In the second part of our 12-part series on great photo locations, Darran Leal shares his passion for Patagonia's glorious untamed wilderness.
I love to shoot in so many places, but Patagonia, in Argentina and Chile, is my absolute favourite. It never lets me down. In January I made my twelfth trip there. Patagonia is a true wilderness location with few people, stunning landscapes and unique nature. I love to photograph it all. The seasons are very defined, with November and April being great months to shoot. But in-between will also work.
The nature of the region is just beautiful. Guanaco are amazing animals which were very tough to shoot on my first visit in 1989. Now I walk with them and I’ve seen them newly born amongst herds in the hundreds. I have to say I’ve even kissed one – but that’s another story! A more difficult creature to photograph is the armadillo. Tough to find, they have their own 'cute' factor.
Cerro Fitzroy (pictured below) is an incredible mountain. I’ve lost count of how many mornings I’ve woken up in the dark and then driven or walked to a key point to shoot the very first light on that mountain. Many times it has been overcast, with not even a glimpse of the mountain. This is typical of the region’s turbulent weather. But I’ll return the next morning to capture stunning photographic light. The temperature is usually around sub zero, but the hard work pays off – I get great images and an absolutely top life experience.
Cerro Fitzroy shot in 2005. You can wait in sub zero temperatures and not even see the mountain due to cloud cover. But then you can also get the most amazing experience. Every sunrise is different on Fitzroy. Canon 1DsII, 100mm macro lens, two shot stitched panorama starting in Lightroom, stitched in Photoshop and finished in Lightroom. Image by Darran Leal.
Moreno Glaciar is not the largest, but it is one of the most beautiful. This is an April shoot targeting the fall colours against the blue ice. Nikon D3X with Nikon 16-35mm lens, four shot stitched panorama starting in Lightroom, stitched in Photoshop and finished in Lightroom. Image by Darran Leal.
