Behind the Lens – Visiting Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia – Picture Ideas, Inventive Images + Journey Guides

Behind the Lens – Two Days at Perito Moreno Glacier

Location: Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia – Argentina

Gear: OM-1, OM-1 MKII, 7-14mm f2.8 professional lens, 12-40mm f2.8 professional lens + 40-150mm f2.8 professional lens with the MC-20 2 x teleconverter and LS-P5 audio recorder.

Date: April 18-Twentieth, 2024. Autumn in Patagonia

Rising early to gather the rent automotive and head out to the glacier, I used to be wanting to see the ice, it was truly the a part of Patagonia I used to be wanting ahead to most. The towers of Torres del Paine and Mount Fitz Roy have been proper up there on the want listing too after all, however glaciers have been a topic I’ve love researching and photographing since I used to be bewildered by the landscapes and ice sheet of Greenland.

Layers of glacial ice disappearing towards ridge traces and valleys are a sight I may fortunately stare at ceaselessly. The sounds, thunderous roar of crashing ice, glistening sparkles, centuries of climate circumstances, snow and glacial streams mixed to current a scene so rugged but intricately delicate. They fascinate me and each time I {photograph} a glacier, I depart with tons of (jokes, 1000’s) of images that normally, let’s be sincere, look fairly related.

I simply can’t cease taking images of them.

With the walkways of Los Glaciares Nationwide Park offering quick access to Perito Moreno Glacier, I hoped this time would possibly lead to a unique assortment of photographs. I wished to problem myself to seize imagery that isn’t simply ice patterns, blues and whites, however to include the autumn foliage and vibrant contrasting colors.

Working with pops of color and bokeh is a mode I get pleasure from incorporating inside my panorama pictures. It’s not simply the ultimate picture I get pleasure from, however the strategy of scouting areas, in search of the right leaf, department, flower or tree to help in framing the scene. Some individuals might have a look at this fashion and suppose the tree bought in the way in which, however it’s intentional, and I’m all for it!

Day One at Perito Moreno Glacier

To take you behind the scenes somewhat, I wish to share a glimpse of every day and the way I approached the numerous circumstances.

My temper was excessive arriving on day one, as I left El Calafate the solar was shining and skies have been clear. The drive itself out to the nationwide park is gorgeous, a low velocity restrict encourages you to go searching and take within the forests stuffed with reds, oranges and yellows. Aspect observe, go to in April, it’s wonderful!

Rounding every nook as I bought nearer to the glacier I may see the clouds rising, and pulling into the automotive park revealed loads of low cloud tucked within the valley, a sight I couldn’t see from city. Regardless, I used to be prepared and rattling excited to lastly be seeing this pure surprise I’d heard a lot about.

After parking the automotive, with out pondering I jumped on the shuttle bus and crammed in alongside all the opposite vacationers arriving on the opening time. The quick trip took us to the principle place to begin the place there’s a memento retailer, café and the beginning of the white accessible walkway which leads right down to the crimson and yellow walkways. Immediately, I wasn’t a fan.

Crowds and creativity don’t combine properly for me, and my mind hits overwhelm in a short time when there’s loads of noise and folks about. To say I ran out of there may be an understatement. Should you can think about walkways stuffed with smiling, completely satisfied guests taking images, selfies and standing in awe of the view…then me, on a mission to get as distant from the principle viewing deck as potential, weaving and ducking my approach by way of selfie sticks. That mentioned, it’s great that someplace this stunning and rugged can also be so accessible for everybody, significantly these requiring wheelchairs as nearly all of walkways have loads of stairs. See the accessible route in white under, and I’ve additionally marked the X the place the shuttle arrived, and the blue route X the place I walked again to keep away from the shuttle on the way in which out.

I’m in all probability exaggerating, or perhaps I get overwhelmed too simply, however once I’m in nature, I wish to really feel impressed, to listen to the birdsong, wind, and to additionally hear nothing in any respect. It’s one a part of social media that I fear has modified stunning locations at the least for now, I all the time witness individuals arriving to take a couple of fast photographs, barely even wanting on the view with out a digicam in entrance after which leaving. It makes me somewhat unhappy to see which is one purpose I scurry away and discover someplace quieter.

So, that apart, I ran right down to the crimson observe, the place you possibly can get amongst the timber and the place I believed I may body the glacier properly. Whereas there have been a couple of okay angles, nothing was grabbing me, so I made a decision then and there that the primary day was going to be a day for scouting with out the strain of capturing too many images.

Making it my aim to cowl each inch of the walkways whereas the climate was a bit iffy, I wandered slowly alongside in quest of autumn timber and ready to listen to the roar of a calving. I’ll skip the boring components and share that it was about 4 hours in that I stumbled upon a tree that immediately caught my consideration, comparatively small, not many leaves however positioned in simply the right place to lean in and use it as foreground bokeh to border the ice within the distance.

Taking part in with numerous compositions and angles, I knew I wished to return straight again right here tomorrow when hopefully, the climate was going to be clearer and add a sprinkle of sunshine to assist improve the tones! Let’s skip to day two…far more enjoyable.

Day Two at Perito Moreno Glacier

Sunny skies once more in El Calafate and this time, as I drove nearer to the glacier, there have been no clouds in sight! Hooray!

Having wandered alongside the blue walkway again to the carpark the day prior to this as a substitute of choosing the shuttle, I knew this may change my strategy on day two. Strolling alongside the shore of Lago Argentino with nobody else in sight, because the glacier grew nearer, I may really feel the shortage of crowds and noise was aiding my motivation and inventive imaginative and prescient for the day forward.

From this walkway, I arrived on the viewpoint that appears over the glacial entrance the place Lago Argentino meets Canal de los Témpanos. It affords such an incredible vantage level for photographing the ice patterns and wide-angle photographs of the panorama, however it’s additionally the place an autumn tree was aligning superbly with the glacier’s terminus. Take a peek on the shot under which was captured by way of the branches of a deciduous tree.

Whereas there weren’t any individuals round, I rapidly filmed this video discussing how I strategy photographing glaciers…hopefully you will get a way of how completely satisfied it makes me haha. I used to be additionally speaking fairly rapidly as a result of I may see individuals approaching down the walkway and get extraordinarily awkward speaking when others are watching 😊

Again to the images, after filming I made a beeline for the spot I’d seen beforehand, the autumn tree dangling in simply the appropriate place to seize the bokeh beauties I’d been planning. With the OM SYSTEM 40-150mm lens on, I used to be shifting round trying to border the scene to showcase the ice patterns with the colourful autumn reds within the foreground. It wasn’t working.

Normally, the 40-150mm is my go to lens and I can seize something and the whole lot with it and be fully blown away by the outcomes (as I did above within the different spot), however I feel the leaves on this explicit location have been too small and the glacier was too distant, a mix that as a substitute suited the 7-14mm f2.8 lens. It’s my go-to lens for underwater pictures and huge open scenes, however I not often use it when photographing a glacier as a result of I like getting up near the cracks, crevasses, and patterns. Alas, I swap, and was immediately impressed by the consequence.

By swapping lenses and opening up the focal vary I may see a lot extra, however the leaves that weren’t working with the zoom lens, all of a sudden took on a brand new life, I may see extra of them and likewise incorporate the blue sky which was serving to to reinforce the general influence of the picture.

For the subsequent hour, I stood on the identical tree, truly, wanting again it was extra of a small department or two! No surprise I used to be getting humorous seems from individuals passing by questioning what the heck I used to be so intently. Each gust of wind revealed a brand new alternative to border the scene and I used to be fully hooked on standing in that one spot till I bought the picture I used to be after. Take a peek on the outcomes under, I feel I may nonetheless return and take some various however had a lot enjoyable experimenting and switching out the lenses that I’m simply proud of the expertise.

Afterwards, I wanted to maneuver on, my again was getting hunched from specializing in the identical department and to stretch my legs, wandered additional alongside to discover a spot the place I may concentrate on capturing the calving motion. Sometimes, the afternoon sees extra calvings as a result of the solar has been hitting and heating up the ice, making it somewhat extra prone to tumble into the lake.

As I discussed within the ‘Information to Photographing Perito Moreno Glacier’, you’ll most definitely hear a calving earlier than seeing it! The sound echoes throughout the water and because of the size of the glacier (it’s 30km), it might take some time for the sound to succeed in the walkways. The easiest way to catch a calving is to cease and stare, wait and watch. Persistence is vital which is why it’s important to plan at the least one full day when visiting the glacier.

As a result of the calvings can occur wherever alongside the glacial entrance, I put the 40-150mm f2.8 lens again on with the MC-20 2 x teleconverter as a result of I wished a pleasant shut, motion shot of the crumbling and crashing ice. As I’d spent a lot time photographing leaves, the calvings have been already beginning to occur round 3pm, so I didn’t have to attend lengthy for the primary sheet to fall dramatically.

A fast crack like lightning, then all of a sudden, all the part dropped, creating a large swell, splash and sound. It’s fairly an expertise to look at one thing occur, but have the sound delayed by a couple of seconds, such as you’re seeing it in sluggish movement then getting hit by the truth in quick ahead.

I tried to alternate between photographing and filming, one thing I’ve been having fun with quite a bit recently, significantly on my journeys to Patagonia, the Atacama Desert and South Africa. For me, filming is a wholly completely different artwork type and I’ve a lot respect for those that can piece collectively documentaries, inform tales, and produce viewers right into a second by way of movie and cautious storytelling. What I seize for the time being I take into account snippets, little moments of motion that I can share alongside my imagery.

The steadiness of the OM-1 is so spectacular that I can movie handheld, then as soon as I’ve bought some footage, rapidly swap again to photographing. It’s a mix that’s boosting my inventive ideas and course of, typically I’ll see issues whereas filming that I could not have noticed when scouting for images. One factor I’m certain loads of photographers can relate to although is eager to nonetheless seize the shot. I’ll be filming, watching the second occur however desperately wish to cease and take a photograph too…I suppose it’s a lesson in persistence!

I hope you’ve loved this behind the scenes journey of my time at Perito Moreno Glacier, if in case you have any questions on visiting the realm, or any of the gear talked about, be happy to pop a query within the feedback under.

To learn extra about my time in Patagonia, the next articles could also be of curiosity –

A Photographer’s Information to Torres del Paine Nationwide Park

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