Why Peru is Perfect Place for Photographers
Thinking about your next photography trip? Whether your photographical interests include portraiture, landscape, astro photography, wildlife or more Peru has it covered; we believe it to be the perfect place for photographers, no matter their style.
In this article we aim to explain why and to give you more reason to come and visit Peru.
So what makes Peru so great for photography?
Diversity
Peru is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, it’s no joke. This means you can experience a whole range of different landscapes and environments within a relatively small area, from coast, desert, high mountains, jungle and rainforests. The change in microclimates is so extreme that in places you can drive for only half an hour or even less and find yourself in a totally new and different environment. If your photographical focus is landscapes then Peru has you covered! Taking a photo tour in Peru (like for example our Lima, Nazca, Cusco and Jungle expedition) can take you to a whole range of environments in the space of only 1 trip!
The 7 Lagoons of Ausangate
Wildlife
Going hand in hand with the last point is the biodiversity in wildlife that can be found with so many different environments. The most biodiverse area in Peru being, of course, the Amazon rainforest. Here can be found many different, beautiful species to photograph from amazing birds, monkeys, pink dolphins and even jaguars for those who are very lucky! It is a dream location for any avid wildlife photographer. Check out our 4 day/3 night expedition to Puerto Maldonado for a look at what can be done there!
People
Peru is home to a rich and vibrant culture celebrated throughout its people, all over the country ancient traditions are kept alive through the clothes, the festivals and the lifestyle from the Quechua people of the Andes to the indigenous people of the Amazon. Peru is a place where you can visit villages that are seemingly frozen in time to the western eye, like in our Faces of Peru day tour, where you can meet and learn about the life of a Quechua family tucked away in an area of the Andes untouched by mass tourism. For a photographer that likes to capture people they need look no further, the traditional dress, the typical way of life and the vibrant characters you meet make for wonderful portrait opportunities and an immersive experience into a very different way of life.
History and Architecture
Peru is arguably the most historically rich country in all of South America, most famously as the heart of the Inca empire but also home to many pre-Inca civilizations and impressive Spanish colonial history. If historic, colonial streets and architecture are what make you excited as a photographer then cities such as Cusco or Arequipa are perfect for you, host to beautiful cathedrals, archways and streets. If it’s pre-colonial ruins you are looking for there are thousands of Inca and pre-Inca sites dotted throughout the Andes, usually built deliberately in some spectacular locations given the ancient people’s beliefs and connection with nature, most famously the crown jewel of Peru: Machu Picchu.
Astrophotography
For the photography night-owls out there, those who look up and ponder the great beyond, there are few other places in the world that can provide as stunning astro opportunities as Peru. There are a number of reasons why Peru is so great to see the stars, firstly the accessibility to remote areas is superb; there are many locations away from the main towns and cities completely devoid of light pollution making for so many perfect dark sky areas, like in our 7 Lagoons of Ausangate short expedition in which we spend the night in a small Andean village where it is possible to view a mind-boggling night sky. The way the weather systems work in the Andes means during the dry months (April to September) you very commonly find clear, cloudless night skies whilst at altitude. As Peru is in the Southern hemisphere there is much more of the Milky Way visible as opposed to the Northern hemisphere, this means you can very easily and regularly photograph the galactic core and even capture the full Milky Way arch in the sky.
The amazon rainforest is also another surprisingly strong location for Astro Photography, as lots of lodges are located deep in the jungle, allowing for no light pollution and clear beautiful skies.
Still thinking about where the next photography trip should be? We hope after this you don’t have to think for much longer, so book a ticket to Peru already!
The Andean Team
