Save the Vicunas � Park Lauca, a photo from Atacama, Norte Grande

Photographer's Note

This is the last photo from the series.

The photo was taken in Park Lauca which is located in north of Chile. This park border with Bolivia and not too far from Peru, so if you travel in this region, it is highly recommended to visit this park. It is not packed with tourists and has one of the best natural scenes I ever saw.

I especially like this photo because here you can see all the best of this park; Some Vicunas next to the shore of Lake Chungara on the foothills of the Bolivian Volcano Parinacota (6330m). The lake itself is at altitude of 4500m.

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Vicunas
Vicuna is a rare wild animal from the Llama family. It has probably the finest (about 12 microns in diameter) and most expensive wool in the world, but still, can㦙 be domesticated. That𠏋 why raw wool from Vicuna has been legally auctioned at $500 per kg while average vicuna fleece provides only 0.2 kg. If you compare those prices to the best replacement of Vicuna wool which is fine Alpaca wool, it cost around $15 per kg, but the wool is twice thicker.

The vicuna lives in the altiplano highlands of Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina in altitude above 4000 meters.

Many people used to kill those beautiful creatures because of the valuable wool, and in the 70𠏋 the situation was very close to a point of extinction. The governments of those countries declared the Vicuna as a protected animal, and set special regulations of how to be able to take the wool without killing the poor animal.

The Vicunas are very shy, and it is not easy to get that close to them. That𠏋 why sometimes I had to move very slowly, and hide behind some bushes to be able to take them.

Tracker, sam224, Paolo, gaby, feather, yeah, ahmetgedikli, elihesamian, HNIK, fayeulle has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

PixelTerror (0) 2005-10-19 3:37

Salut Alon,
I love vicunas, so cute and lovely animals full of grace, but as you say endangered.
The composition you show us today is splendid, having the vicunas introduce us to their wonderful living area, the photo has great light and depth. It just seems to me it tilts a bit to the right. I visited Laguna Chungara too but did not get anything that good, congratulations.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

Tracker (1942) 2005-10-19 3:40

Hi Alon,
Wow, great, great picture! Colours are amazing, compo is ideal. I saw vicunas in Ecuador and know how difficult to shot them so you're lucky and my congrats! TFS, regards, Denis.

sam224 (6215) 2005-10-19 3:42

Wow, the composition is excellent, with the vicunas in foreground adding dynamism to the image and the attractive snowy peak in the background, surrounded by clouds.
The pic should be rotated anticlockwise, since it seems to tilt a bit to the right.
Very good shot anyway!

dodic (708) 2005-10-19 3:59

Hi Alon,
Magnificent photo whit amazing colours.Very good compo.The clouds above the mountain are inimpressible.A interesting note about this animals.
Regards
Deyan

goomer (0) 2005-10-19 4:00

This is a great shot. Wonderfully exposed for such a difficult situation. Love the composition as well. Tilt is a little distracting.

Paolo (41258) 2005-10-19 4:00

Hi Alon, what a beautiful view!
excellent composition, with great colors and amazing light.
great perspective and a long view on the vulcan!
thanks, ciao

Yamada (2309) 2005-10-19 4:26

Wow, very nice and sharp shot. Great to capture the Llama's. Chili at his best. Great shot.

gaby (19819) 2005-10-19 4:59

Alon bonjour - quelle merveilleuse photo c'est tr鋊 beau - la composition est splendide et les couleurs fantastiques - Toutefois, et sans que cel� n'enl鋦e rien � la qualit� de cette photo, la ligne d'horizon est l嶲鋨ement inclin嶪 sur la droite -
Bravo et bonne journ嶪
Gaby

feather (51130) 2005-10-19 6:09

I have really enjoyed your vicuna series, all the more special because of their rarity. This is a superb composition and it is wonderful to see the vicunas in their environment and with babies too. I have straightened the photo for you in a WS.
Kath

[workshop] [compare] +

yeah (213) 2005-10-19 8:01

Really perfect picture, Alon. All the fore ground, middle and background attract my eye. Beautiful place with gorgeous colours. Bravo!

czar (198) 2005-10-19 9:22

Everything about this photo is stunning..the colors and landscape, are really amazing and of course the vicunas are simply graceful animals. Bravo!!

AmiBe (6042) 2005-10-19 10:40

Hello Alon,
c'est tr鋊 beau de voir ces animaux dans leur environnement et pas derri鋨e les cages d'un zoo.
L'arri鋨e plan est superbe, un paysage de r瞚e.
Bien vu

Seena (0) 2005-10-19 14:14

great shot. nice detail and so colorfull with good shorpness

rbcy1974 (20758) 2005-10-20 3:22

Hi Alon,
What an amazing natural environment for them. You have captured it magically,
amazing colour light and composiiton,
well done
Regards
Daniel

jinju (14265) 2005-10-20 3:54

Those are some wild colors Alon. The sky and the mountain in the back especially. It looks like you really jacked up the contrast. I like it as its a very strange take on a nature shot. Pretty original.

ahmetgedikli (25609) 2005-10-20 4:36

Hi Alon,
Great picture.
Excellent view.Very beautiful colors and sharpness.
Very well done.
Ahmet

sengir (4956) 2005-10-20 6:22

spectacular scenery, one of those "wow" places and shots, especially great for including those animals - they make it so special.
Not so sure about the tilt ;)

elihesamian (26149) 2005-10-20 9:28

Excellent in the serie,Alon,with excellent admirable note,wonderful nature,mountains,snowy peak,clouds and ...innnocent vicuna,The shot worked skilfully with a great composition,Thanks for sharing,Alon,

Best Wishes
M

fayeulle (27827) 2005-10-20 13:23

Hi Alon
This is a very good shot weel captured and fantastic color. I don't like the tilt. Parinacota is in this area near the Chungara lake, but its not it in the background.
Cheers
JP

HNIK (1104) 2005-10-20 14:03

Hi Alon,
What a nice shot!!
I like that amazing snowy mountain and the cloudy sky.
Well composition with mountain ,cloudes ,lake and Vicunas.
Very nice and you worked well.
Thanks for sharing Alon.
Best Regards

danyy (0) 2005-10-21 16:32

Bonjour Alon,
superbe photo pleine de po廥ie et de douceur, celle de ce troupeau avec les petits, au loin cette montagne tr鋊 nettre avec sa cr鋈e blanche.
Ciel et reflets magnifiques.
Very good job.
Daniel.

Dis_Account (0) 2005-10-27 10:52

Excellent landscape Alon. Very well composed, good colour, and excellent depth of field. Interesting note also about the vicunas - this is the first time I heard about them.

Thanks for sharing.

...tim

danby1 (3697) 2005-10-28 8:20

very nice shot here alon! good colours, sharpness and lighting, great composition and POV, technically when you took this picture i dont think you could have done anything better, but once you have it on your computer, i think it could have been straightened, there is a lean to the right which could be fixed...
AH i just noticed feather beat me to it! so you know that! thanks for sharing this one! very nice! and thanks for your visit to my picture!

prumod (8300) 2005-11-01 1:05

hi alon
its very interesting landscape... i like its overall blue tone and reflections very much...
regards
pramod

greg64g (11193) 2005-12-21 10:02

Hi Alon

What a superb picture, colors are incrededible, and reflection on water is so nice. this is great almost a paint
cheers
greg