Torres Del Paine NP 0395B

Limited Edition Print

     The Cordillera Paine mountain range is a spur of the Southern Andes located in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park. Within that range is found the Paine Massif known for its three distinct peaks and subject to an uncountable number of photographs. However, the Massif is but a part of a grand vista that rarely is captured in its fullness. That was such an image I wanted to create.

     Salto Grande is probably the best spot to capture a waterfall in front of the mountains in the park. Including it in the composition would enrich the sense of place I wished to instill. It was also a location where I could view more the mountain range in addition to the Massif, which I could not get from the more popular perspectives near the hotels.

     The location is easily accessible from the upper parking lot near the river’s left bank. While the location is popular with tourists, it is not my favorite perspective of the mountains. There are large hills between the site and the mountains that block part of the view on the Massif side of the river. The right bank is better but less accessible.

     However, from either bank the river is not in the correct place for a composition that would feature both parts of the mountain range. When I checked out the perspective from both locations I concluded that what was required for the visualized panoramic image I desired. I needed to have the camera positioned with the river in the middle of the frame and well above the water. Using a drone solved the problem. With the winds unusually and fortunately calm, I used it to hover over the river and took a series of shots that I would later stitch together to create the image you see here.