Why autumn
From late March into May the beech forests turn red under the Cuernos, peaking around mid-April, and by June it is gone. The summer crowds clear out, the famous wind settles so the lakes hold still at dawn, and the low sun stretches the good light instead of blasting it. It is colder. You trade a few degrees for all of it.
No secret spots. Only time and light.
Every great viewpoint here is on a map, and I have shot them all. The difference is not a hidden spot, it is standing in the right place at the right hour, with the days to wait and to come back when the light finally shows up. The bus tours pull in at noon and move on. We shoot both ends of the day, and if the towers are socked in this morning, we go back tomorrow.
1. You own first light. The bargain tours pull up to the overlooks at noon, flat light, a dozen people scrambling for a spot. I run private and small. We are set up in the dark and shooting while the buses are still at breakfast.
2. You go where the day-trippers can’t. The French Valley on foot, Grey Glacier by boat and foot, the Baguales wild-horse range, the estancias and the gauchos. Deeper in, and farther out, than the standard loop.
3. You come for the red, and I aim your dates at it. The autumn color shifts a week or two every year. I plan based on past experience and on-demand local knowledge. That’s why we design with extra days to accommodate for the weather and the colors.
4. You won’t get skunked. Patagonia can hide the towers for days at a time. Most tours get one crack at each spot and drive on. Our spare days are active and we shoot every day – sun, wind, rain, hail or snow…it’s all part of the experience at these latitudes.
5. You get the truth. I won’t promise you a puma or a perfect red sunrise on a chosen date. I will tell you straight what the season does and put you in the best spot. I will never promise something I cannot deliver, but will work hard to deliver the real Patagonia.
6. You just shoot. Private vehicles, the right hotels in the right places, the Grey Glacier boat, the permits, the timing, all handled. Your only job is to be ready when the light breaks. We help you pack the correct clothing for the season and choose the right camera gear
you own first light
for glorious abstracts
when the light ignites
1. You are led by the photographer himself – born in the Andes. I make the same pictures you came for, reading the light and the weather right beside you, in the elements.
2. Four decades behind the lens, and a published author. I have put two books of my own photography into print. This is my craft, and my job has meaning and purpose to help you.
3. People come back, and they bring friends. After thirty years, much of my work still comes by word of mouth from photographers I have guided before.
4. Decades of relationships open doors. The estancias, the gauchos, the drivers, these are people I have known for years. That access is not on any booking site.
5. A small operation, on purpose. I run few trips and choose them with care. You are a photographer I am taking somewhere I love, not a seat on a manifest.
6. This is not a sightseeing loop. I am there to help you make the shot in the field, at the moment, not just drop you at a viewpoint and wish you luck.
Autumn is a narrow window, the good dates go early. Tell me when you can get away and what you are after, the towers at dawn, the fall color, the pumas, and I will tell you straight which weeks I would put you in.
Not sure which one? Tell me what you want to shoot and when you can go, and I’ll point you to the right trip → click here
