Shot of the Month – January 2025

 

Boom! (The photographic equivalent of a “mic drop”)

My favorite (best?) shot of 2024!

A once-in-a-lifetime shot!  Definitely

It doesn’t get any more Patagonia than this.  If you need a refresher on Patagonia, check out this link:

Patagonia

Otherwise, let’s break it down:

Torres del Paine:

In the background of this shot we see three immense rock towers called the Torres del Paine (Spanish for “Towers of Paine”).   These three peaks are the centerpiece of the eponymously named Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonian Chile.  These peaks are part of the broader Cordillera del Paine mountain range, which makes up part of the southern Andes Mountains.

Puma

The apex predator of Patagonia is the Puma.  In this shot, we see a female puma standing on a rock as she surveys her territory.

The Shot!!!

Getting a shot of a Puma in Patagonia is possible if you spend a few days and put in the miles.  Getting an image of the Torres del Paine is a given, as they dominate the landscape in this park.  Getting them both together, as in this composition?  That puts us in “once in a lifetime territory”!

How did it happen?

One crisp morning, we were out hiking when we saw this female puma walking along a ridge line.  My guide instantly looked at me and said “I know this cat.  She likes to walk along the ridgeline.  You are probably going to get some nice shots, but you are going to have WORK for it.”  The challenge is that even when a puma is not walking very fast, by puma standards, this is very fast for us, fairly out of shape bipedal humanoids carrying more than 25 pounds of camera gear.

We took off with great haste to try and keep in front of the cat.  We scanned the horizon and tried to guess where she might stop, and looked for potential good compositions.  We scrambled to get out in front, set down our cameras and tripods, and set up for a shot.  Usually, I would be breathing heavily and struggling to keep still as I composed a shot.  We might get a few seconds to shoot before she was already past us again.  MOVE!

We scrambled and did our best Olympic speed walking to get in front.  This went on for hundreds of yards.  Scramble.  Stop.  Drop to your knees and put the gear down.  Try and compose an image and shoot while your chest is heaving.  Scramble.  Shoot.  Repeat.

And then we saw the rock.

The rock that also happened to have the Torres del Paine in the background.

The same rock that had the Torres del Paine in the background as the morning light lit up the valley and the towers with a crisp blue sky as a backdrop.

My heart was now pounding in my ears.  I realized the image that might be possible.  I didn’t allow myself to even consider it.  It would be like winning a photographic lottery with the same or even worse odds.  I scrambled as fast as I could to get into position.  Can I get there in time and set up the shot?  Would she actually get up on that rock?  Would she look at us?  My mind was racing.  I set my gear down and began to compose the image.  Trembling.

My Brain:  “Dont F*&^ this up!”  Get your settings right.  Get the focus ready.  HURRY!

This all happened within a few seconds.  The puma reached the rock.  She did not hesitate and immediately leaped onto the boulder.  She was checking for scents – seemingly a popular place to mark one’s territory.  But she was also facing the wrong way!!  I need just one MORE miracle.  Please turn around!  Turn around! Turn…

And she turned around.

I initially tried to shoot the image in landscape orientation, but my lens was not quite wide enough:

Arrrgh!  Just a bit too cramped at the top to really work.  Flip to vertical!!!

Fortunately, she was very cooperative and stood there for a few seconds, allowing me enough time to rotate my camera, adjust my settings, and get “the” shot before she leaped down and continued her patrol.

 

The leap:

 

In the first image, we see the puma, the region’s regal apex predator, on her throne, with Patagonia’s signature mountains, the Cordillera del Paine, towering behind her.  Months and months later, and I am still in shock that it all came together so spectacularly.

 

Until next month….michael

 

 

 

 

 

Nikon Z9, Nikon 100-400 (@100 mm), 1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 250,