From the Aegean Sea to the islands of the South Pacific, travel photographer Luis García is used to going the distance to get the shot. Recently, Luis was hired by Virtuoso Life Magazine, a subscription-based luxury publication and a frequent client of his, to capture imagery for a feature article highlighting the Patagonia region of Chile. Having six years of collaborations with Virtuoso Life under his belt, the Nashville-based photographer was ready to continue this established relationship with a brand new adventure.
For this assignment, Luis was tasked with capturing the beauty of this remote part of the world and showcasing all of the activities that it has to offer, specifically focusing on Torres del Paine National Park and the surrounding area. Beginning in Puerto Natales and Remota Lodge, Luis and the team were to travel through Lake Sarmiento and Hotel Tierra Patagonia, Lago Azul, and Estancia Lazo before finishing up at Hotel Explora, Lake Pehoe, and Glacier Gray.
Before leaving for Chile, there were a number of phone calls and emails exchanged between Luis and the different people and places he would be shooting. The magazine oversaw the planning of all travel logistics, from air to land and the various excursions at each location the team was to visit. Mary Risher, Photo Researcher at the magazine highlighted the draft text for the story and informed Luis on some of the different places and activities she wanted him to cover. This meant that there were certain places he had to shoot for the story, so it was important that he mapped out his days accordingly with the appropriate people of their respective businesses, as his time was limited.
Luis packed light and only brought what he needed since he was going to be traveling around quite a bit while he was there.
Photo gear was kept simple, two Canon 5Ds Mark III bodies, three lenses, one Fuji xpro2 body with two lenses, tripod, flexfill reflector, and that’s about it, I did not bring any lighting gear, I like to shoot this kind of assignments all with natural light.
When Luis and his team arrived in Chile, they hit the ground running. The shoot itself was fast-paced, each day was jam-packed, and he never stopped shooting from the moment he arrived.
The lighting and weather conditions in Patagonia can vary throughout the day, and Luis embraced how the changing elements could yield different and unique images from the same location. And while there was one day of unsavory weather, Luis luckily spent the time shooting interiors of one of the hotels he stayed at.
Luis covered a wide range of activities that included hiking, exploring Glacier Gray, and horseback riding along Lake Sarmiento. He also highlighted the luxurious accommodations dotting the Patagonia region. With so much adventure and beautiful scenery surrounding him, Luis left the 9-day shoot feeling like there was still so much more to capture! But for this time around, he and the team walked away with plenty of stunning photos.
The scenic images came out great, and the client was pleased. Overall, it was a terrific experience, and Luis was grateful to have visited such an incredible part of the world. He loved being in touch with nature and learning about the people of Patagonia. Luis has been posting outtakes on his Instagram account, and people have been responding with lots of positive feedback. He hopes and plans to continue shooting more projects with Virtuoso Magazine in the future.
Additional Credit:
Associate Art Director: Korena Bolding Sinnett
Design Director: Melanie Prasetyo Fowler
See more of Luis at luisgarciafoto.com!