There are a couple shots in my previous post that may be more visually interesting or tell a fuller story of our camping night, but I chose this as the Star Shot of the sequence because it shows that which I love capturing a little bit better: a personal experience.
One of the things I love about camping is having the chance to get away from modern life and contemplate all the stars that are hiding from the cities. It helps me to enter a meditative state to think about life, and it makes me feel small and humbles me.
Stars remind me of all the people I’ve crossed paths with. Some are always there, shining bright and guiding me. Some can’t always be seen, but I know they’re there. Some are gone but their light still shines over me. Whatever stories we’ve shared, you’re all stars in my sky and I’m thankful for it.
Thanks to my buddy, Ramón Naquid, for running up that hill in sandals and staying still during this 30 second exposure to help me create this story, dedicated to all the people I’ve crossed paths with.
Photo taken at: Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
After the night shot at San Juanico, I’m excited to show you guys the Star Shot of my experience with The Explorean Hotels. This is easily one of my favourite photos!
When my guide, Daniel, described the activity to me I got a bit nervous. One of the highlights of the tour was staying still in the middle of the lake, listening to the sounds of Nature and enjoying a beautiful starry sky. How could I capture that… in the dark… on a kayak???
I asked Daniel if the lake was shallow enough to put a tripod in the water and the look on his face wasn’t very reassuring, haha. For a moment I thought it wasn’t even worthwhile to carry the tripod with me on the kayak, but my gut told me to bring it anyways, so I strapped it in the back just in case. ⠀
After enjoying a beautiful sunset while paddling we came to a stop in the dark and I positioned myself where the ideal angle would be. I sunk the paddle to test for depth and immediately lost all hope for the photo. I decided to just let go and enjoy the moment with the team.
After a few minutes we carried on and, soon after, Daniel spotted fireflies in the nearby forest, so he stopped the group again to enjoy the show. One of the guests asked how deep it was in here, so Daniel sunk his paddle and proved it was actually quite shallow in this area. I couldn’t help but smile and paddled fast to the ideal angle of the photo. I sunk my paddle and cheered internally. I frenetically started to unstrap the tripod from behind me, careful not to flip my kayak. Daniel noticed this and kept the group entertained while I prepared.
When I was ready he helped me get the group still enough to pull off a long exposure and voilá! Surprisingly, it only took about three exposures to get this. Thanks, Daniel and The Explorean Kohunlich, for your help in getting this new favourite of a photo!
Before the #StarShot of my days at The Explorean Kohunlich I want to share this photo from last night, both because it serves as a sort of intro to that special shot and because I really liked this place!
San Juanico is small fishing village on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur. For years it was a secret location frequented by the few surfers who had discovered it, but little by little it’s been gaining some prestige for its waves.
It’s known for its very long wave of about 2km, and a local surfer who works at the Scorpion Bay Hotel explained to us that it’s actually several points with waves and as you master each, and with the proper swell, you could connect points 3 to 1 for a fantastically long ride! I’m not much of a surfer, to be honest, but just imagining the feeling makes me want to learn. I may have found a New Year’s resolution there!
This picture is by the lighthouse on point 3. This was the first spot we stopped in when arriving to San Juanico, where I shot a small video of a friend as he walked next to the cliff. Later in the night, as I was reviewing my phone shots, I realized there was a great spot, an almost-full moon and a clear sky out there. I couldn’t let it go, so I convinced Jaime to not call it a day after all and he was pretty cool to stand in that spot for a while to make the photo of the trip. Thanks, bro!
Photo taken at: San Juanico, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Sierra Gorda is not only a magical destination, but also a great example of things done right. Check out the feature documentary of two guys adventuring through its beautiful scenery as they meet the local heroes and people who have worked so hard to turn this biosphere reserve into an inspiring model of conservation!
The day before the last, when we went to Llao Llao, first we went to Cerro Campanario, a popular hangout spot that you can access via a 20 minute hike or by riding a chairlift. ⠀ The top boasts 360 degrees of view between a couple lookout points that are mere leg steps away from each other, a cafe with napkins written in just about every language that say “we don’t have WiFi but we have a view”, and a super cool dog called Rufo that loves when visitors play with him. He was my new friend of the day and I can’t wait to go back to play with him!
As we arrived, though, we were greeted not just with an amazing view, but with a rainbow topping it. The sad thing was it didn’t last long, it was gone as soon as I finished taking a couple of shots of it with the group.
We walked around for a while enjoying the views of the place and playing with Rufo before going into the Cafe for a snack and a warm drink. Soon after the rainbow appeared again. Patagonia, Land of Rainbows.
The polarized windows of the cafe actually helped bring it out a bit. As soon as I saw it it was more of a reflex than a conscious decision to point my camera and shoot a couple of frames without paying much attention but, after going through them a few minutes later, I instantly knew this was going to be my favorite shot of the trip, even one of my all time favorites. It’s actually my phones background now 🤓
So, this is the end of these series for now. There’s so many cool shots they may make a comeback at some point, but for now I want to thank Jackie for trusting me with the memories of this group and showing me such a magical and photogenic place, and all the Patagonian Lake District group for being the awesome people and travel mates they are. I can’t wait for our next adventure! Cheers! 🍻
Check out the small video of the adventure:
New series coming up! I’ve spent the last week near Chetumal and in Cozumel, in the beautiful state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, documenting the activities offered by The Explorean hotels, so stay tuned to see some of the magic these guys have and, of course, the star shot at the end!
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