A Blessing?

I feel not only lucky, but blessed to have this image in my collection. Those of you who have been to Patagonia will know that it is almost always cloudy and windy; sometimes it is so windy you can’t stand still. Everybody knows that wind is the scourge of anyone wishing to capture reflections. Not only were we blessed with a lot of sunshine, we didn’t get a lot of wind either. In fact, on this morning it was perfectly still. This was about 08:30, so not that early. We stopped the bus to take some shots from the bridge. Five minutes later the breeze started rippling the surface of the lake and away went the reflections. Even the guide said this was a rare sight and he had only seen it like this once or twice before….so yes, we were blessed!

This is the Paine Massif with Lago Pehoé in the foreground. It is in the Torres del Paine National Park and is one of the must-see places in Patagonia. It is actually not part of the Andes chain and was formed independently 12million years ago when magma forced its way through a crack in Magellan’s Basin. Over time, sedimentary rock was pushed upwards.

My next post will be of the Torres themselves, so if you want to pick them out here they are towards the right, peeping out from behind the foreground mountain.

I have other versions which include some of the foreground, but in the end I decided I preferred the symmetry with the foreground excluded.

I'm not 100% certain the map reference is correct but I don't think it is too far off.

www.kathfeatherstone.turnpiece.net

View WS 1

Hi Kath,
well....what can I say? This is a beauty! Flawless exposure and composition. I'll just sit back and stare in awe!

Philippe

Dear Kath..!!!!!

Looking at it.....looking at it again and again......pfffffffffff
Digusting, that's what it is. I know it's sunday, cursing is not aloud, but this is F**** good..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great to show me this, really great, because i booked all my trips for this year :-(

Seriously, this is really good, top notch landscape work. No PS tricks, pure honest real landscape work in one of the best landscapes the world has to offer. It stand high on my list, VERY high and when seeing this with this kind of weather......you were lucky, VERY lucky and indeed you can be proud on this one......for these kind of shots we go out shooting and walk all the way, and when coming home with this you realize that it was all worth it.

One of the best shots i saw here lately, that's for sure. the biggest compliment i can give you that i wish this was mine.....it's VERY beautiful..!!!

Lucky you ;-)

Mommmmmmmmmmmmmm.....i want to go there too...STAMP STAMP.!!! ;-)

This is very good Kath
I love the symmetry, imagine earlier light and you would have one of the best shots from this place I imagine, I know tour groups are on limited time etc, but this is still an excellent shot and i would also have it in my collection.
Superb and look forward to more
Jim

Hi Kath,

I have seen some pictures of the Paine, a friend went there last year, but I havn't seen one like this! A 100 % perfect image. Tje waters of the lake are like a mirror and if you had omitted to sign it I would have had no idea which side was up. My sincerest congratulations and my deepest respect.
Have a nice sunday

John

Hallo Kath!
One of my sons has been there - but in pouring rain. Yes, you were blessed that day. You really have had a wonderful weather and this photo simply is a feast for the eyes - and for soul. This nearly is more a dream than a landscape. Your chosen point of view shows it in all its splendour - and this natural mirror really doubles it. A perfect photo indeed, a photo to be proud of. Hats off!
Greetings from a bit springlike Germany - and have a nice week!
Frank

Hi Kath,
What a splendour! A real joy for the eyes. You had a great luck to have that calm moment and the reflections are amazing. No need to say more than this is a perfect landscape photo. My compliments!
Lasse

Hi Kath,

this is astonishing. The landscape is incredibly beautiful and you have lived up to all that. The reflection is perfect and light is really pleasant. Great one!
All the best,
Carlos

Hello Kath!
This would be second picture from Torres del Paine I am commenting on...the other is from Way in TE
I have so far not seen any shot which is remotely as this one...the symmetry is awesome & the whole range of mountains without a speck of clouds & the mirror lake is awesome. Maybe the light was a touch of harsh, as you get in the high reaches pretty early...but who cares? You're blessed indeed to have seen this scene with your own eyes!
Best Regards
Angshu

Hi Kath! I am sitting in the fog (yes at this time of the year, how strange) and I know that mountain terrain does not only have good weather but IF ... it is a sensation and it feels like a deep first breath when you inhale cold clean mountain air, standing in the warming morning sun after a good and healthy sleep with a hot steaming coffee cup in your hands and you feel really really good and alive and you want to sing and embrace the world. This streams from this photo for me speaking as a mountain girl. What a beautiful mountain range, you can't get enough looking. Wonderful!!! Best, Barbara.

Hi Kath
Super shot. A perfect mirror reflection. Could you ask for anything more? Wow and hand holding at 1/50th well done indeed.
Phil

Hello Kath,
Wow! Splendid!
I don't know what I can say... but I think you'll understand what I'm thinking: I take this picture for my favourites.
Thanks for sharing,
Du

Hello Kath,
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful again. I love the feel that the multiplicity of color planes, I love the multitude of mountain shapes, I love the feel of the same multiplicity of images. The magic mirror effect of water made it impossible to recognize where it is reality, and where her reflection.
Greetings from Mosina,
Jurek

hi Kath,

Made my day to see this image .. one of those places I really long to go and never tire seeing images from .. not only is it clear ... but the morning light almost feels gentle - striking with the peaks .. wondrous image. Luck favors the prepared .. this is stunning. Wonderful to see this and hear from you.

take care,

John

Holy sh**!!!!!!!!! Wow, Kath, knock my socks off! :-)

Ooooh, yes, lucky for sure, but you seized the opportunity and got this stunner, so it's not just pure luck! Not much that I can say that has not already been said. It's simply awesome! Perfect symmetry was definitely the way to go here. Nothing else would produce this stunning effect.

I love it!! And I really think that it's time that we can see when someone has made it a favorite. I bet you'd have at least a dozen by now! It's in my fave list for sure!!

Big hugs! Looking forward to more goodies....

Have a great new week! XOXO
Linda

P.S. Kris is doing great. Thank God for modern medicine!

Hi Kath,
There were already too much cursing going on, so I won't add to it, It is after all Sunday and I want to keep a good camma for my next trip so I have as good weather as this. I thought I was lucky to have seen what I have seen, but this is much better and it makes me jealous, I don't think I want to see anymore of you shots from here, it's just going to tear me inside out. ;}
...I'm glade to see this from a different light, and this is truely a blessing, the weather and you being there to capture it, otherwise I would never believe this could happen.

Thanks.
Way

Mirrors are unfair, Kath. And such a mirror - yes - it is a bit outside of normal luck and you make call it a blessed one.
This one with this reflection does ask in my perception for that symmetric view, nothing there which is not reflected, everything double in nearly the same quality and clarity. Great!
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

Hi Kath,

I knew you'd come back with some gorgeous shots but this is just... awesome!
Of course you were lucky and/or blessed to have such good weather at that instant, but I bet there are many people who wouldn't come up with such a great shot in the same circumstances. I think you were right to show us this shot without any foreground - with a perfect mirror image like this, it just has to be this way. I could even see this rotated by 90° for an abstract shot - kind of like a Rorschach test.
Oh, and welcome back, by the way. ;o)

Best,
Claudia

"I feel not only lucky, but blessed"

Well, I expected something like this from you! You seem to have a special gift to find the best reflections! (Any special connection with the Lord above? (:-) But yes, I really can understand your elated feeling at capturing such a marvel, something which would have me jumping with joy!
And of course you took the chance wonderfully to produce a perfect composition which does justice to this famous massif. what else to say? Let me admire it silently! (:-)
TFS,
Donato

Wow Kath,

This is stunning! A center composition that WORKS. There is not much I can say about this image. I looked at the WS and Claudia take was interesting as well. Well done and welcome back.

John

WOW... this makes me rethink my vacation plans... :) although I'm not a blessed one, so it probably will be rainy as usual when I come...

Excellent, what can I say... interesting that the reflections are not darkened as usual but even a bit brighter than the "real" mountains

Wow! This is a perfect mirror, Kath! I can seat and look to this view for a whole day. It is really magic. I have been thinking about this travel since many years and after this photo I see that I must go on plans. Wow! It is really something to take our breath away..
Regards,
Zeca

hi Kath,

if I started to write a comment on this photo, I would quickly run out of superlatives, so I'll just keep it brief - not only were you lucky, but you also knew what to do with your luck, the photo captures very well the grandeur of the place. crystal clear and sharp, and, as Henk says, honest with no PS tricks. love the symmetry, for me it somehow emphasises how.. "noble" is the word that comes to mind, the place is. great shot. and yes, I'm green with envy. again.

have a great weekend,
Kristine

Hi Kath,
I could hardly wait to get back to this magical creation!! Even without know the usual weather, the unique shapes of the peaks, the contrast of the warm tones of the foreground land and the icy blues of the peaks and water, the streaks of cloud and the perfect, pin-sharp reflection make it difficult to tear my eyes away from the beauty. Those curves in the center peak have a symmetry and beauty that I've never seen before.

Then when you add the usual weather...we always say that Larry is the magic parker because he can always find great parking in the most difficult situations. Now I have to say, you must be the magic traveler.

I also appreciate reading your comments to Way about the weather
HLJ, Pat

I dont normally take landscapes and when I see this I know why. Y+There is so much to lerarn about landscape photography in order to do justice tot he beatutiful scenes we are lucky enough to run across.
The colours, symmetry and reflections are all spot on!!

Hey Kath,
after seeing your portfolio you are blessed!, you've visited and seen places i couldn't even see them in my dreams haha.

as for the image, ok your quality is A+
love the clarity and the color treatment as long as the exposure.
can't really say much about the capture, i don't have to, it speaks for itself :)

very good work as always!

always a pleasure visiting
Regards
Stelios

Beautiful, beautiful shot! I really like the symmetry of the hills around the lake, which frame the distant mountains extremely well. Wonderful clarity and colour as well. I was in Patagonia recently (only on the Argentine side) and I well remember the clear air there, which made even distant mountains seem so close. Amazing work!

Hi Kath
Felt like going back in your portfolio. and it was a good idea.
I look and had to force me away from it to write something.
Every one must have told you how this image is sublime, so I wil not repeat those words.
Yes, you were blessed, and hope you will be again, and all the photographers in the world, at least once in every lifetime, and hopefully, more then once.

Wish you well
Charles

hummmm... entering PF and this picture stands up first... Man I have missed it, how is it possible?

Dear Kath, I also wished I had this shot in my camera, or had been there and enjoy this view!

take care
Didier