Best landscape locations

There are many great landscape destinations in the world. Some encompass vast areas and others are small and localized. I’ve not been everywhere, of course, but of the 101 countries I’ve visited, these are my favorite locations for outstanding landscapes.

1. Patagonia

The southern tip of South America is unparalleled. Patagonia seems like the end of the earth -- and it is. Rugged peaks, waterfalls, raging rivers, autumn colors, and sky-blue glaciers all make this a land of tremendous photographic potential. You could spend your life here and it wouldn’t be enough. Every majestic peak invites endless compositions from hundreds of different angles. Once here, you really don’t want to go home! It is never overrun by tourists, and it’s the ultimate nature experience.

In addition to great landscapes, there are also many wonderful bird species to photograph as well as large mammals like puma, fox, llama, and alpaca.

My favorite time to visit Patagonia is in April.

This is the Southern Hemisphere’s autumn, and the colors are spectacular. The southern beech trees, especially, rival the maples and oaks of New England in their intensity. In the upper elevations, it’s cold enough at this time of year to have snow. As you can see in the photo on the previous page of Mt. Fitzroy (photographed from the Argentina side of Patagonia), a white mantle of freshly fallen snow is stunning.

2. American Southwest

The first place I visited after buying my first camera in 1968 was the American Southwest. It still draws me as it does millions of others. No place on earth offers such dramatic landforms and compelling vistas as do Arizona and Utah, but also New Mexico, California, and Nevada. What makes most photographs successful, and this is particularly true of landscapes, is the graphic design of the compositions. The graphic shapes of the buttes, mesas, mountain ranges, sand dunes, and canyons in this part of America are as good as it gets.

In the past, I would have said any time of the year is a good time to visit the Southwest, Now, however, due to the huge numbers of visitors, I would

say you should completely avoid the summer. June through mid-September are so crowded that it’s no longer enjoyable to go. Parking is a problem as well. In addition, prices for hotel rooms are higher than at other times, and it’s hard to get reservations unless you book a room well in advance. Unless you really go off the beaten track, the sheer number of people often interferes with good phtography. In certain places where a particular composition can only be taken from a small area -- like Turret Arch seen through North Window in Arches National Park, Utah, below left-- there could be so many people vying for the perfect spot that it becomes an exercise in frustration.

Early spring and autumn are a good time to visit the Southwest. There are fewer people and the temperatures are not so hot. Having said that, winter is my favorite. There are far

fewer people to deal with, reservations in hotels are easier to get, and snow adds a beautiful element to any landscape.

3. Tianze Mountains and Huangshan Mountains

These two mountainous regions in China inspired James Cameron to conceive the floating islands in the movie, Avatar. In fact, most people in China now refer to these geologic wonders as the ‘Avatar Mountains.’

The mountains were formed 400 million years ago, and they are comprised mostly of quartz sandstone. Water and wind have eroded the rocks into amazing shapes, and the mild climate along with enough rainfall allowed beautiful, exotic vegetation to cover much of the formations. There are easily walkable paved paths from which you can gain won-

derful vantage points like the one at right. To take this picture, I leaned over a low railing and angled the 24mm wide angle lens downward. No dangerous rock climbing is necessary to capture outstanding images. In fact, to get to a hotel in the mountains, you can ride a very scenic cable car which affords amazing shots.

The ideal weather condition is fog. That’s when the mountains seem otherworldly and mystical, and the photography is unparalled. Low clouds and fog occur here more than 200 days per year; therefore, if you plan on staying a few days you should definitely see it.

The best time for photography is sunrise. As you can see in the image below, the sun and the clouds put on a dramatic show for you. Wind is very common in the mountains, and it’s captivating to watch the clouds move across the sun. To beat the early risers, you should get in position (perhaps scouted the day before) at least one hour before sunrise. You’ll be in the dark, but the wait will be worth it when you have the best vantage point.

4. Namibia

The largest sand dunes in the world are in Namibia, and they are orange! The NamibNaukluft National Park has a 13 mile road that goes through the most scenic areas, and there are spectacular S-curve dunes on both sides of the road. The frustrating thing about shooting here is that you want to be everywhere at once when the sun rises and when it sets.

It takes time, though, to photograph one dune well. A telephoto lens is useful from the road, but as you walk up to the base of the dune -- perhaps three quarters of a mile away -- you’ll want to switch to a shorter focal length. The

compositions keep changing as you explore the area.

In addition to the dunes, there is an area called Deadvlei in the same national park, and it consists of camel thorn trees that died between 600700 years ago when the climate changed. Due to the arid conditions and the lack of rainfall, the trees haven’t decayed and their skeletons make powerful landscape images even during the middle of the day. The graphic shapes of the branches along with the dramatic shadows contrast boldly against the dunes, the blue sky, and the ancient dried lake bed. It really feels like you are on another planet.

5. Dolomites

The Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy are stunning. Jagged peaks rise vertically to almost

BEST of SOUTHERN NATURE

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11,000 feet (3350 meters); they are as visually compelling and graphically dynamic as any mountain range in the world. Often combined with a quaint village or medieval church in the foreground, this is one of my favorite places to photograph.

The picture below shows the village of St. Magdalena at sunset with the Dolomite Range as a backdrop. At right is the same village in winter. Every season is beautiful in the Dolomites, and there are few tourists to contend with in most places. When you drive into the high country, spend time photographing from some of the walking trails that lead you to an endless number of great compositions. The most famous trail, and it’s rated easy, is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop trail. With time to rest and to photograph, it takes about four hours to complete and it covers about six miles with a total of 1000 feet (340 meters) elevation gain. The starting and ending point is Rifugio Auronzo, and the entrance fee is 30 Euros (cash only).

You’ll want to start at sunrise for the beautiful light. This is a very popular trail because it’s easy and very beautiful, and an early start means you avoid large numbers of non-photographer hiking enthusiasts. §