Road To Adventure
Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is...
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Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Chilean Patagonia. The Cordillera del Paine is the centerpiece of the park. It lies in a transition area between the Magellanic subpolar forests and the Patagonian Steppes. The park has been elected as the 5th most beautiful place in the world by the National Geographic.
Torres del Paine National Park is located 112 km north of the town of Puerto Natales, between the massif of the Los Andes Mountain Range and the Patagonian steppes, in Ultima Esperanza Province, community of Torres del Paine. It covers an area of about 2.422 sq km. Paine means "blue" in the native Tehuelche (Aonikenk) language and is pronounced PIE-nay.
The Torres del Paine are the distinctive three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range or Paine Massif. They extend up to 2.500 meters above sea level, and are joined by the Cuernos del Paine. The area also boasts valleys, rivers such as the Paine, lakes, and glaciers. The well-known lakes include Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskiold, and Sarmiento. The glaciers, including Grey, Pingo and Tyndall, belong to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.
Guanacos are one of the most common mammals found in the park. Other mammals include foxes and pumas. It is also home to the endangered Chilean Huemul and many different species of birds like the Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Rufous-tailed Hawk, Cinereous Harrier, Chimango Caracara, Magellanic Horned Owl, Austral Pygmy-owl. Other birds occurring in the park include the Chilean Flamingo, Darwin's Rhea, Coscoroba Swan, Black-necked Swan, Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellan Goose, and Black-faced Ibis
It is a popular hiking destination in Chile. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8 to 9 days. Visiting the park is recommended between late December and late February, during the southern summer.
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Torres del Paine National Park is located 112 km north of the town of Puerto Natales, between the massif of the Los Andes Mountain Range and the Patagonian steppes, in Ultima Esperanza Province, community of Torres del Paine. It covers an area of about 2.422 sq km. Paine means "blue" in the native Tehuelche (Aonikenk) language and is pronounced PIE-nay.
The Torres del Paine are the distinctive three granite peaks of the Paine mountain range or Paine Massif. They extend up to 2.500 meters above sea level, and are joined by the Cuernos del Paine. The area also boasts valleys, rivers such as the Paine, lakes, and glaciers. The well-known lakes include Grey, Pehoé, Nordenskiold, and Sarmiento. The glaciers, including Grey, Pingo and Tyndall, belong to the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.
Guanacos are one of the most common mammals found in the park. Other mammals include foxes and pumas. It is also home to the endangered Chilean Huemul and many different species of birds like the Andean Condor, Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Rufous-tailed Hawk, Cinereous Harrier, Chimango Caracara, Magellanic Horned Owl, Austral Pygmy-owl. Other birds occurring in the park include the Chilean Flamingo, Darwin's Rhea, Coscoroba Swan, Black-necked Swan, Magellanic Woodpecker, Magellan Goose, and Black-faced Ibis
It is a popular hiking destination in Chile. There are clearly marked paths and many refugios which provide shelter and basic services. Hikers can opt for a day trip to see the towers, walk the popular "W" route in about five days, or trek the full circle in 8 to 9 days. Visiting the park is recommended between late December and late February, during the southern summer.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in South America in Torres del Paine National Park, in the Chilean Patagonia. It was part of a longer roadtrip through Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia, starting from Buenos Aires and going south until Ushuaia, the southernmost town in the world. One of the most amazing trip I've done so far.Time
I took this photo on 21st August 2015 at 13.48 local time. Torres del Paine is really big and there is much to explore. It's a paradise for trekking (I suggest the W circuit trekking). So you can start your adventure early in the morning and you will be busy until late in the evening, everytime is the perfect time to take photos, and there are endless amazing locations and spot where you can have great shots.Lighting
Actually it's not the best time to take photos because you have the best light during sunrises and sunsets, here I had a strong light, but I'm still happy with the result. It's something different from the classic landscapes with sunsets. Unfortunately it's impossible to be everywhere at the same time, especially in a big place like Torres del Paine, but pretty much every corner can turn into a beautiful photo!Equipment
This photo was taken with a Canon Eos 7D and a Canon Eos EF-S 10-22mm. I used these settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/160s, 22mm.Inspiration
I was driving to another location inside the park and when I passed from this unpaved road I couldn't do anything else than stop the car, take my camera and shoot. I was amazed by this curvy road that seemed to lead directly to the mountains, and the powerful and strong light of the entire scene. Also I knew I didn't have much time because the clouds were covering the mountains in the background (in this part of Patagonia the weather can change very easily!).Editing
I think that post-processing is an essential part of photography, especially for landscape photography, even if I'm not a big fan of the "huge changes". I always try to achieve the best with the camera. For this photo I worked on the white balance, I raised the contrast a little bit and I lowered the highlights on the top-right corner, where the light of the sun is stronger. Then I applied the sharpening as I usually do on my photos.In my camera bag
I always bring with me my Canon Eos 7D with the lenses that I usually use, the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM which I use for landscapes, my Canon EF-S 18-135mm f3.5-5.6 IS (my first lens ever, I started with this and sometimes it can be useful), and my Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM for wildlife. Also I bring a polarizing filter and a ND 64 filter for long exposure. Then of course my tripod is an essential part of my equipment. I also bring with me a gorillapod, the small flexible tripod. It's amazing, you can attach it pretty much everywhere and very useful for different perspectives, for example on the branches of the trees! I also have a bag rain cover for my camera, since too many times it started to rain so bad while I was outside in the middle of the woods. And finally batteries, memory cards, and a small cleaning pen for the lens.Feedback
In Patagonia (both Argentinian and Chilean) there are endless occasions to take beautiful photos, every location you visit will take your breath away and will capture your soul. But as I said before, the weather can change suddenly in this part of the world. Visiting Lake Grey in Torres del Paine I had a beautiful scenario in which the sky was literally divided in two above the lake, one side blue and completely clear, and the other side completely covered by clouds. You can catch many different atmospheres at the same time, and that's great! Just watch all around you everytime to be sure to not miss anything. Explore as much as you can, don't just drive along the roads but stop and get off your car, walk, hike; often just moving for a short distance can give a better perspective or you can find some beautiful spots you didn't see before. Sometimes you will have to be patient, many times the clouds were covering the mountains, and I had to wait to take my photos. But your waiting will be rewarded for sure!
