Bill Ellzey Photographs / workshops

Torres del Paine, Bill Ellzey

Extreme Landscapes...
Patagonia & the Atacama Desert

                          with Bill & Jack Dykinga

July 21 to August 4, 2012

Trip cost $8,600, includes all ground costs, transportation, lodging, guiding, etc.

This price is based on double-occupancy rooms. To guarantee your own room, there is a single-room supplement of $1,200.

What could be more intriguing and diverse for landscape photographers than a photo trip to the Patagonian Andes and its perennial glaciers, its Tolkeinesque trees, charming guanacos and amazing clouds followed by a week in a desert that hasn’t had a raindrop in recorded history?  That’s where this workshop/safari takes you—in winter!

We begin in Patagonia’s Torres & Cuernos del Paine region, Chile’s most famous massif, and then, after a two day foray into Argentina for spectacular glacier photography we head to Chile’s far north, the mysterious Atacama Desert.

Veteran photographers, teachers and workshop leaders, Jack Dykinga and Bill Ellzey, co-lead this extreme photo trip.  Jack's work is well known, but you can see (and hear) a wonderful piece about Jack Dykinga's nature photography on the Nature Conservancy web site by clicking > HERE <

We call this trip "Extreme Landscapes" partly due to the distance between the northern and southern photo venues which span nearly the entire length of Chile.  It’s extreme also because of the diverse geography, ecosystems, temperatures and photographic landscapes.  While in the wintery south near sea level it’ll be hard to imagine ourselves taking in geysers and soaking in hot springs at 14,000 feet at the Atacama Desert some 4,000 km to the north.

The trip is outfitted and guided by the Patagonian guide service, Salvaje Corizon (Wild Heart!). <http://salvajecorazon.com> Bill has had the pleasure of working with this extremely capable outfit in the past and they are tops.

Take a look at our day by day itinerary followed by the details of the trip.  And come join us if you can

Other Workshops
2011 / 2012

July 25 – 29, 2011
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

“Compositon and Light in Outdoor Photography”

Sept 30 – Oct 1 & 2, 2011
Telluride Autumn
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

“Telluride Autumn—through the lens." In Telluride Colorado

October 30 – Nov 10, 2011
Victoria Falls & Zambia
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

African photo adventure—the latest addition to my schedule of round-the-world photo workshops and tours.

March 14 – March 17, 2012
Composition & Light
in Outdoor Photography
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

An intensive course in romantic Santa Fe New Mexico

  workshop listing
  continued below...

A day by day itinerary

Day 1 (Saturday, July 21)

Rendezvous in Punta Arenas, Chile’s southern most city on the straits of Magellen.  Evening orientation and welcome dinner at La Luna Restaurant. Overnight at Cabo del Hornos Hotel.

Day 2 (Sunday,July 22)

Drive north by van to Torres del Paine National Park, photographing Ultima Esperanza Gulf on the way, and pausing for a fresh seafood lunch at Puerto Natales, a city built in 1911 for the sheep industry .  We arrive at the park in the afternoon and check into Tyndall Hotel on Serrano Lake.

     workshop listings
      continued ....

April 16 – May 1, 2012
Patagonia Photo Safari
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

Autumn in the Andes,
a two-part photographic exploration of Chilean Patagonia

Part I, Unknown Patagonia
April 16 – 24, 2012
Part II, The Torres del Paine
April 24 – May 1, 2012

Aug 12 – 22, 2012
Ireland with Bill Ellzey
> CLICK HERE FOR DESCRIPTION <

An in-depth photo exploration of Western Ireland with a native guide.

the Cuernos del Paine above Lago Pehoe, Bill Ellzey

Day 3 (Monday, July 23)

Today we’ll concentrate our attention around nearby Lago Grey and its icebergs, “témpanos,” which are abundant this time of year.  Glacier Grey, parent of the témpanos, can be seen in the distance.  Hotel and dinner at Tyndall.

Day 4 (Tuesday, July 24)

We begin with a dawn shoot on Lago Pehoe, foreground to the spectacular, rugged and famed Curenos del Paine.  This setting offers one of the most compositionally rich and dramatic possibilities to photographers of any massif on Earth.  Dinner and night at Tyndall Hotel.

Day 5 (Wednesday, July 25)

Today, we’re off to the other side of the park, an area well known for its wildlife, especially the endearing  guanacos (Lama guanicoe) and foxes, both of which can often be photographed with the dramatic Cuernos as background.  Hotel and dinner at Tyndall.

guanacos in front of the Cuernos del Paine, Bill Ellzey

Day 6 (Thursday, July 26)

Destination El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina.  Here we’ll stay two nights and photograph glaciers by boat.  Hotel and dinner at Hotel Alto Calafate.

Day 7 (Friday, July 27)

We depart early for first light on the Perito Moreno glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park.  It is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Ice Field, one of the world’s largest reserves of fresh water.  Hotel and dinner at Hotel Alto Calafate.

Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina, photo courtesy Jack Dykinga

Day 8 (Saturday, July 28)

Today we depart El Calafate, recross the border into Chile, headed back to Puerto Natales.  We’ll have a second opportunity to work the Ultima Experanza Gulf along the way.  Hotel CostAustralis and  dinner.

Day 9 (Sunday, July 29)

This is a travel day, departing Puerto Natales for the airport at Punta Arenas, approximately a 3 hour drive, where we’ll board our LAN flight to Calama via Santiago.  From Calama we go by private van to San Pedro de Atacama and the Altiplanico Hotel and dinner.

in the Atacama, photo courtesy Jack Dykinga

Day 10 (Monday, July 30)

We’ll photograph the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon) a spectacular salt range west of San Pedro reminiscent of Death Valley.  Salt pan pools offer reflections.  Flamingo feeding and flying are highly likely subjects here.  Along the way we’ll stop and photograph in the natural sculptural formations created by wind in the sand dunes.  Further north we’ll photograph the rock formations known as the Tres Marias.  Our Hotel Altiplanico will welcome us for dinner and the night.

Day 11 (Tuesday, July 31)

This morning our van climbs to the high Andean plateau, the Altiplano, and two lagoons, the Miscanti and Minique 13,000 feet above sea level.  It’s a landscape of volcanos, colors, and the strange clumping grass, Paja Brava.   Then on to the east we work the Aguas Calientes Salt Flat.  Evening shoot is at Chaxa Lagoon home to Flamingos (2 species), Nandu and many other bird species.  Hotel, Antiplanico. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 12 (Wednesday, August 1)

We depart the hotel early for the morning shoot at The Tatio Gyesers, among the highest geysers in the world—14,000 feet above sea level.  Atmospheric pressure causes the geysers to erupt and spew steam 30 feet high.  En route “home” we pass through the Machuca Village, a very isolated yet routine stopover for the ancient llama caravans traveling the Inca trail.  Dinner at a local restaurant in San Pedro.  Hotel Antiplanico.

flamingos in the Atacama, photo courtesy Jack Dykinga

Day 13 & 14
(Thursday-Friday, August 2 & 3)

These last 2 days in Chile we will return to the favorite places we’ve photographed in the Atacama desert.  As is their wont, landscape photographers anticipate second chances at the same scene with another shot at better or more mysterious light, the possibility of animals or birds compositionally better placed or slightly different time of day.  The area is so rich in photographic possibilities that ideally one could spend weeks working a subject in this area.  Both nights are back at the Hotel Antiplanico.

Day 15 (Saturday,August 4)

Early departure from our hotel to the airport in Calama for the return home via Santiago.  You’ll have a big job awaiting you at home, organizing and editing your shoot, and processing the masterpieces you made during this dream trip.

Details

This photo safari is limited to a maximum of ten photographer participants. We may take enrollment up to 12, but frequently it seems, one or two participants have to drop out at the last minute for pressing family and personal reasons. So for that reason we have set our target number at from 10 to 12 participants — with a maximum of 12. (Other photo tours to this part of the world typically set their group size at 16 to 18 or more).

The fact that more and more serious photographers are shooting digitally and using laptop computers to download and archive their images has made real image critiquing, editing and instruction an exciting option even far from photo labs, and Patagonia is about as far as one can get.  When opportunity presents itself Jack & Bill will discuss and critique participant’s work.  This could be fairly frequent since, in both regions, we will be staying in the same hotel more than 2 nights.

Participants will be responsible for arranging their own flights from the US to Punta Arenas (via Santiago) and Santiago back home, as well as their domestic Chilean air reservations from Punta Arenas to Calama and back to Santiago. LAN Chile is the leading local Chilean airline, and offers an extensive schedule of in-Chile flights. (In this age of escalating fuel prices it may make sense to purchase your airfares well in advance to avoid fuel-related travel costs increases.)

You may want to contact Slavaje Corazon for help with your in-country flights.  Sometimes if everyone books the domestic flight as a group tickets can be purchased at a greater discount by our guide service than one can get outside of Chile.  But procedures change from time to time.

Once in Patagonia, all your expenses on the ground are included (alcohol however is extra). Since the price of this Photo Safari is based on double-occupancy rooms; To guarantee a single room, we need to charge a single-room supplement of $1,200. Because this Patagonia-Atacama Photo Safari is such a major commitment, I'd like to encourage any interested photographers to contact me directly, by phone, or by email for more detailed information. (see the contact info and links at the bottom of the page).

In case I am traveling and temporarily out of contact, then you can also email our terrific guide/outfitters at Salvaje Corazon by clicking >> HERE <<
To sign up for this trip, please call (719-256-4565) or email me and send a check for your trip deposit of $600 to
Bill Ellzey Photogrphaphs   Box 362   Crestone CO 81131
We always ask for final trip payment 60 days before the trip starts.

Our cancellation policy is standard for the travel and photo-travel industry. If for any reason you need to withdraw from this Photo Safari, please notify us at least 60 days before the start of the trip. At that time we will refund your deposit, less a $250 cancellation fee. But if notification of cancellation is made between 30 and 60 days before the start of the trip, we must retain the whole $600 deposit. If notification of cancellation is made less than 30 days before the start of the workshop there will be no refund.

We highly recommend that you buy trip insurance.

Contact

Bill Ellzey Photographs
PO Box 362
891 Camino Real [shipping]
Crestone, CO 81131,USA
Phone: 719-256-4565
CLICK TO SEND BILL AN EMAIL

All contents © Bill Ellzey
Use rights to photographs on this site may be negotiated. All images are under copyright protection.