Paso del Cuadrado, Los Glaciares, Patagonia

I’ve got an upcoming article in the February issue of Popular Photography magazine on Patagonia. I made my first visit to Patagonia in March 2010, and I will be returning in March 2011 to lead a photo workshop. By the way, we still have a few spaces left, so sign up now! Patagonia is an epic place, a land of forbidding mountains and more glaciers than you can shake a stick at. It is one of the most stunning wilderness areas on the planet, and even a lifetime of photography there simply cannot do the place justice.

"Paso del Cuadrado" - Los Glaciares, Patagonia, Argentina

This image is featured as the opening two-page spread for the article, and was taken in Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. I made this image after a brutal climb to a high mountain camp, an overnight in freezing weather, and then an early morning climb in the dark up a steep glacier. My guide and I made it to the top of Paso del Cuadrado just as first light began to break on the horizon. Storm clouds swirled overhead, but the eastern sky was clear, allowing an amazing light show to progress through dawn twilight and then past sunrise. This was one of the first images I made that morning, as the sky fired with the first rays of the sun. Paso del Cuadrado is one of the most remote and striking places I have ever been, and I was fortunate enough to get amazing light while I was there, as it is unlikely that I will ever return to this formidable location.

Here’s your daily reminder: Don’t forget to vote to send me to the North Pole, and please spread the word! I entered the contest a little late, and I am still far behind the top entries. I need to make it into the top five to be considered for a trip to the top of the world. Thank you for your support!

Technical details: Canon 5D Mark II camera, 24-105mm lens, ISO 50, 2-stop graduated neutral density filter, f/16, 8 seconds.

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About Ian Plant (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.