South America in Pictures - Coast to Coast: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina - Inspiring Places to Visit

The majority of this magnificent continent is in the southern hemisphere and a small minority is the northern hemisphere, resulting in a wide plethora of landscapes; from active volcanoes, to lush rainforests, to the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Andes and the white sand beaches of Brazil. The people and wildlife are equally as diverse and there is rarely an opportunity where one might find nothing to photograph…

There are many places in South America which are considered “must do” or “must see” – and quite rightly too, for if you miss them, you might never have the opportunity to go back....

Many photographers choose to travel to South America specifically for the photographic opportunities it presents. There are many sites and places which provide wonderful photography locations...

...So without further ado, let me introduce these places to you;

Salar de Uyuni Salt flats – Bolivia

The world’s largest salt flats, formed during the uplift of the Andes mountains and surrounded by many other mountains with no drainage outlets; Salar de Uyuni is estimated to contain 10 billion tonnes of salt, although only 25,000 tonnes is extracted annually – leaving plenty left for the rest of us to admire, and photograph…and if you really want to... taste!

Once there, you catch yourself staring in awe at the beautifully shaped polyhedral figures of salt formed on the ground beneath you; the impressive mountains so far away that they only break the horizon slightly and the amazing blue sky which contrasts so brilliantly with the white crystal salt that you are lucky enough to be perched on. During the rainy season, the polyhedral figures disappear, immersed by about 20cm of water, and instead the white paper morphs into a huge mirror.

The salt flats are so large, that one cannot tell exactly how far an object is in the distance, because there is nothing to compare with. This creates a magnificent opportunity to produce fantastic perspective photo's.

Additionally, at sunrise or sunset wonderful colours begin to appear such as purples and oranges, which contrast wonderfully with the crystal white salt.

Argentina – Salta Region

Salta is Argentina’s 8^th largest city, situated in the Lerma Valley at the foothills of the Andes mountains. The climate is highland subtropical, providing very pleasant weather and equally refreshing nights, making it perfect for night photography. The city itself features impressive buildings dating back to the 18^th and 19^th century, including many intriguing museums which are worth a visit.

Outside of the city is where my real fun began though. The valleys are scattered with cattle and horse ranches, farms and winery’s – perfect!

One such ranch; Sayta Horseback riding, is located in the beautiful Chicoana village, full of history and culture. Here you can experience the “Gaucho Lifestyle” – independent ranch hands, free spirits who were wedded to their horse and the open plains they thrived in. They worked for the ranches on a seasonal basis and spent most of their lives out the pampa and on horseback – in fact, they walked so infrequently that they became bow-legged!

“The life of the Gaúcho is a romantic epic of un-styled grace and barbaric strength. The Gaúcho was a loner, and came to be used as the backbone of many bands of fighters in struggles”

Whilst photographing the "Gaucho's" there most certainly wasn't a lack of "Posing." The good natured gaucho's and their trusty horses showed humour throughout the horse-ride, and even the horses were smiling!

Below are a few more wonderful Photography areas in South America - I hope you have enjoyed my pictures so far!