André Distel Photography's photostream  

© André Distel - WEBSITE - PROFILE - TWITTER

Well, so much for successful titling...if that's a verb anyways. Still in the process. Until I am done, I will mostly use the actual location ;)

Press L to view large on black.

We did as much as we could on our own, however, one tour, we had to do with an agency. And that was, for a very good reason, necessary. We had to leave San Pedro de Atacama at 4am to be at the Geysers at sunrise at 6am. Finding the way in the dark is impossible. Finding it during daylight probably as well. We took many unmarked turns, drove off-road for a good part of the way and saw people stranded with flat tires at 4:30am in the desert. Book with a big company – believe me, you don’t want that to happen to you.

The geysers are stunning. The sunrise behind the mountain and steam rising in the early morning hours are worth getting up for. The long exposure shot here works fantastic and gives the feeling of being right right with the steam moving across the frame and reflecting below.

Nikon D7000
12-24mm f/4 @ f/8
Bracketed
-11C (ca. 10F)
4,200m (14,000 feet)

Cheers,
André

PS: I appreciate every single comment and fave, but do take the liberty to remove hugely animated gifs. Thanks :)

© André Distel - WEBSITE - PROFILE - TWITTER

The Galapagos provide for some truly amazing and unique photographic opportunities. Not only for wildlife but also for landscape – even though they might be harder to find.

This shot was taken in Puerto Villamil, which is located on Isabela Island, the largest of the the Galapagos Islands. Just outside of the our beach front hotel, set this amazing scene. I went out a few nights in a row before dinner to be able to capture this scene at its best. Tripod just a hair off the ground made it a challenge with the water constantly rolling in. However, this long exposure shot was worth it.

Exposure time was about 6 min. I forgot my watch that night, so I had to count the seconds manually and drew a line in the sand for every minute that passed.

Have a great weekend everyone,
André
www.andredistel.com

© André Distel - WEBSITE - PROFILE - TWITTER

Press "L" to view large on black

Salar de Surire is a remote as you can be in the Atacama Desert. The closest village is Putre, which is about 2-3 hrs drive. A path goes around a huge salt flat. As we drove out there for hours we were the only tourist on the way seeing nothing but the occasional truck from the borax plant. Vicunas were standing almost next to us and were part of the experience up there. Do not attempt to go there without a 4WD. We got stuck several times and had river crossings, which had not been able to do with any other car but a 4WD.

A truly remarkable location totally off the beaten path. There are five kinds of flamingos in the world. Three of those live in the Atacama desert. I was desperately trying to capture them however, they were gone, before I could set up to take the shot. Very shy animals – so I waited until they had calmed down again, the camera ready to take the shot. This one turned out to be one of my favorites with the matching title “Take the Lead”. Beautiful wildlife in a stunning desert 4500m above sea level.

Even though the colors are a bit more flat than my usual photos, it remains one of my personal favorites.

Cheers,
André
www.andredistel.com

© André Distel - WEBSITE - PROFILE - TWITTER

Best viewed large on black. Press "L" on your keyboard.

Banff National Park is one of the most stunning places. One of those areas, where it hurts when you know you have to leave. As a photographer I could spend my entire life taking photos of the Canadian Rockies. They provide the most stunning scenery and opportunities to capture dramatic and beautiful mountain landscapes. They are easily reached with a 1-2 hour drive from Calgary, AB, Canada.

A short hike just off the Icefields Parkway brings you to Peyto Lake. This is a magnificent view. The water colors are unbelievable if not seen with your own eyes. The photograph captures not just the beautiful lake but also the entire valley of Banff. The stream from Peyto Lake leads north towards Jasper National Park.

Why is the water so blue?
The junction of the stream, the lake and the delta is the clue. Water leaving the glacier is muddy with rocks, gravel and silt. As the stream slows down most of that rubble is left behind to become the delta. Silt flows into the icy water where most of it sinks to the bottom. Fine particles of rock ground to the texture of backing flour remain suspended in the water. This “rock flour” scatters be blue-green rays of light, giving the lake its special color.

Cheers,
André
www.andredistel.com

© André Distel - WEBSITE - PROFILE - TWITTER

Valle de la Luna is located just outside of San Pedro de Atacama at an altitude of approx. 2500m. There are several tours going into the valley every day. I recommend doing it by yourself though. No rush and you can spend as much time at each location as you want to. It is a very easy drive from San Pedro de Atacama, however, do not attempt to leave the main road as their are old minefields everywhere in this area.

We hiked within Valle de la Luna up the great dune and all the way along the narrow rim path, as we were told, there will be a spectacular sunset. Well, it must have been the wrong time of the year then, as the sun quickly hid behind the towering wall of rocks in front of us. Just as we wanted to leave and turned around, we saw the true beauty of the sunset. It wasn’t the sunset at all, but what was lit up by the setting sun. The volcanoes in the background were still standing tall enough to reflect the beautiful red evening rays of the sun for us to see. The foreground has an intense and beautiful slight red color and contrasts perfectly with the strongly lid volcano Lincancabur in the background.

Cheers,
André

More infos about this shot here San Pedro de Atacama