gaucho of the Iberá wetlands

INTO THE WILD IBERÁ

Genre

Travel, Documentary, Portrait

Dates

12 to 18 May 2024

Difficulty

Moderate

Group

Min 4 - Max 9

A Unique Adventure in the Argentine Mesopotamia

The Iberá natural reserve is the second most important wetland in the world after the Pantanal (Brazil). An uncontaminated wildlife sanctuary, kingdom of the famous caiman and many other species typical of this ecosystem, such as snakes, birds, marsh deers, etc. A real paradise for photography.

Together with our Lead Photographer, you will have the opportunity to get to know the heart of the Iberá, navigating through its narrow channels, until reaching one of the few local families that still live in harmony with nature in the most remote part of the wetlands.

7 days of adventure, among landscapes, animals and local people. Faces with marked features, a culture forged by ancestral traditions and a lifestyle that still resists the passage of time, far from the frenetic chaos of the cities.

horseback in Ibera
gaucho portrait in the ibera wetlands
local people in Ibera

ITINERARY

We will meet the group in the small town of Concepción del Yaguareté Corá, near the “Carambola Gateway”, one of the access points to the Iberá Wetlands.

The Lead Photographer will give an introductory briefing to the workshop.

Night in Concepción.

We will enter the wetlands with our small boats, crossing narrow channels in a horse-drawn canoe and a “botador” (boatman), through an uncontaminated landscape.  In the afternoon we will visit a local family and then we will have dinner with them with typical food of the wetlands.

Overnight at the Lechuza Cuá shelter.

We will wake up before dawn and leave the lodge walking to our boats to get even deeper into the great Iberá Park.

We will have many opportunities to photograph the typical fauna of the wetlands. We will navigate the Carambola stream until we reach Paraje Plumero, in the heart of the wetlands.

Overnight in cabins. We will take advantage of the privileged position, in a place totally free of light pollution to photograph the night sky.

We will wake up at dawn, with the possibility of photographing the awakening of the day from a “mangrullo”. During this day we will explore the Plumero area.

We will have the possibility of photographing the work of cattle ranching in the wetlands. There will also be plenty of opportunities to photograph wildlife and the chance, for those who wish, to go on a horseback ride.

Overnight in cabins. 

We will leave early in the morning to reach an island, where we will meet the Villagra people, ancient settlers. A unique opportunity to portray them, learn about their history, document their customs and traditions, spending the day with them, sharing moments on the island.

Camping night.

After enjoying the sunrise, we will return to Concepción del Yaguareté Corá.

There we will have time to rest and review together with Gustavo the photos taken during the workshop.

Night in Concepción.

After breakfast we will say goodbye until the next adventure!

What's included?

What's not!

CUIT 33-71517729-9 | Legacy 16666

For the logistical organization of this Travel Photography Workshop we rely on Volando Viajes, a certified agency with great experience in the field.

RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT

Please note that these are only suggestions given by our experience. It is not necessary to have all the equipment reported, everyone prepares for the journey according to their needs.

For example, some people may only want to take pictures with a smartphone while others will want to take a drone with them. But it is our duty to guide you to a better choice.

Although you can participate with any type of photographic device, we recommend a reflex or mirrorless camera, which allow much more freedom and creativity.

Considering the wide variety of photographic situations this workshop presents, it is advisable to have available focal lengths ranging from wide-angle (shorter distances) to telephoto (longer distances).

For Landscape Photography, we suggest a wide focal lenght: ideally around 15 – 50 mm. You can also get a good landscape with a longer focal length by using a stable tripod.

For night photos (Astrophotography) the shorter the focal length, the better. This makes it possible to include more elements in the frame.

For terrestrial wildlife, a 300mm or longer telephoto lens is the best choice.

Consider also buying a tele converter to increase the focal length of the lens: 1.4x or 2x. Even if with loss of luminosity.

Finally, choosing the right set of lenses is not easy. If you encounter difficulties and need some suggestions do not hesitate to contact us.

The most important feature of a tripod is its stability. Since every journey includes some trekking, we must also take into account the weight.

We suggest a good carbon tripod that maintains a good balance between weight and stability, that can easily change from one height to another and that locks in little space.

Aluminum is also fine, as carbon is generally much more expensive. We know that choosing a tripod is not easy and we are available to help you choose the right model for you.

A Polarizing filter will be very useful to neutralize water reflections in the lagoons.

For those who love Landscape Photography, ND filters with 6 or 8 steps will be also very useful to play with the movement of water and clouds.

It is recommended to carry UV or Skylight filters, useful to protect the lenses from Ultraviolet rays (even more important in these altitudes), dust and splashes.

Finding the right photo backpack can be a difficult challenge. We recommend you to rely on a brand with quality and experience in the market. 

The type of backpack clearly depends on your equipment. But what really matters is that you feel comfortable with it and possibly fitted with a rain cover.

You can’t miss in your backpack: a cleaning kit for the lenses, a remote control to shoot without touching the camera, hood for the lenses (to avoid flare) and a robust / comfortable camera strap.

It is also important to take spare batteries and memory cards with you. In this workshop, we won’t have a chance to recharge our batteries every day.

For those interested in POST-PRODUCTION we suggest bringing your laptop with some editing software already installed. The Lead Photographer, at the end of the day, will answer your questions.

MORE ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP

The most characteristic fauna includes the Marsh Deer (Blastoceros dichotomous), the Pampas Deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), the Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), the Broad-Snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris), the Yacare Caiman (Caiman yacare), the Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), the Neotropical Otter (Lontra longicaudis), the Howler Monkeys (Alouatta).

Some of these species are currently at risk of extinction.

We recommend bring light and heavy clothing, as well as a waterproof or windbreaker jacket.

Hat, neck cover, and sunglasses.

Sturdy, comfortable footwear (possibly more than one pair).

Comfortable and robust backpack to carry your gear and protect it from dust, water and bumps.

Sunscreen, mosquito spray.

The round trip between your starting point and Concepción del Yaguareté Corá is not included in the price.

However, we can coordinate it with the Tour Operator.

Join this Adventure!

Any Other Question?

Read Our FAQ 

..or Write Us!