Ausangate, a dream world for travel photography

Everyone who travels to Peru, and especially to the Andes Mountains , comes away amazed by the beauty of its sweeping landscapes , towering mountains, fascinating fauna and flora, and its colorful traditional cultures.
In Peru, the opportunities for taking awesome photos are literally endless, for professional and amateur photographers alike.
There are many reasons for Peru’s superb photogenic qualities. First, colors are bright, vivid and natural everywhere you go.

The photogenic beauty of the Andes

From earthy colors of mountainsides, to brilliant markets, and bright, beautiful native clothing of the native people- Peru offers photographers an endless rainbow of different sights, hues and shades.
For example, Mt. Vinicunca, Peru’s Rainbow Mountain, is a geological formation that displays spectacularly colorful views. You’ll visit Mt. Vinicunca on several of Andean Lodges’ state-of-the-art Ausangate trekking programs.
The Route to Ausangate, the exclusive circuit of trails along which Andean Lodges and its partner native communities operate our trekking programs, is certainly one of the most picture-perfect Andes landscapes .
From the broad, deep valley of Phinaya, with views of massive Mt. Hatun Jampa from our Chillca ecolodge, to sunsets over sacred snowcapped Mt. Ausangate from Anantapata Lodge, the views are truly awe-inspiring.

Our ecolodges make it much easier

Each of our ecolodges is strategically located far from any settlement, and built to harmonize with the pristine environment .
No electric light is seen at night, not even at our charming candle-lit lodges. You can imagine the nighttime visual treat this creates at this altitude- a night sky filled with so many countless glittering stars that the Milky Way appears to be a bright motionless river in the sky.
With a still-motion setting, just imagine the photos.
Each high pass you reach is a prime spot for great photography. Glacial lakes, which on windless days reflect the peaks above like giant mirrors, provide more spectacular points of focus.
And for wildlife oriented photographers, many species of waterfowl make their habitat around the lakes, squirrel-like vizcachas pop out occasionally, and with luck you might even catch sight of a condor flying above.
Of course, the real celebrities of the Andes are the numerous llamas and alpacas that graze around Ausangate.
These placid camelids are not skittish- they’ll stand and pose with you for your best selfies ever! Llamas will be your companions in caravans on the Route to Ausangate, so you’ll have all the time in the world to snap great shots.

Our communities and our people

And the people of the Andes are really beautiful subjects. Mind you, they are not there as an exhibition, and in many cases it is proper etiquette to ask permission to photograph them.
However, around Ausangate many of the native Quechua people are our partners in ecotourism, they welcome you and are quite accustomed and happy to be photographed- sharing the beauty of their culture with visitors manifests their pride and generosity.
You’ll have a great chances for shots of traditional weavers, dancers and celebrations, around Ausangate, as well as ancient Inca sites and more in Cusco city, in the Sacred Valley and everywhere you go.
A couple of technical notes. Since electricity is not available at our four Ausangate ecolodges, consider bringing a solar charger and extra batteries for your cameras and cellphones.
Extra SD cards are also useful. Remember that in the often very sunny Andes, light contrasts are often intense, so you might have to adjust you camera with filters. Different SLR lenses will provide for better photos.
But remember, for non-professional who just want a put together a great album of your Andes experience, a high-quality cellphone camera might be all you need.
If reading this has inspired you to visit the incredible visual wonderland that is Peru, please contact us to plan and reserve your great adventure to the Andes at andeanlodges.com.