Torres del Paine, Patagonia
You need to hike up 500 metres from base camp in the dark to arrive before sunrise (and hope there will be one). I got lucky! This is on the famous "W"...
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You need to hike up 500 metres from base camp in the dark to arrive before sunrise (and hope there will be one). I got lucky! This is on the famous "W" trek.
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Dec, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken from the Mirador Base Las Torres, Torres de Paine, in Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile.Time
We were camping at a site above the Refugio Chileno (which was shut) and left our tents around five A.M. to hike up to the mirador in the dark so we would be in position before dawn. It was well below freezing and we had no time for breakfast. I took a series of pictures, first including the Milky Way, and then of the Towers of Paine as the sun came up. This one was taken at 08:44.Lighting
The photo was taken towards the west, so the spectacular rock towers were beautifully lit by the rising sun behind me. We were treated to a breath-taking range of colours, from dark blue to bright red, as the sun rose, but the contrast was extreme.Equipment
At the time I was using a Canon 60D SLR and as the initial images were taken well before dawn the camera was on a tripod and fired with an infra-red remote-control. As the direct lighting of the rock was far brighter than the reflections in the moraine lake, I balanced the lighting with a graduated neutral density filter.Inspiration
With scenery like this no inspiration is necessary. Patagonia is a photographer's dream, although with the disadvantage that the wind is very cold and often ferocious, and it can be very cloudy and wet. Thus, it might be necessary to keep coming back until the conditions are right - and it isn't easy to get there. To have hiked up in the cold and dark to be met with a day like this was certainly exceptional, so obviously we must have prayed to the right gods.Editing
I changed to aspect ration from 2:3 to square, which I found more appropriate. I also adjusted the sharpness and brightness slightly, and possibly the vibrance, but not by very much. The Raw file was converted using Canon DPP.In my camera bag
I currently use an EOS-R with the 24-105 f/4 L IS, as well as an EF 70-200 f/4 L IS (with an adapter) and a Samyang 14 mm f/2.8 RF. In addition, I still sometimes use an EOS 70D with the EF-S 15-85 IS. For climbing I use a G5X which is excellent for its size, weighs nothing and which I can operate it with one hand whilst the other hangs on to my ice axe. In addition, I have a carbon-fibre tripod, Bluetooth remote control, spare batteries and polaroid plus ND filters.Feedback
You have to go where the scenery is, and this is time-consuming and expensive. (It also requires a very indulgent spouse). I have hiked across Iceland, Patagonia and Ladakh and been climbing in Nepal, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and various other distant places. You have to be willing to get cold and wet and to carry a very heavy rucksack. I was carrying 48 lbs on this trip. However, you soon forget the discomfort but still have the images to look at...
