altiplano | chile | south america | $2995.00 | august 6-13, 2010

The Altiplano, a high plain that stretches from Northern Argentina to Peru, is our stop this fall for an amazing international workshop/tour. We will be staying on the southern rim of the plain, where Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina merge. This is a place of wonderment, a place where tall jagged volcanoes still remain active, where salt lake basins reflect the sky for miles, and mud volcanoes produce steam, patterns, and texture during sunrise and sunset. Some would say that this place is a barren desert, but it is a place inhabited by chinchillas, alpacas, llamas, foxes and flamingos. It is a place for not only the landscape photographer to explore, but for the wildlife shooter as well.

This seven-night/eight-day trip will have our group shooting all the aforementioned subjects at sunrise and sunset. During the midday hours Jay will give an inspirational/instructional lecture to get everyone excited about the possibilities at the next daily outing. Although we will be in the midst of all this wild beauty, we won’t be roughing it. We have booked accommodations at the spectacular Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa

Your lodging, meals, open bar, airport transfers, and daily shooting are all included in the price. You will need to provide your flights into Calama, Chile, tips, and any sundries that you may want along the way.

Itinerary:

Day 1:
Friday 6th August
Arrive Calama airport and transfer to Tierra Atacama hotel and spa.
Before dinner, welcome drink and introductory chat with Jay and Tierra Atacama guides about the week’s activities.

Day 2:
Saturday 7th August
An early start in order to make the most of the dawn light in Moon Valley. Centuries of erosion and a variety of terrain make this an amazing place to start the week. As the sun comes up over the Andes, now is the chance to capture the rapidly changing light on the rock formations, panoramic views and dramatic shadows of this iconic landscape. Return to the hotel for a late breakfast and discuss the morning’s activities.
Lunch
PM-Visit the village of Toconao for an introduction to the local culture, view the Bell tower of the church with it’s whitewashed walls and cactus wood door and maybe capture the local people making the crafts of the area. Continue to the Atacama Salt Lake (Laguna Chaxsa) home of three different types of flamingo (telephoto lens a must!) and as the sun sets over the mountains, be ready to shoot the swiftly changing colors of the mountains, the amazing sunset  light and the departing flight of the flamingos.
Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.

Day 3:
Sunday 8th August
Another early start, leaving the hotel while it’s still dark to head to the Rainbow Valley, (Valle del Arcoiris)  where the differing colors of the terrain, the geology of the area offer some fantastic opportunities for nature photography in this natural arena. The light is at it’s best in the early morning, and we’ll take a breakfast box with us so as to make the most of all the opportunities.
Return to the hotel for lunch.
PM; Visit the village of San Pedro,  discover textures, cultures and history. Return to the hotel to capture the stunning architecture in the evening light at will.
Dinner and overnight.

Day 4:
Monday 9th August
An adventure of a different kind. Following breakfast in the morning, cycle or van ride to the laguna Cejar. Three pools of limpid salt water, amazing colors and reflections of the nearby mountains. It is possible to  swim and float in the salt heavy water should you wish.
Return to the hotel for lunch.
Later in the afternoon, head to the Catarpe valley to shoot a variety of landscapes in the swiftly changing afternoon light. Crossing the San Pedro river, a walk up  the Catarpe Valley takes us through a landscape of lush valley bottom and stark cliffs, through the “Devil’s Gorge”  and up on to a plateau with panoramic volcano views before descending to the settlement of Vilama.
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 5:
Tuesday 10th August
Highland Lakes
Depart the hotel following breakfast. A drive takes us along the side of the Salar de Talar in the Andes mountains to a heights of over 12,000 feet. Capture the changing terrain and the flora and fauna of this area. The color of the lagoons and the ever changing panorama of wildlife including a wide variety of bird life is amazing.  
Box lunch and return to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight.

Day 6:
Wednesday 11th August
Following breakfast, set out on the international road towards the border with Argentina. Turning into the highland valley areas, we arrive at the Salar de Tara with it’s stunning megalith formations and strange cliffs, with verdant pasture frequented by guanacos  below. The contrast is amazing and the clear light a challenge for photographers at this altitude. Box lunch and return to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight.

Day 7:
Thursday 12th August
The earliest start yet! Depart before dawn and drive north east into the Andes and the El Tatio Geiser field. As dawn rises over the Andes, capture gentle columns of steam, boiling mud pools and the amazing textures and colors of this amazing landscape. Enjoy breakfast “on the top of the world” before returning towards San Pedro de Atacama, with frequent stops to shoot the highland flora and fauna. Stop at the tiny village of Machuca with it’s historic church, buildings made of adobe and local inhabitants who live a life similar to that of their ancestors, even today.
Return to Tierra Atacama for lunch. Afternoon at leisure.
Dinner and overnight.

Day 8:
Friday 13th August
Enjoy a relaxing walk in a green valley following the Puritama river to the thermal springs of the same name. The valley bottom is lined with pampas grass and contrasts wildly with the barren rock walls of the valley and the fierce blue skies. Puritama Springs consists of 7 limpid pools of thermal water, joined by a series of walkways designed by the architect German del Sol. Time for a bathe here, before returning to the hotel in a vehicle.

Lunch at the hotel and farewell briefing.
Transfer to Calama airport for onward flights, depending on flight confirmations.