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Torres del Paine

with Michael Melford, Justin Black
April 5 - 16, 2019 Expedition
Participant Gallery
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  • Overview
  • Itinerary
  • Instructors
  • Gallery
  • Pricing
  • Highlights
  • Accommodations
  • Travel
  • Expectations

Overview

This combination of workshop and expedition is a unique hit! The leaders knew the area, worked well together, imparted their knowledge with enthusiasm and congeniality to each participant and the local staff were professional and helped us as a group and individually at all times. The logistics and lodgings were excellent. An outstanding photographic experience! –S. Dater, 2015 Patagonia participant

We returned home with lots of great memories and many images to review and process! It was a very well organised trip & thanks again to the entire team. We will definitely look at Visionary Wild when planning future trips. –G. & H. Cuff, 2018 Patagonia participants

Patagonia: the word is synonymous with awe-inspiring landscape, and Torres del Paine National Park is both its crown jewel and a microcosm of the most aesthetically appealing features of the region. This hybrid program – part expedition, part workshop, led by National Geographic photographer Michael Melford and Justin Black is designed to maximize opportunities to execute well-crafted and compelling photographs that capture the spirit of this incredible place. Participants will have ample time to get to know Torres del Paine during its colorful autumn splendor, and your photography there will benefit from the opportunity to revisit fruitful situations to apply lessons learned and to take advantage of changing weather and light. The goal is for each participant to come away from this trip with a strong body of work, a new body of knowledge, new friendships, rejuvenation, and priceless memories.

Puma Extension – Save $1,000: Those interested in the best opportunity on Earth to photograph wild pumas up close should note that this itinerary is preceded immediately by and can be combined perfectly with our Pumas of Patagonia trip led by Roy Toft, March 30-April 6. Joining us for both itineraries entitles you to a $1,000 discount on the combined cost (on a per person basis, in either single or double-occupancy).

Torres del Paine National Park and Biosphere Reserve is the centerpiece of Patagonia – the ultimate distillation of the region’s most inspiring qualities. It’s one of those rare places that routinely exceeds the grandest dreams of even the most experienced photographers. Peaks and spires thrust abruptly upward above turquoise lakes, forcing moisture-laden winds off the ocean to form soaring lenticular clouds that catch the fiery sunrise and sunset alpenglow. Glaciers spill down from the Patagonian icecap, depositing cobalt blue icebergs on the shores of Lago Grey. Endemic lenga and ñirre tree forests glow in hues of gold and copper in the southern autumn. Rivers tumble over cascading waterfalls as condors ride thermals on the flanks of the Cordillera del Paine mountains. Guanacos, foxes, and pumas range over the golden pampas, and flamingoes wade the lagoons. At this time of year, the days are a manageable length with extended periods of dawn and dusk, and the sun never rises more than 35 degrees above the horizon. The quality of light is spectacular.

 

Michael Melford and Justin Black will lead the small group on field sessions adapted to make the most of the prevailing conditions each day. Emphasis will be on photography and hands-on mentoring in the field. We’ll photograph when the conditions are good, and we’ll gather in the lodge for presentations on light, composition, visualization, technique, and digital workflow at times when light or weather aren’t as conducive for photography (during harsh mid-day light, if a rain storm passes through, etc.). We will also hold constructive critiques of participant photographs, and then head back out into the field to apply what we’ve learned.

Excursions will include trips by ferry to visit the calving face of Glacier Grey and, via our group vehicles, spectacular locations around the park that we have discovered and scouted thoroughly on numerous prior visits. Some locations involve short hikes, but nothing particularly strenuous.

 

Itinerary

Our trip begins in the southernmost city on Earth, Punta Arenas, Chile (population approximately 160,000), on the north shore of the Strait of Magellan.  Participants arriving at the airport in Punta Arenas will be met upon exit from baggage claim by our local guide team, headed by our good friend Ruth Cohen, regarded as one of the very best guides in Chilean Patagonia. You will then transfer to Hotel Cabo de Horns, an elegant and modern hotel in the city center. We’ll all gather there and go out as a group for a welcome dinner to get to know everyone. The next morning after a leisurely breakfast, we will load up in our two spacious passenger vans (Mercedes Sprinter or Ford Transit), with plenty of extra room for gear and luggage, and proceed to Torres del Paine National Park with a stop on the way for lunch in the waterfront town of Puerto Natales. When we arrive at the park, we will check into Hotel Las Torres, the first of three spectacularly positioned lodges in the park that will serve as our base camps for the next nine days and nights – the others are Hostería Pehoe, and Hotel Lago Grey.

After dusk each day, we will gather for a nice dinner and some good Chilean wine. Then it’s off to bed to rest, as most mornings we’ll be out around 6:30am to take advantage of the incredible pre-dawn light. Breakfasts and lunches will be handled in relation to our photographic activities, served either at our lodges or in the field as a gourmet picnic.

Instructors

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    • Michael Melford

    • National Geographic Photographer Michael Melford has worked with the Society for over 30 years. He has produced 19 feature stories for National Geographic magazine, and over 30 stories for National Geographic Traveler ...
    • Justin Black

    • JUSTIN BLACK is a photographer (www.justinblackphoto.com), writer, editor, expedition leader, photo workshops instructor, a Fellow ...

Gallery

Pricing

Single Occupancy $10,995 (Limited)

Deposit $5,497.50
Full $10,995
Register

Double Occupancy $10,150 (Limited)

Deposit $5,075
Full $10,150
Register

INCLUDED

  • Photographic instruction throughout by Michael Melford and Justin Black, a highly effective instructor team with several previous Torres del Paine visits under their belts
  • All ground transportation in two overy comfortable and spacious Mercedes Sprinter type passenger vans, with lots of extra space.
  • Eleven nights lodging (package is priced as single-occupancy; double-occupancy available at pro-rated fee)
  • All meals, snacks, and beverages (including beer, wine, cocktails with dinner)

Puma Extension – Save $1,000: Those interested in the best opportunity on Earth to photograph wild pumas up close should note that this itinerary is preceded immediately by and can be combined perfectly with our Pumas of Patagonia trip led by Roy Toft, March 30-April 6. Joining us for both itineraries entitles you to a $1,000 discount on the combined cost (on a per person basis, in either single or double-occupancy).

Would a non-photographer spouse or friend like to join you? We are offering a reduced rate of $7000 for non-participant spouses or friends who book with a participant in double-occupancy accommodations. Please contact us directly to arrange this package at info@visionarywild.com or 202-558-9596.

Highlights

  • One of the world’s most spectacular landscapes: peaks of the Cordillera del Paine, icebergs, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls,  lagoons, and magnificent Patagonian light.
  • Wildlife: Andean grey foxes, endangered huemul deer, Andean condors, Darwin’s rhea, black-chested buzzard eagles,  flamingos, and guancos (wild ancestors of llamas).
  • Small group limited to ten participants
  • Attentive and effective photographer support with instruction throughout by the highly regarded team of Michael Melford and Justin Black
  • Local support by our good friend, Ruth Cohen, perhaps the most highly respected Patagonia guide there is, plus a team of assistant guides and drivers.
  • Creativity and visualization: learn to find new and unexpected compositions
  • Advanced field techniques for landscape and wildlife photography
  • Breaking through creative block and making great photographs in challenging situations
  • Mastering a logical, efficient, and consistent digital workflow, from capture to final master image, that frees you to focus on creativity
  • Ensuring the highest-possible final image quality
  • All-inclusive from Punta Arenas

Accommodations

  • April 5 and 15: Hotel Cabo de Hornos (Punta Arenas)
  • Hotel Las Torres (3 nights)
  • Hostería Pehoe (3 nights)
  • Hotel Lago Grey (3 nights)

Travel

airplane icon
Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ), Chile, to be met for ground transfer to our group's hotel for the first night. (Flights not included)
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Very comfortable ground transportation is provided throughout the workshop.
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We will make excursions by ferry on Lago Grey in Torres del Paine N.P.
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Most locations are accessed by short walks from vehicles. Longer hikes are an option, but are not mandatory.
weather icon
Weather is variable, with highs between 45 to 65ºF and lows between 30 to 45ºF at this time of year. We will likely experience a mix of conditions from partly cloudy to overcast, with wind varying by local microclimate. Rain showers and snow flurries are possible from time to time.

Expectations

TESTIMONIALS

The workshop in Patagonia was well planned and extremely well executed. The leaders were constructive, inclusive and always ready to answer questions, no matter what the content. The most important part though, was the positive attitude displayed and the humor which encompassed every situation. I eagerly look forward to my next experience with Visionary Wild. –V. Snyder

Going to Patagonia was a dream of mine since I saw a picture of Cerro Torre in the 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog. So I was thrilled to be finally going, not as a climber as originally planned, but as a photographer. Traveling with Justin and the crew felt like being with old friends. If you’re thinking about going on an expedition with Visionary Wild, stop thinking and do it! –L. Bartlett

Torres del Paine

with Michael Melford, Justin Black
April 5 - 16, 2019 Expedition
Participant Gallery
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