Photographing maritime wildlife of Valdes Peninsula favors professionals, amatures and tourists alike, with majestic landscapes and impressive, unusual species, allowing for powerful artistic expression on all levels.  The tool of photography that has become so popular, when applied to this environment, brings civilized humanity closer and closer to some of the largest and instinctual animals on our planet.

Integration into a primitive and elemental universe with a camera, permits one to capture and transmit a savage and at the same time harmonious natural existence. Far from the urban orbit and its world without time, the photographers that choose these coordinates are offered the luxury of feeling and expressing in two dimensions an instant in paradise. A photograph creates feeling and understanding in a place likeValdes Peninsula, where nature’s logic is present in each and every subtle detail. Images of this amazing reserve, when shared out of context, take on a life of their own and evoke sensations of an isolated corner of the world that is intact and coherent.

Being witness to the innocence in which these amazing creatures live their lives can help align our own sensitivity to the world around us and change the way we perceive reality. In the case of the adventure photographer, his composition works like magic, transforming an unexplainable instant into graphic poetry.

Like anything in life that is approached with clarity and passion, if photography and the concept of discipline in the capturing of images are of interest, you will have success. When something awakens your enthusiasm don’t hold back. Life is the indeterminable succession of moments, nothing more. Being a maritime wildlife photographer has a lot to do with being present, in the water. The best advice that I can offer is to follow your dreams and if this short article rings home, maybe photography of wild animals in their natural environment will allow you to breath the same air of liberty that gives life to this and other amazing natural areas.

Safety, skill and technique at sea

The ocean conditions photographers in several aspects when attempting quality images of maritime fauna. First and foremost is security, closely followed by balance and confidence of mobility while aboard a boat and, of course, an understanding of the technical aspects of your camera. With respect to security and mobility, whale watching tours in Valdes Peninsula continue to evolve with respect to professionalism and concepts of security while aboard the boats. The crews are trained, certified and experienced for response to any eventual situation at sea. All passengers will be required to use a life vest, provided by the tour operator, which, combined with your jacket and backpack and other passengers in the same situation, creates increased volume and limited mobility. Liberty of movement on the boat is directly related to the number of passengers and the maritime conditions. Ask, trust and rely on the crew to better understand where and when the whales will appear.

All crew members, in all of the 6 whale watching companies, are prepared to guide and assist with any of your needs or concerns. Whale guides here are all captains and deck hands with years of experience and passion for nature, whales and this activity in particular. Obey their instructions, they know what they are doing and are aware of much more than what most visitors can perceive. You will not be alone on your tour and respect for others is a fundamental aspect for an unforgettable experience. Some of the companies offer sunset excursions, personally my favorite. This excursion is usually a little more expensive but as well lasts longer, is more exclusive with less passengers and offers that magical moment when the sun disappears below the horizon and the warm light produced accentuates the natural beauty of the situation. Keep in mind that if interested in this excursion you should plan on being in Pto. Piramides at least 3 hours before sunset.

Shutter speeds on the water

With respect to the technical aspects of photography, a rule for eliminating movement in your image when standing on land is a shutter speed equal to or greater than the focal length of the lens being used. When shooting in maritime conditions you have the added movement of the boat and the animals being observed. Keeping this in mind, if you are using a full frame reflex camera with a 200mm lens you need to use a shutter speed of no less than 1/200 when on land. To secure the same image while on the water your shutter speed should be greater. With the same equipment and 200mm lens I would recommend a shutter speed of at least 1/500 to insure a clear, frozen image. Good focus deserves high f/stop settings but for establishing a perfect balance in this environment it is best to prioritize a high shutter speed of at least twice the focal length of the lens used.

Whales are enormous and to capture a good image of the fluke (tail) o breach (jump) you will need good depth of field. The space difference between different parts of the whale’s body can be as much as several meters and when all is in focus the photographs of these moments can be incredible. I usually use manual focus and enjoy calibrating focus in the middle of the “action”. I also have the habit of moving my body in the same direction as the subject when the image requires.

Attention and anticipation

Photography of wildlife in a maritime environment presents 360 degrees of action and this produces an enormous variation in the constant search for correct exposure. You may find yourself floating close to a whale in the late afternoon, the subject in backlight and the sun reflecting off the water creating a situation of high contrast, when instantly the whale sinks below the boat and a few seconds later breaches on the other side, surrounded by a dark sea and the distant cliffs illuminated by a soft warm light. You will need to measure light and adjust constantly and, with practice and when possible, anticipate the situation. The lower the angle of your composition, lower the horizon line will appear in your image and with a breaching whale this low angle provides volume.

New combinations of clouds, ocean conditions and animal behavior are all variations that condition maritime nature photographers and with time develop the photographers capacity for patience, knowing when to wait and when to prepare.

Climatic Variable

The photography of marine wildlife in its pure state is much easier said than done. Having the right equipment and the desire is important but not enough. The accumulation of hours on the water is indispensable. There are times during whale season that poor weather conditions will close the port, eliminating the possibility of a boat tour, often for several days in a row. Other times, low atmospheric pressure creates windless conditions with calm seas but with inactive whales with little to no movement and without raising a fluke or breaching. Perseverance and patience are inseparable traits for those who wish to enjoy maritime wildlife photography and to not just look the part.

All of the material that I have produced over the decades has been with Nikon and a Nikkor 80-200mm 2.8, since the days of slide film and black and white up to the present digital age this has been my preferred and inseparable companion. There are occasions when whales approach the coast or boats and provide opportunities for the use of a shorter focal length or even a wide-angle lens.

Each time we visit a new place it takes time to become familiar, no matter how much has been read about the site before arrival. Comprehension of the morphology and behavior of each species helps to anticipate its actions. With experience comes understanding and for this reason, if the possibility exists for making this activity habitual,Valdes Peninsula will always be waiting for your return.
Getting to know individuals that live here in Puerto Piramides can be beneficial in several aspects, one of which is understanding the behavior of local wildlife. As well, listening to the silence offered by the immensity of night can tell you a thing or two. Listening to the whale’s breathing while observing the Milky Way helps one understand that nature photography is just an excuse for living the experience. All the factors have come together in a great conspiracy that will cause any passionate marine wildlife photographer to discover Puerto Piramides, an amazing, attractive and unforgettable natural paradise.

Southern Right Whale

More than 2.000 Southern Right Whales (Eubalaena australis) visit Valdes Peninsula each season. Between April and June their arrival begins and the last individuals can be observed from whale watching boats as late as the end of December, before returning to their feeding grounds. The Valdes Peninsula is considered the largest reproductive area in the world for this and other species.

Magellanic Penguin

Nearly 500,000 Magallanic Penguins arrive each year in September to reproduce, raise their young and molt along the coast of Valdes Peninsula, returning once again to the ocean in April.

South American Sea Lion

Thousands of One-Haired Sea Lions live in Valdes Peninsula year round. They will change colonies depending on the season and their reproductive behavior. In December, the dominant males with gather and defend harems of between 2 and 12 females in reproductive colonies like the one at Punta Piramide. Pubs are born in January and February after a year of gestation and a few months later the Sea Lions will return to their previous colony.

Orca

There are close to 30 Orca individuals that live along the coast of Valdes Peninsula and can frequently be observed in Punta Norte from early march through April and in Caleta Valdes during the months of October and November. The young pups of Sea Lions and Southern Elephant Seals respectively, born a few months earlier, begin to explore and play along the shore, providing yet another resource for the Orcas. The extremely risky and unique technique of Intentional Beaching, that only a few of the individuals practice, provides valuable calories that are shared with the family group in deeper waters.  This is a fragile technique that only exist is these waters with these orcas.

Southern Elephant Seal

Valdes Peninsula is home to the only continental Southern Elephant Seal colony in the world and the numbers that gather along the coast from September to December are impressive.

Dusky Dolphin

Dusky Dolphins are frequently observed in the waters that surround the Valdes Peninsula. Although they are seen throughout the year, the possibilities are higher and usually observed in greater numbers during summer
Here I have provided a group of Virtual Guides with the most common species and a few of the not so common animals found in Valdes Peninsula. This edition was created initially for those who stay at Del Nomade Eco-Hotel, my special corner in Puerto Piramides.

Backlight photography is when you have the light in front in the direction where the camera is pointed. When encountering this kind of photography the light source must be considered as part of the image, outlining the subject and creating detailed silhouettes. This kind of light shows but does not expose, defining specific and particular characteristics of the individuals and objects in the image.

The golden hour is ideal for this kind of photography. The special, warm light of sunrise and sunset offers a strong back-light with powerful and magical color, with or without clouds. This type of situation and light offers the capture of high contrast images where all the color is found in the background and the action or movement in the silhouetted subject.

The correct exposure will define, without question, the intention and final result of your image. The best way to apply this technique is by using a light reading based on the entire situation, and then creatively composing the image. When possible take several images changing the composition. Having lost detail in the subject due to back-light a good composition in fundamental. To capture a good photograph, the image must be found. There is always a different angle waiting, either a bit more to the left or right or up or down, but it must be looked for and found in order to produce a unique image

Very often, when photographing marine wildlife, sunlight will reflect off the surface of the sea, offering an unusual and interesting texture to your image.

These back-light situations, with a high concentration of light entering directly through the lens, allow the use of high shutter speeds without limiting f/stop, guaranteeing excellent depth of field. Ideal for freezing a drop of water in movement or the spout produced by a breathing whale in an expression of great detail with perfect focus. For the photographer with a bit of experience it is hard to go wrong in this type of situation.

If each and every moment in life is unique and without repetition, a close encounter with creatures of the sea is even more so. Understanding how to measure light, apply the correct settings, obtain focus and shoot is a short time frame requires practice and dedication and this is obtained by presence and familiarization with the situation. Perseverance and patience are inseparable traits for those who wish to enjoy maritime wildlife photography and not just look the part. Like an open invitation, understanding that  Valdes Peninsula is here and will remain here, allows a new opportunity to capture “that special image” with each visit. A healthy challenge for integration into the savage world of pristine nature that is waiting to be discovered.

Here I have provided a short video about how to properly place the camera on the panoramic ball head, as well as how to attach a different head to the tripod and discover the proper alignment, guaranteeing a perfect result from the first attempt.

The software that I use to achieve this result is called PTGUI. The following video is a tutorial on how to apply this program.
The Nautical yard or Whalers yard in Puerto Piramides is the place where all of the Whale Watching, Nautical Tour, Scuba and kayaking vessels are stored and where these different companies have their equipment and maintenance shops.
This image of Lucas Lena, a personal friend, colleague and collaborator at Del Nomade, is an excellent example. An image that was captured on the bow of the “Gudenak”, a whale watching vessel owned and operated by Whales Argentina, works like a multi-directional window when viewed on the computer screen.  This new technology offers the luxury of feeling yourself at the heart of Puerto Piramides.

The program that is presented here allows for amazing images of star trails. In the digital imaging age, technology has adapted in a way that allows magical results.

Abducted by the South is a piece that I produced in 2009, and is the product of 250 individual images taken in sequence every 60 seconds. The pronounced rocky outcropping is Olazabal Point in Puerto Piramides, located at the end of the second access road to the sea and one of the two points that form the bay of Puerto Piramides.
With a Nikon D90, ISO setting of 5000, a 16mm lens set at f/6.3 and set firmly on a Manfroto tripod I was able to capture the movement of earth’s rotation represented by star trails in the southern night sky. This excellent program, through a special pasting process, allows for the super positioning of an enormous number of nocturnal images that the program organizes, based on sequence and star positioning, into a single image producing star trails. Startrails is a free software program that, once installed in your computer, takes just a few minutes to produce the final image. The real work is in knowing how to take the images you want to combine. The program will not work if there is no coherency in the images used.
The basic concept for making this kind of image is to set your camera firmly of a tripod and attempt a relatively short exposure. Depending on the lens used and the ISO combination, an exposure of between 10-20 seconds shot in sequence with a remote control trigger. Each image should be separated by approximately 30-60 seconds and the program will work with from just 2-300 images. The more images used the longer the star trails produced.
Due to our planets rotation, the stars are not found in a fixed point in the sky, instead they produce the effect of movement. To capture this apparent movement and the light left behind by the stars the only things needed are a camera, tripod and the patience and time to take a sequence of images over a prolonged period of time. The stars observed in the night sky from any point of view will produce the sensation of moving around us. The stars that are positioned closer to the poles will give the sensation of being more static while those further from the poles and closer to the equator with more movement. Patience is key in capturing the necessary images. This program is fantastic only if you first take the time to capture a large number of images over an extended time frame without moving the camera.
At the moment you decide to capture this sequence of images keep in mind that in the Southern Hemisphere, if your image is taken looking south the stars movement will appear rotational while if looking north the movement will appear linear and, If in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite will occur. This last image was also taken at Olazabal Point but looking east rather than south. Here the appeared movement of the stars is seen clearly as linear with those on left side of the image (north) while those to the right (south) begin to curve. The brightness and color of each star varies with respect to its size, age and distance from our planet.

The Photographer´s Efemeris (TPE) will help you to plan outdoor photography in particular landscapes. Use this software for organizing your images of the sunrise and moonrise by providing the exact coordinates and exact time for their appearance and therefore providing time to prepare for and anticipate these events. This program is specifically designed for mapping and calculating the exact position and movement of the Sun and Moon. With this information you can organize the capture of your image, knowing beforehand when and where the sun or moon will appear, day or night, anywhere on the planet. TPE is a universal application with optimized interface on iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch.
TPE utilizes as its platform, Google Maps to adjust and encounter a chosen spot. By moving a small red dot to any determined place, trajectory lines will appear for both the sun and moon. This is an extremely useful and user friendly program. Understanding the light and how it will affect any particular landscape at any time of the day or night is a fundamental base for anticipating and capturing quality landscape images.

In the widget I have put here are the exact time and location for the rising and setting of both the Sun and Moon for today and tomorrow so that these magical moments do not elude you.