Patagonia has without a doubt some of the world’s most photogenic mountains. At just under 3000 meters above sea level, the peaks of Patagonia don’t reach such lofty heights as Denali, Everest or Aconcagua, but these icy peaks at the Southern tip of the Americas do have a geographical advantage which gives them their immense grandeur; they rise from a plateau barely above sea level. So, when you’re standing at the shores of Lago Pehoe in Torres del Paine National Park, the landscape is dominated by jagged snow- capped peaks that rise almost vertically three kilometres above you. The mountains of El Chalten rise from a slightly higher plateau to an even greater height and there are very few places on earth where one can find this and certainly none that are complemented by such a plethora of photogenic foregrounds.

It’s hard to accurately describe the effect of such mountains on the human mind, soul and heart. The best I can say is that it takes days before I can look at the mountains without having my entire mind vacated of any thought. The mountains of Patagonia demand the full attention of anyone in their presence. But grand mountains alone do not make for a great landscape photography destination. Dramatic peaks are merely a background and the foreground is just as important if not more so. Patagonia is blessed with countless glaciers, which of course means that there are also glacial lakes, waterfalls and rivers, all flowing with icy turquoise water. And if that isn’t enough, it also has what is arguably the most impressive display of autumn colours found anywhere on earth. During the first two weeks of April, one can expect to see more colours in a single Magellan Beech tree than in some countries’ entire flora.

The final cherry on the cake is extreme latitude that ensures long hours of excellent light. The first intense Alpenglow of sunrise until the last warm morning light can easily last two hours. This means that special light lasts longer, making it easier to capture.

Patagonia has three main attractions; Torres del Paine on the Chilean side and Los Glaciares National Park and Perito Moreno Glacier on the Argentinian side. We’ve carefully planned to ensure that we spend enough time at each location to capture it sufficiently. We have also timed this tour very carefully to make the most of park access times, weather conditions, autumn foliage and the angle of the sun.

This tour is limited to 10 participants with 2 photographic guides, and like all my workshops is designed to ensure that you can focus on photography while we take care of everything else. From the ideally located and comfortable accommodation, great food and of course a tour that’s structured to maximize your opportunities to get great images whilst improving your skills as a photographer. We use all our experience and knowledge to get you to some of Patagonia’s most beautiful locations in the best light, and in the field we’re on hand to provide as much support, advice or guidance as you want.

All of the images on this page are Hougaard Malan’s

WORKSHOP INCLUDES

Landscape photography and shooting in unforgettable mountain locations

Continuous assistance with your photography and image processing by the guides, who have years of knowledge and experience shooting landscapes

Local English Speaking Guides with knowledge of the Fauna, Flora, history and geology of our destinations.

Ground Transport for the entire duration of the tour in a large bus with at least 2 seats per person

All accommodation/lodging costs.

All meals during the workshop and non alcoholic drinks during meals

All tourism taxes and park entry fees

All accommodation/lodging costs

Professional Local Drivers

NOT INCLUDED

Airfare to and from Patagonia

Beverages

Non-mealtime snacks and drinks

Credit Card surcharges

Any purchases of a personal nature

Travel Insurance

Additional Activities not specified above

Our tour focuses primarily on the two large parks in southern Patagonia; Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, and Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. These are large areas and to ensure we have time to fully explore everything they have to offer we spend six nights and five nights respectively in each park, followed by one night at Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafete in Argentina.

We start the tour in Punta Arenas, Chile and spend our first night there before making the 4 hour drive to Torres del Paine. We then head north into Argentina and El Chaltén for Los Glaciares National Park before finishing the tour and departing from El Calafete.

Torres del Paine National Park, Chile - We spend six nights in this incredible park staying in two different accommodations around the park to give us access to different areas and limit the amount of time we spend driving in the park. After our six nights here we’ll make the border crossing into Argentina.

Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina - Our base for this amazing destination is the town of El Chaltén from where we’ll see this must-visit for photographers travelling to Patagonia. The park only offers two easily accessible locations and the rest of the great foregrounds are all a hike of 1.5h - 3h from town. We have five nights here and urge our clients to get in shape for this trip so we can use this time to fully explore and capture these amazing waterfalls and forests below the peaks of Mt. Fitz Roy.

El Calafate, Argentina - This is where the incredible Perito Moreno glacier is and we will spend one night here to capture this amazing spectacle of nature. You will get two opportunities to photograph the glacier and our schedule will be relatively flexible in order to work around the weather.

Arrival in Punto Arenas | 1 Night

Upon arrival in Punto Arenas, you will be collected from the airport and taken to our hotel for the first night. We’ll have an introductory dinner to discuss the coming trip and for everyone to say a little bit about themselves.

Torres del Paine | 6 Nights

This incredible park offers a vast variety of foregrounds below the peaks of the Cordillera Paine. What seperates Torres del Paine from Chalten is that the park has roads that make it easy to get around it’s countless fantastic shooting locations. Expect waterfalls, lakes, autumn foliage, steppe, forest and river scenes, all no more than a few hundred meters from a parking lot. Over our 6 nights here, we will show you all the different parts of the park and try to shoot as much variety as we possibly can.

The park also has a great wildlife element - the Eastern part has a thriving population of Guanacos and it is common to find them atop the rolling hills with a beautiful mountainous backdrop. Where there are Guanacos, there are also Pumas, but seeing a Puma is incredibly rare and cannot be guaranteed.

Los Glaciares National Park | 5 Nights

After six nights at Torres del Paine, we will have a full day’s drive to cross the border into Argentina and get to El Chaltén, our base in Los Glaciares National Park. This incredible destination offers two beautiful shooting locations that are easily accessible, but unlike Torres del Paine most of it’s best spots are a 60-90min hike onto a plateau above town. The downside of this is obviously the physical demand, but the upside is that it offers a lot more unique shots.

During our 5 nights here, we will manage a fair balance of the easy locations and the more challenging locations. None of the hikes we do are mandatory and you can choose to rest or go to one of the easy locations (our driver will take you) whenever it suits you. We plan to do one sunrise hike to Lago Torre, which is 9km each way and requires a 3am start for a 90 minute uphill hike from the town. We will only do this given a perfect window in the weather. The hike back to town will be at an easy pace, shooting forests and mountains along the way. Even if you’re not generally a big hiker, getting in shape and experiencing the lakes, forests and rivers below a serrated 3500m granite peak will be a bucket-list experience.

Perito Moreno Glacier/El Calafete | 1 Night

After leaving El Chaltén we’ll head to El Calafete from where we can visit one of the world’s largest glaciers and one of Argentina’s most iconic sights - Perito Moreno Glacier. We’ll spend a few hours there depending on the weather and then return to our hotel. Depending on the weather forecast, we will visiti Perito Moreno a 2nd time the next morning before heading to the airport in town for our departure home.

OUR AIMS

 Our aim is to take you to beautiful locations and give you every opportunity to get great images while improving your technique over the course of the workshop.  We limit the number of participants on our workshop which gives us plenty of time with everyone in the field and from the beginning of your time with us we can identify your photographic level and what you’d like to focus on. We can then tailor the sessions to your precise needs and provide each participant with plenty of one-to-one tuition both in the field, and having multiple shooting sessions each day means that participants get into a shooting rhythm and can quickly put into practice new skills as they are learned. 

POST PROCESSING

This adaptability also extends to the post processing sessions.  We believe that editing is an integral part of getting the absolute best out of an image but we understand that the range of participant’s skill levels and familiarity with post processing techniques varies greatly.  Whenever there is time available, we can sit down for an informal presentation on editing or any other subject. The digital darkroom has become a crucial part of photography and the guides will present various techniques using images taken by the participants of the workshop. The guides have extensive experience with Photoshop, Lightroom, Bridge and Nik Color Efex, but they will always do their best to help with your program of choice

THE EXPERIENCE

Finally, we want to share with you our passion for nature and landscape photography in this incredible  place. Travelling in such small groups means we can quickly build a great learning environment where people feel comfortable together and at ease with asking questions and making the absolute most of the trip. We aim to make your experience here in the beautiful landscape of Patagonia a memorable one and a trip from which, as well as getting some great images from amazing locations, you’ll also go home having had a true adventure with great company in a very special place.

IN THE FIELD

• Understanding the light and choosing the best exposure

• Composition. Balance and harmony, leading lines and creating depth.

• Lens choice. From the wide-angle vista to shooting landscape abstracts with a telephoto lens

• Capturing moving water

• Shooting multiple image panoramas

• Controlling light in scenes with a wide dynamic range using graduated filters and/or multiple exposures

• Using filters

• Shooting in the blue hour and overcast weather

PROCESSING

• Deciding which direction to take post processing according to the mood of an image

• Using Lightroom to apply contrast locally

• “Shaping” the light using contrast tools in Photoshop and Lightroom

• Different techniques for blending multiple exposures of the same image

• Stitching multiple panoramas together

• Finishing touches for processing to give images dramatic punch

• Sharpening images

Is Patagonia safe?

100% - no issues whatsoever.

Do I need a VISA to enter Argentina and Chile?

Please see this page.

Will I have cellphone reception?

Cellphone reception is not great in Patagonia, but all our hotels have WIFI.

Will I have Internet access?

All our hotels have WIFI, but don’t expect video streaming speed.

What about medicines, diseases and vaccinations?

Nothing required, but please bring the standard travel necessities like immodium, pain medication etc. along.

Will there be fresh water available?

The tap water in Patagonia is perfectly safe to drink. We will stop frequently on travel days so you can buy refreshments.

Will I be able to purchase snacks?

We will stop frequently on travel days to go to the restroom and buy refreshments.

What food can I expect?

Argentina and Chile have pretty normal culinary offerings from a Western perspective. The only thing worth noting is that fresh produce is limited due to the climate and remote location. If you have any concerns, please let us know.

What about allergies or dietary preferences?

All of the hotels are prepared to handle basic allergies and dietary preferences like vegetarian or vegan meals. It is of utmost importance that you indicate this on your booking form so that we can inform the hotels with enough time to prepare.

Are there any luggage restrictions?

Not really, but please pack considerately. One large suitcase or bag, a large camera bag and tripod is the norm. Most lodges offer laundry services, so you don’t need to pack a fresh set of clothes for every day.

Do I need to bring spending money along?

Although most of your expenses are included, you will need some cash to buy snacks, drinks and souvenirs. You can also use a card at all of our hotels or you can bring some USD along to exchange for local currency in El Calafate.

Do I need a laptop?

A laptop isn’t an absolute must. If you want to learn editing from the guides, you’ll need one. If you are happy just to look while the others practice and to store all your images on memory cards, then you can leave the laptop at home.

 A dSLR or mirrorless camera 

The criteria for the kind of work we’ll be doing is a camera that can be operated completely manually to ensure we get the best exposure with interchangeable lenses allowing us to cover a range of focal lengths

A wide angle lens

For many of the locations a wide angle lens really is essential if you want to get those epic landscapes that have a foreground leading to the cloud capped mountains in the background. 16mm or 17mm on a full frame camera (10mm or 12mm on an APS-C sensor camera) is ideal, but anything below 24mm (16mm on a crop frame sensor) should be OK.  

A mid-range zoom lens

In some of the locations we’ll visit a wide angle zoom will make the mountains appear smaller, so a mid-range zoom will be great for maintaining the scale of the peaks while still including foreground.  They’re also great for panoramas.  Something in the range of 24-70mm (18-55mm on a crop sensor) is perfect.

A telephoto lens

We’ll often find ourselves shooting distant peaks or abstracts, which a telephoto is ideal for.  A telephoto also compresses the landscape and is great for mountains when shooting from elevation.  A range that covers 70-200mm (55-135mm on a crop sensor) is ideal.

Tripod

We’ll often be shooting in low light and Patagonia is notoriously windy, so a good tripod is an absolutely essential piece of equipment.

L-Bracket

An L-bracket allows you to mount your camera to your tripod head in portrait mode. An invaluable piece of equipment for landscape photography, L-brackets are made specific to each camera model, so make sure you purchase the right one.

Filters

A neutral density filter of at least 3 stops will help slow down the exposure to blur waterfalls and remove ripples from the lake’s surface. A stronger density like 8 or 10 stops will allow you to get longer exposures of 30 seconds and up. A circular polariser can deal with specular highlights and reflections in water, and cut through haze in the sky for telephoto images.

Comfortable waterproof walking boots and thick warm socks

We'll be doing quite a bit of walking, and we’ll often find ourselves moving across mud and rocks.  It’s very easy for cold feet to completely ruin your day, so good boots with thick warm socks are vital.

Insulated jacket, water and windproof shell and warm clothes

Even though it won’t be not winter yet it can still get pretty cold, particularly in the wind or before sunrise, so warm clothes will help keep you comfortable while we’re out shooting.  It’s best to layer, with a base layer next to the skin and then a fleece or thicker layer on top.  An insulated jacket on top of that will keep you warm, and also a waterproof or windproof shell as a final layer because there’ll certainly be times when the wind can be really strong in the mountains.

Camera Backpack

When moving your camera gear for any length of time a backpack can really save your back.  A good backpack, one with sturdy hip straps, can safely distribute the weight of your gear and really save you from aches, pains and potential injury.  Bear in mind that you’ll often be putting it down in the snow as well so it should be water resistant.

Laptop with Adobe Lightroom or Camera RAW and Photoshop

We’ll be shooting RAW, and as part of each day will be dedicated to post processing images a good RAW converter like Adobe Lightroom or Camera RAW is essential.  Other converters like Capture One are also fine.  Adobe Photoshop is great for more advanced processing as it allows us to be much more subtle and creative in it’s use of layers.

If you have any questions about what to bring, don’t hesitate to contact us.

 ANDY MUMFORD is a Lisbon based professional landscape and travel photographer. Andy grew up in the UK loving nature and travel and took up landscape photography over fifteen years ago. Since then he has travelled extensively photographing all over the world and his photography and articles have featured in publications and books worldwide. He is a passionate photographer teacher and has been leading both group and one-to-one workshops for over five years.

He is a Fuji X Photographer and a brand ambassador for Fujifilm in Portugal, although he also has extensive experience with Nikon and Canon cameras.

Hougaard Malan is an award winning South African photographer who has been guiding and organising photo tours for a decade. His photos of Namibia have won him awards like the 2016 International Landscape Photograph of the Year and his clients have also won numerous awards with the photos captured on his tours. All the images on this page were captured by Hougaard.

Hougaard believes the essence of a landscape photograph is allowing the viewer to experience that place without ever being there. When the light, clouds and land combine to produce scenes so beautiful that they etch a profound place in viewers’ memories, and witnessing such moments unfold over earth’s most beautiful landscapes is, for me, one of the highlights of living.

Hougaard’s work has been published in countless media all over the world, from books and magazines to calendars and coffee table books by the likes of National Geographic. Licensing and commission clients include global and local corporates like Samsung, Toyota, SAB Inbev, FNB, Standard Bank and Europcar.

www.hougaardmalan.com