German and I recently spent five days at El Condor in southern Patagonia, an estancia in a remote location near the Chilean border. We were the guests of Raphael Smart, Jaime Smart, and Alejandro Serret of the Cielos Patagonicos investment group. This beautiful estancia sits beside the glacial blue waters of Lake San Martin, five hours north of Calafate. We drove all night from Trelew and arrived near the entrance of the estancia at sunrise. As the light crawled slowly across the landscape, we saw bright yellow grasses covering dry Patagonian steppe. An Andean Red Fox ran past our vehicle as Guanacos grazed casually beside us.  Snow-covered mountains loomed in the distance while fall colored Lenga forests settled in a blanket of red below the snow line. Austral Parakeets squawked in the trees as Andean Condors soared high above. It was a feast of motion, color, and texture.

We’d like to say thank you to our hosts! It was a beautiful time for photography. We had our share of cold rain but it was valio la pena! Thank you again. I’d also like to thank our incredible guides Santiago Bush Frers and Jorge Cazenave. You guys are the best!