Road to Fitz Roy
Road to El Chaltan and Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina
Road to El Chaltan and Fitz Roy, Patagonia, Argentina
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Aug, 2015Views
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Contest Finalist in Roads Of The World Photo Contest
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Behind The Lens
Location
Outside of El Chalten, in Argentina (Patagonia). This is my favorite photo from my trip to Patagonia. Going to Patagonia is a little like stepping back in time (when places weren't so crowded and there was big open spaces), and I thought the sepia tones gave the photo a vintage feel that matched my perception of the place.Time
This picture was taken shortly after sunrise. We had gone out to get sunrise photos of Fitz Roy, from a spot where we could get a beautiful turquoise river in the foreground. I got some really nice photos of the sunrise reflected in the face of the mountains, but as we were leaving, I saw this opportunity. While the pink glow of sunrise was gone, the mountains were still beautiful and the road beckoned.Lighting
The early morning light lit up the peaks of the mountains, but it had not made its way down to the hills or the road. The soft light called attention to the jagged edges of the mountain peaks.Equipment
I used a Nikon D800, with a 24-70mm Nikon lens at 56mm, handheld.Inspiration
The beauty of the mountains and the lines and curve of the road. You also have the juxtaposition of the beauty of nature, with the ugly man-made road running smack through the middle of it. That and the call of the open road.Editing
Yes, I did a fair amount of post-processing. First, I imported the file with a landscape preset that helps to bring out the full dynamic range of the photo. Working with the color file, I then went through various adjustments to exposure, contrast, shadows, clarity, etc. I played with saturation and used graduated filters (in Lightroom) to help balance the bright sky and darker road and hills. But the photo being in color just didn't seem right, so I edited it in Color Efex Pro to give it an old-fashioned, sepia look, which just seemed right.In my camera bag
The 24-70mm lens is my favorite all-round lens, but what I carry depends on what I am shooting. For landscapes, I like my Nikon 4-24mm and 24-70mm lenses, and a tripod whenever possible. For wildlife, I like to have the 24-70mm in case I find something close, but I really like the Sigma 150-600mm for its versatility. And if I can get really close up, I use my Nikon 105 macro lens. I use a tripod (or monopod) whenever possible for wildlife photography as well.Feedback
Be open to other possibilities. This is not the photo I planned to take, but it is the one I like best from my Patagonia trip. After you've taken the picture you wanted to take, look around - look behind you or walk around a little, move a bit to the left or right, look up or down - you never know what you might find. Especially if you are in a group of photographers, if you look the other way, you could end up with a great shot and one that no one else got.
