stopped to a crawl. And although vaccinations campaigns are slowly turning the tide, many questions still remain unanswered about the feasibility of free, unrestricted travel, throughout its territory.

Traveling in Patagonia

There are a few factors to have in mind while considering a visit to Patagonia. Its long distances and rapid changing weather need to be included as variables that can shift quickly at any giving moment.

First, make sure you research the condition of the road and the access options to a giving site. Many Patagonia national parks might have adjusted their visiting hours because of the pandemic. Plan what route it’s better to take. There are many provinces and territories with poor infrastructure, missing signage, and bad paved access (this is specially dangerous during the rainy season). Last thing you want to do is to get stuck in the middle of the Patagonia desert. If you are renting a car, make sure that the spare tire is present, and that you have tools to replace it in case of an emergency.

Second, local authorities should be able to inform you about the current situation of the Patagonia national parks and their activities. In Chile, the national parks are managed by CONAF authority and in Argentina by Parques Nacionales.
It’s also a good idea to contact the local tourist office to answer any specific question regarding access. Our experience has shown that they usually are better informed about local restrictions.

Having a defined itinerary might be a good idea, especially when many road authorities inquiry about your destination.

If you are interested in traveling with us, please check out our next Patagonia Phototour.

Millions of years ago, this rough and semi arid ecosystem witnessed a drastic change with the sudden extinction of the dinosaurs. Paleontological digs are very common in Patagonia. They tell the story of earth’s ancient inhabitants, where giant dinosaurs roamed the land of what we now call the American continent. A testament of this can be found at the museum of Carmen Funes, in the province of Neuquén where,  the largest specimen of the dinosaur ever recorded (the Argentinosaurus), is on display.

People from all over the world travel to Patagonia due to its beauty and unique topography. This is in part due to its magnificent peaks which create the longest continental mountain range best known as the Andes. The mountains extend for over 4,300 miles and journey from the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego all the way into western Venezuela.

Patagonia’s weather is very much defined by the Andes elevation, which functions as a barrier to the wet Westerlies winds that blow relentlessly from the South Pacific ocean. Tales about the ferocity of the Patagonian winds abound and are not to be taken lightly. Its wind gusts has been known to bend car doors as well as light posts.
The Andes mountains also delimit the border between the countries of Argentina and Chile, which share the Patagonia region, as well as some of very photogenic and unique national parks.

Perito Moreno Glacier:

The Perito Moreno glacier is by far one of the most exciting destinations in Patagonia. It’s located very close to the city of El Calafate in the Argentinean province of Santa Cruz. Contrary to many glaciers around the world, the scientific community has recorded the expansion of the Perito Moreno glacier in recent decades, despite global warming.
Ice breakups are a spectacle not to be missed and they usually occur during the summer months.

The glacier has an observation deck close to the waters of Lago Argentino. This scenic spot faces the lake and allows for a direct view of the ice giant just steps from land.
The glacier can also be accessed by foot and water. There are many reputable companies that organize boat expeditions around Lago Argentino. This is a perfect activity for a photography tour, since the park has many precious spots that can only be accessed by water.

Whilst both the deck and water excursions are well worth the journey to this location alone, the activity that in my opinion tops everything else, has to be the trek on top of the ice mass. It’s not everyday you have the chance to walk into a glacier!
The surface and some of its ice formation can be reached on ice walking treks which provide for fantastic photos. This is an absolute incredible adventure.
Tip: Leave the tripod at the hotel, It might be difficult to carry a lot of equipment on the icy adventure.

Patagonia Photo Tour Tip:

Clothing is important! bring shoes and clothing appropriate for ice walking. During summer, the abundance of water due to the higher temperatures might create very slippery paths.

I hope you’re planning a trip to South America. We organize Photography tours Patagonia which not only visits the Perito Moreno glacier but the Torres del Paine and Monte Leon national Parks.

Please consider joining us in our upcoming photo tour. We are local to South American and to Patagonia. All our staff is bilingual and are very passionate about their own photography. If you are planning a photography trip to South America, contact us.

It’s no secret that models and light need direction and sculpting. Both require knowledge thus is important you assume the director role while on location. A great travel photography portraits can sometimes be a more effective connection with the audience, than a landscape or candid photo.

Here’s the original post reproduced here:

Guaranteed results with careful planning

Travel photography is often frustrating because you can’t always be in the right place at the right time with the right lighting. What usually happens, though, is you breeze in and out of a village or town relying on serendipity to get good shots.  This is not the way to do it.

I learned a long time ago that it takes forethought and planning to guarantee great pictures of people in other cultures.  Sure, serendipity does happen sometimes where everything comes together as a pleasant surprise.  We all know, however, that this doesn’t happen often.

Therefore, when I travel to a place like Africa, I make a list of the types of images I want to take in tribal environments.  For example, my preconceived idea list when I took a photo tour group to Namibia looked like this:

•  Silhouette of Bushman archer in tall grass
• Bushmen hunting party
• Silhouette of Bushmen against large sun
• Himba family in sunset lighting walking toward the camera
• Himba girls dancing

To get these kinds of shots, I have to wear a director’s hat and set these images up.  I use my local guide to arrange the time of day (usually sunrise or sunset), the location (which I have scouted), and I always select the models to make sure they are the kind of people I want to photograph. The fee is negotiated before the actual shoot, of course.

At the appointed time, through a tribal interpreter, I direct the action.  For example, I’ll tell a mother with children to walk to the camera from a particular place.  I instruct them to forget about the cameras and to pretend we are not there.  Or I will tell a group of Bushmen exactly how to stand, look, crouch, or aim a bow.  In this way, I get perfect pictures for my photo tour group and me.

Here are some 5 ideas to have in mind while you prepare for any travel photography:

Travel Photography Smart Gear Checklist:

1. When on the go, it’s very important to have comfortable access to your equipment. That can be anything from camera bodies, lenses, filters, batteries, etc. Long are gone the days of the classic photographer camera bags!
   There are many new alternatives such as the photography back-packs, messenger bags – and my all time favorite – sling photo bags. I like them best since they force me to pack light. The added advantage is the extra support for changing lenses and filters. Beware, always make absolutely sure you close those zippers tightly.  I had lenses drop and damaged because of unzipped pockets.

1. Camera holsters are amazing helpers for traveling photography excursions. I only recent came accustomed to use them and they have made my traveling photography much more enjoyable. I use the black window camera holster. It allows me to ‘snap’ my camera to the holster, which is attached to my belt. This provides an extra level of independence, without putting pressure on your neck, releasing your neck and extremities from the extra weight. Say goodbye to the regular camera straps !
2. Memory readers and an extra sets of cables are a must for traveling photography. No matter if you’re in a remote location or in the middle of a urban area, proper back-up of your content should be a serious endeavor you devote yourself once you finish with your photography traveling. I pack an extra set of cables and camera readers just in case of failure. A precious moment perhaps cannot be reproduced on a later date (weather, people, conditions, etc) it’s important to always be prepared for safeguarding your photography
3. Are you planning to take your equipment in extreme weather ? Plan to protect it with a rain or dust coat. Sometimes the inclement of the weather can play adversely to your plans. It’s smart to have options and protect your gear investment
4. Batteries and memory cards. I cannot stress this enough. Redundancy is everything. Pack enough batteries and memory to last you for the entire day. Nowadays, both memory and batteries are affordable enough. Make sure you pack enough juice and room to last you for your planned photography traveling and also consider how accessible these are while on location. You don’t want to miss a shot due to a dead battery!