21 Jan
2013

Posted in: Patagonia
By Ian Plant    4 Comments

Patagonia “B Side”

I’m getting excited about my upcoming Ultimate Patagonia Photo Tour which I co-lead with Richard Bernabe. We’re heading down in the second half of March to photograph some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet. I’ve shared a number of my Patagonia images over the past few years, but there are a lot which have never seen the light of day. Some aren’t very good (some are downright awful), but some are decent enough to post online. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Patagonia “B Side” images. P.S. If you have been thinking of taking our Patagonia photo tour, this is the year to sign up—last year we had 15 people, but this year we have a much smaller group. I’ve had a number of people already tell me they are signing up for 2014, so if you want a small group experience and some intense one-on-one time with Richard and I, this is your best chance!

“The Hidden Gate”—Argentina

I took this image two years ago. This spot in Los Glaciares National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Unfortunately, Fitz Roy was obscured by the clouds, but the scenery here is so stunning it didn’t really matter!

“The Back Door”—Argentina

This image is from the “back side” of Fitz Roy—the other side from the view most people see when visiting Patagonia. I trekked up a wickedly steep mountain to camp at this remote outpost below the glacier. I took this thirty second exposure at twilight as high winds blew plumes of mist off of the summit of the mountain. The next morning I arose before dawn, and climbed the glacier in the dark to greet the morning sun from high atop the crest of the Andes Mountains.

“The Horns of Paine”—Chile

This was taken during an amazing sunrise sequence—the good light lasted for an hour. I shot this during the dawn twilight, before direct sunlight was hitting the peaks (the soft red light on the mountains is coming from reflected light from the clouds in the sky). I had better light for the version of this image on my website, but I like the softer pastels in this image, as well as the counterpoint interaction between the dark cloud in the upper right and the waterfall in the lower left (to learn more about counterpoint, check out my ebook on photographic composition Visual Flow).

“The Far Side”—Argentina

I found this glacial erratic on the far side of the Andes Mountains. I’m pretty sure no one else has ever photographed it (but then again, everyone goes everywhere these days, so someone somewhere probably has a shot of it). I shot many variations of this scene, this one being the simplest and most graphic composition of the bunch.

“Sunrise Shroud”—Argentina

Unfortunately, Cerro Torre—the region’s second most famous peak after Fitz Roy—decided to not make an appearance this particular morning. If it had, this shot would have been really nice. Actually, even without Cerro Torre it is still pretty good! I guess even the second string scenery in Patagonia is superb.

“Dawn Tempest”—Chile

This image seems rather peaceful, but I was being buffeted by gale force winds when I took this photo. Most of the time I have spent in Patagonia has been perfectly pleasant, but when the wind kicks up, watch out! Of course, the high winds can make for some exciting shooting, and the winds also create incredible clouds around the mountains, which can be dazzling at sunrise and sunset.

“Cerro Pollone”—Argentina

I climbed a glacier in the dark to reach this view for sunrise. What an incredible place! Jaw-dropping scenery, spectacular light, and a brilliant sunrise—it was a perfect morning. One of many I have had in Patagonia.

About Ian Plant (334 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.