Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 3: Buenos Aires to Estancia Helsingfors.
We flew from Buenos Aires to El Calafete, where we met up with our driver Martin and his bus. The bus is our mode of transportation for the rest of the workshop. Martin drove us to Estancia Helsingfors, which is in the western region of Glaciers National Park along Lake Viedma. Helsingfors was built as a sheep ranch in 1906 by the Finnish Pioneer Alfred Ramstrom. We stay at Helsingfors four nights. On the drive from El Calafete to Helsingfors we stopped to several times to photograph the lake and wildlife. I’ve included images of the Southern Crested Caracara and Piche (the local armadillo).
Thom Hogan Checking Out the Lenticular Clouds in Patagonia. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 70 mm, f/11, 1/2000 sec). (David J Mathre)Carancho (Southern Crested Caracara – Caracara Plancus) at a rest area along the southern edge of Lago Viedma, Argentina. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/11, 1/640 sec.) (David J Mathre)Piche (Armadillo) at a rest area along the southern edge of Lago Viedma, Argentina. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/11, 1/640 sec.) (David J Mathre)Thom and Thomas Discussing the Photography of Wind Blown Trees in Patagonia. Estancia Helsingfors in Argentina. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 16-35 mm f/4 lens (ISO 125, 26 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 2: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
We began the day with a continuation of the intense foundation of photographic principles lecture by Thom. We then got on a Mercedes bus (similar frame and engine as my Roadtrek RV) to spend a couple of hours in the very colorful La Boca (read — a target rich environment to begin the hands on part of the workshop. I have included a couple of example images from this location. [Note, I will not have much time while on the workshop to process/edit the images. I am also not sure if we will have internet access in some of the location we will be visiting.] Following La Boca, we took the bus to the world-famous Recoleta Cemetery. On the way to Recoleta, we picked up Anthony Medici (Thom’s assistant) who had missed his original flight due to all of the snow in the Northeast. We spent 3+ hours taking images in the cemetery. Thom was helping, and challenging us to use the principles he had introduced during the two lectures. Tomorrow is a travel day to Helsingfors Estancia in the western region of Glacier National Park (the one in Argentina, not the United States).
Girls playing Football (Soccer) in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 16-35 mm f/4 lens (ISO 200, 30 mm, f/11, 1/250 sec) (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 1: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Since it is summer in the southern hemisphere, the sun rises very early. I went to “Parque Natural Y Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur” to take some bird pictures. Unlike yesterday when the path through the park was open, this morning it was closed. The sign at the gate said the park was open at 8:00 AM November to March. When I asked someone at the gate all he answered was mañana (tomorrow). I guess the park is closed on Monday. Since the workshop doesn’t start until later today I continued my walking tour of the city. Even though it was morning, it was still very hot. Later in the afternoon, we had a walking tour of the city led by Fredrico from Wanderlust Expediciones. Thom then started the official part of the workshop with an intense lecture. The group had dinner at a local restaurant (lots of beef — this is Argentina).
Estacion Retiron during a morning walk in Buenos Aires. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 125, 5.7 mm, f/4. 1/500 sec) (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 0: Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I arrived in Buenos Aires Argentina this morning. The overnight flight from Miami was quiet, and I was able to sleep. It took about 2 hours to get the $140 tourist visa (good for 10 years), go though immigration, pick up my baggage, go through customs (luggage and carry on luggage all x-rayed), find my ride, and get to the Melia Hotel in downtown Buenos Aires. I spent a few hours walking around taking some snapshots with my Leica V-Lux20 camera. It is very hot in Buenos Aires (~95 °F). The final image is a macro shot of a spider I found on my shirt when I got back to my hotel room.
Puente de la Mujer (Puerto Madero) Bridge in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 4.7 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) Bird on Virgin Mary Statue in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 49 mm, f/5.6, 1/640 sec)Sunglasses for sale on the street along Laguna de los Coipos in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 6.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/800 sec)Dolls for sale on the street along Laguna de los Coipos in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 11.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec)OSX Club sign along Laguna de los Coipos in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 11.9 mm, f/5.6, 1/400 sec)Red Flower Sculpture in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 4.1 mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec) Doorway in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 14.7 mm, f/5. 1/500 sec)Spider on my shirt after a walk in Buenos Aries. Images taken with a Leica V-Lux 20 camera (ISO 80, 4.1 mm, f/3.3. 1/30 sec, macro mode, flash)
Gone to See Florida — 2010 Road Trip Day 4: St. Petersburg Skyline at Dawn from the Vinoy Hotel.
Downtown St. Petersburg at Dawn from the Vinoy Hotel. Image taken with an Nikon D3x and 16-35 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 22 mm, f/5.6, 0.5 sec). (David J Mathre)
