Reflection
by Chris Stenger
The Paine mountain range in winter. The usual Patagonian wind is absent today and the surface of Lago Pehoe is like a mirror. I was struck by the reflection of the mountains in the lake and the rocks in the lake. Comments welcome
Mamiya 645D with Leaf digital back
35 mm, Iso 80, 1/10 sec, f/10
Comments
16 commentsHow does one get out there in winter? I went 15 years ago and recall a long drive on a gravel road...no problem in summer, but I had naively assumed winter access was impossible.
What a glorious scene.
(Fix the halos around the mountain peaks )
Beautiful image. Nice rocks color and reflection
Some of you commented on the strong vignetting in the sky. This is always a matter of much debate. Personally I like quite strong vignets, but I realise that for many people I’m going too far. In the modified image I have reduced the vignetting a bit, which, I agree, is an improvement. As Harry suggested I have also increased the contrast of the lower portions of the peaks a bit.
Phil: from the location where this picture was taken, a pano doesn’t work well. Just like you, I have been thinking about making a pano, but the dark hill in the foreground on the right side becomes very massive, whereas the hills on the left side are quite low. In my view this destroys the balance in the composition when you make a pano. I have made panos, but from a different location.
Matt: you are right about the halos around the peaks. However they are natural and not the result of PS processing. I have made the clouds around the left peak a bit whiter so that the halo is less obvious.
Harry, Phil; winter is an excellent time to go to Torres del Paine. I have been there last august. The place is almost deserted and indeed, you have the place to yourself. Winters are not very severe. Normally it’s between -5 and +5 C and there is a bit of snow, but the (gravel) roads in the park are fine. The main problem in winter is the fact that all hotels in the park are closed. The only hotels that are open in winter are Cabanas del Paine and Lago Tyndall, both just outside the park. Alternatively you can sleep in a tent but the long nights and the chilly weather make this an unattractive option (at least for me). If you like I can give you more info.
Does feel tilted to the right.
Ed