p.4 #1 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Philippe and Boris, wow... fantastic journey and an amazing series of shots. Boris, I am looking forward to your synopsis of the M9 as a landscape camera. Great stuff guys!!!
p.4 #4 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
rscheffler wrote:
So that is the 'highway?' I guess there aren't rest stops every 100km with toilet facilities and snack bars?
No, but villages with certain facilities are some 200 km apart.
In addition to the eventual discussion about how the camera equipment worked, it would be interesting to learn about some of the logistics and planning for the trip.
A rental car is a must. Be prepared for modest hotel rooms, strong winds and lots of dust. I have driven thousands of kilometers on Chilean dirt roads and eventually the dust is everywhere. In the car, your nose, and also the camera bag. It is a trip for photographers, not collectors. Indeed there are fences everywhere along the Carretera Austral. I often hopped over them, but occasionally included them in the composition.
p.4 #7 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
rscheffler wrote:
I guess there aren't rest stops every 100km with toilet facilities and snack bars? In addition to the eventual discussion about how the camera equipment worked, it would be interesting to learn about some of the logistics and planning for the trip.
I spent some time before the trip finding out where the best photo spots are (reading guide books, travel blogs etc.), but the actual trip planing was quite easy.
I just booked the flights to Balmaceda, a rental car online at Europcar and the hotels for the first and the last night near Balmaceda.
Regarding the rental car it is recommended to take a robust SUV, because the road is a bumpy gravel road with lots of deep holes. We had a 4WD Nissan pickup. In two situations we had to activate the 4WD, the rest of the trip we were driving in 2WD.
Whenever we saw a gas station (and our tank was less than 3/4th) we refueled.
At late afternoon/evening we started looking for an accommodation (if possible near an interesting shooting location). Often you have no choice and just have to take what's there. Sometimes this was a 10$ B&B or hostel with insects crawling through the room and sometimes this was a night in a 200$ luxury spa.
p.4 #9 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
I'm late to the thread... It took me some time scrolling through these first pages - great stuff everywhere! Thank you for sharing your images and experience!
p.4 #11 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
philber wrote:
At Boris' favorite vantage point on Cerro Castillo.
I was looking forward to photographs of the masses of dead trees sticking out of the river some 10 km south of this viewpoint, but it seems that we are now past this point. Did you notice these trees? To be sure, there are plenty of dead trees scattered around Patagonia but I found that site particularly interesting.
Edit: Looking on Google Earth now, I notice it is actually to the west of this vantage point.
p.4 #12 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Some fantastic images, Bobu and philber! Makes me want to travel there next.
Philber, seems like some of your images are underexposed to protect the highlights. Have you considered trying some HDR with the single image or selectively bringing out the shadows to balance the lighting a bit?
p.4 #13 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Toothwalker wrote:
I was looking forward to photographs of the masses of dead trees sticking out of the river some 10 km south of this viewpoint, but it seems that we are now past this point. Did you notice these trees? To be sure, there are plenty of dead trees scattered around Patagonia but I found that site particularly interesting.
Edit: Looking on Google Earth now, I notice it is actually to the west of this vantage point.
Yes, we went to this place with the dead trees and I'm sure Philippe has some good images of this place since during the whole trip he was a big fan of dead trees. I tried some snapshots there, but they were not successfull.
By the way do you have any images from your many trips along the Carretera Austral on the internet?
p.4 #14 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Bobu wrote:
Yes, we went to this place with the dead trees and I'm sure Philippe has some good images of this place since during the whole trip he was a big fan of dead trees. I tried some snapshots there, but they were not successfull.
I may have something in common with Philippe then.
By the way do you have any images from your many trips along the Carretera Austral on the internet?
Well. Nine of the pictures in the Patagonia section are from the Carretera Austral. I could show more, but the timing is a bit inconvenient. This winter I scanned 3500 slides and negatives, and right now I am organizing, keywording, and developing the collection in Lightroom.
I don't know whether two trips count as many. In 2004 I covered the part between Puerto Montt and Lago General Carrera, crossing the border to Argentina in order to head further south to Tierra del Fuego. In 2008 this route was blocked, because Chaitén had been erased by a volcanic eruption and subsequent flooding. That year I went via Argentina and reached the carretera at Villa Santa Lucia, driving all the way down to Villa O'Higgins.
p.4 #15 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Toothwalker wrote:
Well. Nine of the pictures in the Patagonia section are from the Carretera Austral. I could show more, but the timing is a bit inconvenient. This winter I scanned 3500 slides and negatives, and right now I am organizing, keywording, and developing the collection in Lightroom.
I don't know whether two trips count as many. In 2004 I covered the part between Puerto Montt and Lago General Carrera, crossing the border to Argentina in order to head further south to Tierra del Fuego. In 2008 this route was blocked, because Chaitén had been erased by a volcanic eruption and subsequent flooding. That year I went via Argentina and reached the carretera at Villa Santa Lucia, driving all the way down to Villa O'Higgins.
Hey, lots of dead trees. I'm sure Philippe will love your images. My favorites are of course not the dead trees, but "Lago Escondido" and "Lago Argentino". Both are really great.
p.4 #16 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Bobu wrote:
Hey, lots of dead trees. I'm sure Philippe will love your images. My favorites are of course not the dead trees, but "Lago Escondido" and "Lago Argentino". Both are really great.
Thanks. I occurred to me that I still have some images online from my most recent trip to Chile, which was last December. No Carretera Austral, but the stretch between Puerto Montt and San Pedro de Atacama. Considering your preference for landscapes and saturated colors, I think you should pay a visit to the altiplano in northern Chile.
p.4 #17 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
Toothwalker wrote:
Thanks. I occurred to me that I still have some images online from my most recent trip to Chile, which was last December. No Carretera Austral, but the stretch between Puerto Montt and San Pedro de Atacama. Considering your preference for landscapes and saturated colors, I think you should pay a visit to the altiplano in northern Chile.
You have some really beautiful images from your recent trip.
Regarding your suggestion going further north: I have also a strong interest in (temperate) rainforests, which can't be found in the northern parts of Chile. But the landscapes and colors are probably very interesting there. What I would really like to do is travel through Chile and (southern) Argentina for about 12 month and visit most of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego with enough time to spend some days at every beautiful place. Maybe sometimes in the future when my daughter has finished her school.
p.4 #20 · Patagonia's carretera austral: two photographers and three systems
What a pleasure to have TWO artists coaching us through the same wilderness! It is like listening to two masterpieces by the same composer - one with the Berlin Philharmonic and one from let's say Vienna philharmonic ... Only so I learnt to enjoy art: in the comparison of Human Perception.
A major difference in the personas is obvious (you surely know : person comes from per-sonos or your voice) : I somehow like the differences too. Fantastic value this thread, thanks. I must say I am not even remotely interested in the discussion of cameras when I read your posts.
Must admit Southhern hemisphere is Southern hemisphere: nature-wise close to NZ . Even the flora is similar and the gloomy foggy cold vista over the lake is typical too. If one day when my new baby is grown over ten yrs I manage to visit these places I hope to manage to the really high mountains of fuego-land. Probably I'll still be shooting on my 5D3 with the same lenses as Phillipe... What does connect people nowadays
