Red forests under the towers. Still lakes at first light. The park at its best, with the summer crowds gone.
Most people come to Torres del Paine in summer. I bring photographers in autumn, when the park is actually worth photographing.
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.
You don't chase Patagonia. You wait for it, and it pays you back.
Why go with me to Torres del Paine?
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 for. 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.
Private, Not a Bus
you own first light
Peak Autumn Color
for glorious abstracts
The Towers at Dawn
when the light ignites
Why travel with Sergio...
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.
"I have one photo that speaks to me more than others a few Aprils ago...it was when we saw the fox hunt that goose. That describes the beauty and the hard life of Patagonia. They echo what we saw on the towers after that freak storm. Our kids want to experience a Patagonia storm too. I will be in touch soon. That trip was killer!"
Louis D.
Seattle, WA
"This was my 3rd trip to Chile, my 1st to Torres del Paine with you. I was amazed you knew so many little vantage points beyond the normal ones. You did make me work for them a bit, but they were worth it...no one was around...and that was the key. Where to next? Tierra del Fuego...?"
Beth W.
London, UK
"Of course you knew I was going to wear all my clothes, I am from the tropics! But, the cold did not distract me from the never-ending photos we got while criss-crossing the park. When the southern ice cap came into view, I knew it was my photo of the trip. It now hangs in my study. Thank you so much for an unforgettable experience in Patagonia.
Bishop S.
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Let's Pick Your Dates...
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.
