Blog - Photography Tour

Traveling to a Patagonia Location

June 28, 2021June 28, 2021
by dwaisman

There’s a lot to be said about the distances between the major Patagonia locations. Traveling to a Patagonia Location, depending on a multitude of factors, can be quite the challenge.

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.

Patagonia Photography

My experience walking on the Glaciar Perito Moreno

April 3, 2021April 30, 2021
by dwaisman

I am going to address failure and attempt to describe an experience like no other. It’s like one of those journeys that cannot be explained or shared without the real thing. Like a bike ride, a realization, or an epiphany.

Many people visit the Glaciar Perito Moreno every year. I imagine that a little less so during this 2020-21 world pandemic. Nevertheless, to fully experience what it’s like, you need to get closer. A lot of people simply observe its colors and forms through the comfort of the platform sections overlooking the ice giant. That is a great way to admire it, but I do think that just a glimpse of its grandiose.

Trek on the Glaciar Perito Moreno, Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Santa Cruz, Argentina

Walking on the glacier makes you feel small. It reminded me how vast it is.

We started our journey early in the morning at the port site of the park. We quickly crossed the lake and commenced our ascent bordering the ice. At about 25min of walking, we found good access to the ice. Everyone got their crampons on and slowly proceeded to find a route towards the center of the corridor. No picture can really express what this looks and feels like. As stated before, I’m describing my experience knowing too well how flawed this might turn up to be.

In my last November visit, we saw multiple ice lagoons on top of the melting ice sheets. The colors of the scene create a quite pretty contrast between the bright turquoise water, the ice sheets which are reflected with the blue skies.

After a few hours of walking, we stopped to enjoy our lunch (oh, by the way, you need to bring your own. No working vending machines inside the glacier) I can say without a doubt, that it was one of the most spectacular views I ever shared during lunch. Once we were done, we set everything up to resume our trekking and return to camp. As always in any park, we were very careful not to leave any trash behind.

The return was easier than the initial walk. We walk on the edges of the glacier towards the small camp where we shared some hot cocoa and coffee. After the small break, we embarked once again to cross the lake and to finish the adventure.

Perhaps you care to join us in our next photo adventure.

Patagonia Photography

Patagonia location: Isla Magdalena

August 2, 2019August 2, 2019
by dwaisman

The Isla Magdalena is surrounded by the frigid waters of the Magellan straight. The island is home to a vast community of penguins and seagulls that use it as their summer breeding ground. Its lighthouse, designed and constructed by a Scottish engineer, aided the navigation of ships that circumvented the American continent during the early XX century.

Isla Magdalena light house and trail. — The CONAF manages the island which has been declared a wildlife protected area.

Isla Magdalena, Magallanes Region

The Isla Magdalena is about 35 Km from the Chilean city of Punta Arenas in the Magallanes region. It takes about a forty-minute boat ride to reach its shores and, because of the straight’s strong winds, reaching the island can be a choppy experience. In our last photo tour, the winds were calm and our journey was very peaceful.

Back in 1837, the Chilean government enacted a decree for the construction and organization of a national network of lighthouses.
The Isla Magdalena lighthouse dates from a much later time. It was constructed by the Scottish engineer and architect George Slight in 1901 and became operational by the following year. Originally, the installation of the lighthouse consisted of a house with five bedrooms, an office, an oil tank and a store, plus kitchen.

Old map of Southern Patagonia with Isla Magdalena marker

In 1976, it was declared of historical importance due to its strategic location and function to the shipping trade lines.
This maritime route was the original navigable link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans which precedes the Panama canal.

In 1981 the Chilean Navy delegated the maintenance of the site to CONAF, the Chilean park services, who has an active presence year round. There are two park rangers that take care of the lighthouse’s structure and protect the animal colonies.

Wildlife at the Island

During the summer, the Isla Magdalena becomes the breeding ground for its vast penguin population which hides its chicks underground to protect them from predators. The land is filled with holes which provide refuge to the colony during high winds. It also keeps the chicks safe and warm during the Patagonian night.
The waters of the Strait are abundant with mollusk and crustaceans which are the staple of the colony’s diet.

Isla Magdalena penguin colony having a laugh.

Join us when we visit the Isla Magdalena to photograph its landscape and wildlife. Check out our coming Patagonia Photography tour.

All photos taken by DWaisman with Sony A7RIII, 100-400 mm, and 1.4 teleconverter.

Patagonia Photography

Birds of Patagonia: El Pitío

June 13, 2019June 13, 2019
by dwaisman

El Pitío, or the Chilean Flicker, is a very common sight around the Torres del Paine National Park. In my travels around the region, I saw many birds of Patagonia, but El Pitío stands out due to its particular uniqueness.

Patagonia Photography

Patagonia Photography: Perito Moreno Glacier

June 4, 2018January 10, 2019
by dwaisman

At the furthest end of the South American continent Patagonia host a wide variety of amazing photography locations. From blue glaciers, to mountain peaks and marine and terrestrial wildlife; the Patagonia Photography opportunities are abundant, rich and diverse for landscape, wildlife and nature photographers. The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the great Patagonia sites we visit during Photo Tours South America Patagonia photo tour.

Patagonia Photography

Patagonia Airport: How to get to Patagonia

May 11, 2018April 3, 2021
by dwaisman

2020 second COVID update:
Because of the COVID pandemic this information has been changing in a weekly basis. Civilian flights are schedule to return to Argentina in October 11, 2020. Unfortunately, due to 7 consecutive months of quarantine, the aviation sector has seen massive losses and many discontinued routes. Some companies have left the Argentinian market altogether which made competition and access limited.

2020 COVID update:
Many airports remain closed due to the pandemic in the region. Argentina has no available flights until September of 2020. Some of the low cost airlines are having a lot of trouble to stay in business. We hope an improvement in the availability of flights for next year.

It’s important to organize your itinerary properly ahead of your Patagonia photo tour. Patagonia is a vast and large section of South America where the regional airports are small and have limited connection service. Patagonia’s airport options are a crucial part of your trip since ticket availability might fluctuate during different parts of the year.

Most of the Patagonia airports don’t receive international routes. Most of them behave as regional community hubs. International travelers first arrive to Chile and Argentina’s international airports prior to their connecting flight to a Patagonia airport.
Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, has three airports with daily connection flights to most of Patagonia; these are: Ezeiza – Ministro Pistarini (international), Aeroparque – Jorge Newbery (domestic), El Palomar (The low cost domestic airport has been shut down for commercial flights). Chile’s capital, Santiago, has also daily flights to many Patagonia airports from Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez airport.

Patagonia Airports:

Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina

Teniente Luis Candelaria Airport (Patagonia Airport Code: BRC)

This is perhaps the biggest Patagonia airport in the region due to the importance of San Carlos de Bariloche as a tourist destination inside Argentina. The Airport is served by all the major airlines: Aerolineas Argentinas, ~~LATAM~~, Flybondi (low cost airline that only flies from El Palomar airport), Jetsmart (another low cost airline that flies from El Palomar airport), ~~Andes and Austral~~.

2020 update:
LATAM has left the domestic Argentinian market. It’s not possible to travel non-stop from the USA to Argentina with this carrier.
Austral’s union is merging with Aerolinas Argentinas and it’s supposed to be absorbed by the national airline. Low cost airlines have been grounded for weeks and their future is uncertain.

A round trip from Buenos Aires might cost an average of $250 to $300 american dollars depending on season’s demand and the time of year. Read more “Patagonia Airport: How to get to Patagonia” →

Patagonia Photography

Patagonia Location: Cueva de las Manos

January 10, 2018January 10, 2019
by dwaisman

The Cueva de las Manos site in Patagonia resembles the ancient paintings found at the Lascaux cavern in Southern France. The indigenous population that inhabited Patagonia left their negative hand impressions on this cave as a testament for future generations.

The Cave is located at the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina and relatively close to both the city of El Calafate and the Perito Moreno glacier.

The art painting dates from 13,000 to 9,000 years ago and early artwork has been carbon-dated to ca. 9300 BP (about 7300 BC). We believe that the site was last inhabited around 700 AD, possibly by ancestors of the Tehuelche people. Read more “Patagonia Location: Cueva de las Manos” →

Photo travel

Patagonia Photo Tour Location: Perito Moreno Glacier

November 22, 2017January 10, 2019
by dwaisman

At the furthest end of the South American continent Patagonia host a wide variety of amazing photography locations. From blue glaciers, to mountain peaks and marine and terrestrial wildlife; Patagonia has many rich and diverse locations for landscape, wildlife and nature photographers. This is one of the great Patagonia locations we visit on the Patagonia photo tour. Read more “Patagonia Photo Tour Location: Perito Moreno Glacier” →

Photo travel

Photography Tour – Travel Photography Workshop

August 16, 2017January 10, 2019
by dwaisman

Like with traditional photography classes and instruction, a travel photography workshop aims to enhance your skills throughout a specific journey. Its striking contrast relies on the location and how the travel photography workshop gets presented to its participants.
Check out our upcoming Patagonia photography tour for 2018.

Photography Tour and Workshop – Intensive Learning In-situ

I for one like the idea of maximizing the instruction and teaching in just a few days. Research studies have shown that condensing material in a few short segments provides a better comprehension and absorption by the students. Read more “Photography Tour – Travel Photography Workshop” →

Photography tour

Photography Location – Pucará de Tilcara, Jujuy

August 10, 2017January 10, 2019
by dwaisman

There are some photography locations that are truly special and photogenic like no other. Perhaps some of its advantages rely on their continuity and lack of change, such as their landscape and climate, which might not vary over many centuries thus preserving its charm and unique characteristics. The following is a photography location like no other.

Photography Location – Pucará de Tilcara

In our photo tour through the Northwestern region of Argentina – Magical Argentina – we’ll travel to this incredible photography location: El Pucará de Tilcara. An historical site with vast anthropological and archeological significance, which dates back before the Spanish colonization of America. Read more “Photography Location – Pucará de Tilcara, Jujuy” →