Los Cuernos, Patagonia
Taken from above Lago Pehoé after a long wait for sunset.
Taken from above Lago Pehoé after a long wait for sunset.
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Oct, 2016Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
The picture was taken from the Mirador Condor on top of a hill to the east of Lago Pehoé in Torres del Paine National Park, southern Chile. Having flown from Geneva to Paris to Santiago de Chile, we continued to Punta Arenas where we spent the night. The following day we loaded a minivan to the roof and drove north, spending the night in Puerto Natales. The next day we continued our journey on dirt roads, eventually arriving at a small hotel on an island in the lake (really). After installing ourselves we hiked up to the mirador in a very strong and very cold wind, having first donned all the pullovers we had plus our Gore-Tex jackets. In other words, if you live in Europe or North America, Southern Patagonia is not just around the corner.Time
We had hiked up to the top of the hill in the middle of the afternoon, so had to brave the Patagonian wind for three hours or so whilst we waited for sunset. This picture was taken at 18:58 (by which time I was frozen and famished). We descended the mountain side in pitch dark, so I would recommend not to leave one's headlamp in the car.Lighting
The Cuernos mountains were to the north of our position, so the sun was setting to our left. The picture was taken just as the sun's rays became horizontal and passed under the low cloud to light up the face on the right.Equipment
After many years of using Canon SLR film cameras, I had moved on to a 60D when this was taken. The DSLR was on a tripod barely able to withstand the wind (and which I replaced on my return) and the lens was an EF 70-200 F 4.0 L IS USM.Inspiration
I am not sure how to answer this question. Anyone who has travelled half way around the world to see the Towers of Paine, and has then spent three hours standing in a freezing gail waiting for (and praying for) sunset, doesn't need any further inspiration! If the Patagonian weather allows you to see it, the scenery takes your breath away.Editing
Evidently I took a lot of images, many as a record of the journey, but a small number with aspirations of being better than snapshots. Thus, I recorded both jpeg and raw files and worked on the raw versions for a small subset of the total. As this was taken as it was getting dark, I adjusted the white balance and contrast, and did some dodging and burning to attempt to reproduce the scene as it appeared to me as I saw it at the time. I used a graduated ND filer for most of the sunset and sunrise shots, but I no longer remember if I used a filter for this image or not.In my camera bag
At the time this image was taken I had the 60D with an EF-S 15-85 (much better than a kit lens), an EF 70-200 F4 L IS and a Tamron 10-24. Currently I am using an EOS R with an RF 24-105 F4 L IS and I also have a EF 50 F1.4, a Samyang RF 14mm F2.8 and the Canon RF 100-400 (the RF 100-500 L is simply too big and heavy for expeditions like this) . The EOS R produces excellent quality pictures, but I think Canon ruined the User Interface compared with the 60D or 5D. For mountaineering I use a G5X which hangs inside my anorak and which I can operate with one hand in case the other is hanging on to my ice axe.Feedback
The obvious advice is to go to places which have such spectacular scenery. Unfortunately, although it isn't very helpful as advice, you also have to get lucky. I have been to Lago Pehoé twice, and the second time we did not see a single sunrise or sunset. On the other hand, having been dismayed for several days by the thick cloud hiding Cerro Torre in Los Glaciares National Park, on the last day we got out of our tent before dawn (at -8°C) to see a clear sky. Thus, you need perseverance and a willingness to sleep in outlandish places in a cold tent. And to take some of the other pictures I have uploaded, I also had to carry 50 lbs of camping and photo gear over 50 km.
