Here the official caption of this shot, taken in August 2019 in Palcoyo mountains, Peru.

In the Peruvian Andes, a unique mineral composition and million of years of wind and rains created the Rainbow Mountains, a true wonder of nature. At this altitude of over 5,000 meters, a herd of Alpacas crosses the colorful ridge, enjoying the isolation from human population.

You can see the rest of the reportage in Peru here.

bbc wildlife july 2020 enrico pescantini

Rainbow Alpaca – Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain Cusco Peru Aerial Drone

The post Pubblished on July 2020 BBC Wildlife Magazine appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

Petra by CandleLight Enrico Pescantini

This is the comment of the Jury:

Enrico Pescantini’s image ‘Petra by candlelight’ (Jordan) also caught our judge’s eye. Adam described it as ‘a monumental composition taken at night, demonstrating the skill of a photographer able to capture a spectacle of light, at a location that showcases human skill more than 2,000 years ago, while also showing us the stars.’

Adam Stanford of Aerial-Cam, and Simon Butler from Hidden History Travel & Archaeology, who sponsored the competition, with the photos at CA Live! 2019

“Petra by Candlelight” has been shot with Sony A7R and lens Tokina Firin f2, 30″, F/3.2, ISO 800.

The post Winner of Current World Archeology Photo Awards 2019 appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

I have personally see all three of them, and even if my favorite are Iguazu Falls, the Victoria Falls are very dense with wildlife and special activities, making them a true wonder to spend at least a couple of nights.

You can either choose to sleep in Victoria Falls in Zimbawe or in Livingstone in Zambia: you will have to see the falls from both the sides, and crossing is very easy. Also, you will most of the times move around in taxi.

Here some suggestions on the top activitities I have tried:

Devil’s Pool Tour

Devil’s Pool are natural pools literally at the edge of the falls, on the Zambia side. To go there, there is only tour and option that you can take, that will bring you to Livingstone Island (where the pools are), let you sink in and then have breakfast or lunch. Everything is super organized and safe, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

Angel’s Pools

Devil’s Pool are open from end of August, so during August you will sink in the Angel’s Pool, which are almost identical.

It is THE best experience you can have, and nowhere else on the world you can be safely at the edge of such impressive falls.

Victoria Falls Devil Pool

Downside is that you won’t be alone, and taking good pictures is quite challenging: terrain is slippery, and the guides will take some shots for you, since you have to be careful on where to walk. Plus, the moisture in the air is really strong, so using a regular camera (without waterproof casing) is out of the question.

Here’s a quick peak on what to expect on video (not a fancy one, just an informative video

Victoria Falls Helicopter Tour

We did the shortest flight of 12-13 minutes called Helicopter Flight of Angels with Shearwater, located in Victoria Falls. And it has been an amazing experience. Seriously, save on everything, but not on this. Seeing the falls from the sky let you really appreciate how beautiful they are. Plus you can take amazing photographs from the helicopter!

I managed to take the front seat next to the pilot, and you should try to catch the same! Unfortunately I take the blame for choosing the worst hours to do it: midday: I thought that the sun would have lighted the falls from the top, but actually it made all shots a little bit flat. Stick to the golden hour!

The Victoria River Safari

Among the many, many river cruises (remember that in none of them you’ll see the falls), we have picked this one “The Victoria River Safari” with Victoria Falls Guide 

This because it was super intimate (we were 5 people out of 12), with a private bartender and small eats for appetizers. Boat is small, quiet, and you can get close to wildlife, like hippos!

We’ve also seen one of the best sunset of Africa (definitely the best of all our travel). Unforgettable.

During the cruise I spotted in the sky a microlight, another activity that you can do. We choose the helicopter over microlight because they didn’t allow to bring any camera on board of it.

Microlight over the falls

Chobe day trip safari from Vic Falls

It is a full day excursion (7am – 6pm) that will bring you to Chobe National Park in Botswana, where you will do a safari on the boat in the morning, and by 4WD in the early afternoon.

It is a unique occasion to see wildlife in and around the river, and we have been very lucky in terms of sightseeing. Definately a great warm up for our African holiday!

We had the luck to see a group of elephants crossing the river and swimming, truly an amazing sight.

The afternoon safari was lucky as well, if not more, as we spotted a male leopard. Definitely the most majestic sight you can see in Africa, and it was so close to us!

Lunch at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge has an amazing bar and restaurant with an open view on the surrounding savana. Plus at around 1pm there is a free tour to know more about vultures, and feed them, and learn more about the importance of these birds to the life chain.

As reported on their website:

The Vulture Culture Experience is a supplementary feeding programme that aids the survival of these remarkable but endangered birds, and allows visitors to enjoy the spectacular sight of hundreds of these birds swooping down to be fed on leftover meat scraps from onsite restaurants.

The activity, which occurs at 1pm daily, begins with a briefing on a deck beneath Victoria Falls Safari Lodge about the ecological importance of vultures and the plight they are facing, before visitors take a short walk down a bush path to a hide to view the vultures feeding. Here there is the opportunity to spot white-headed, hooded, lappet-faced and white-backed vultures, as well as marabou storks.

The project also allows vulture numbers to be monitored, as populations are dwindling due to a variety of human created issues, including electrocution by power lines, loss of available and safe food supply, direct and indirect poisoning and the use of their parts for traditional medicines.

This Vulture Culture Experience, which appeals to all age groups, and is free – although visitors are encouraged to make a donation, which goes to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust.

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge vultures

The post Victoria Falls and the Devil’s Pool: sink in at the edge of the falls! appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

The article features some of the best aerial shots I have taken in Seychelles, a true tropical paradise, that definitely lives up the expectations.

The only downside of my visit was the lack of coral reefs, which can be found only in few places of the islands. This is caused by the terrible hurricane that devastated Seychelles few years ago. And also by rising temperatures of the oceans, due to global warming.

I really hope that my travel photography not only inspires people in travelling more, and discover the beauty of our planet, but only to remember that we have to work together to preserve it.

The post “Seychelles From Above” featured in Air Seychelles’ Silhouette Magazine appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

Teotihuacan means ‘the place where the gods were created’, and that’s the feeling once you visit this archaeological site of Mexico. This pyramid, the third-largest of Earth, was dedicated to the god of Sun, and its geometrical perfection can only inspire admiration for the civilization that build it. The grandeur of this behemoth is even greater compared with those tiny dots of humanity in the frame. Seemingly insignificant, but in the end also the makers of this wonder.

INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2018  Geometry of the Sun

IPA 2018  Geometry of the Sun

There are also two honorable mentions for aerial drone photographs, like LOST PLANES OF MICHELANGELO DA VINCI.

In 2000 an Italian brewmaster had a dream: open a restaurant inside planes so everybody could be for their first time on an aircraft. Plus, enjoying art pieces replicas from Renaissance masters Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
So he opened this unreal place with two planes (one Douglas DC-6 and a Tupolev TU-145) and lots of excitement all around Italy.
Unfortunately, after 14 years of legal battles with local town, in 2014 it has been shut down and this abandoned corpses are all that remains.

IPA 2018  – Lost Planes of Michelangelo da Vinci

And my shot of Phi Phi Island Maya Beach, THE JUNGLE BEACH: 

I always found beach boring, what a waste of a traveler time laying on some sandy ground! That’s until I visited Thailand: here you can find your own piece of paradise: a perfect stray of white soft beach, a warm pristine blue water and the green lush of the jungle as a background, made me change my travel perspective, and like many travelers, felt in love with this beach paradise. I believe it is the perfection of nature that in places like this that hits you, and stays with you forever.

 

IPA 2018 Jungle Beach

I think that these three are among by best shots, and so happy that all three submission got recognized by IPA!

The post “Geometry of the Sun” winning International Photography Awards 2018 appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

Kolmanskop is a ghost town at the edge of Namib Desert, in Namibia. At the beginning of XX century, diamonds were found in area, and a prosperous mining town was build by the Germans, at the time in control of the area.

Buildings were lavish, and built in the german style.

After the world wars, the decline in diamonds lead to the abandonment of the town, and the last families left in 1956, leaving the desert reclaiming back all the houses.

Now it is one of the most popular attraction of Namibia, and a paradise for photographers. Wooden houses are invaded by desert sands, creating impossible landscape.

I would put it among the top 3 highlights of Namibia, and unmissable for any photographer.

How to get there?

Kolmanskop is 1 hour from the nearby town of Luderitz, and literally in front of the Luderitz Airport, which has domestic connections with other town of Namibia.

If you wanna drive straight from Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, consider it would take at least 9 hours, driving straight with no stops within. I personally drove from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop, and it took 5 hours on the gravel B1 road, with no stops at all.

From Keetmanshoop to Kolmanskop is another 3 hours and a half, and near the ghost town the gravel road is invaded by desert sands, forcing you to slow down and being extra careful.

You cannot drive at night in Namibia, and I tell you this from a quite experienced driver whom drove all around the world. The reasons are simple:

1. Car rental insurances will not cover you for driving after sunset.
2. There are not street lights at all
3. After dark, there are a lot of careless truck drivers speeding up in the opposite lane of yours, making the drive VERY challenging.
4. You can encounters wildlife, sheeps or cows crossing without any sign the road.
5. it is the the first country in the world for car accidents.

If you are a good driver, you could stretch the driving after sunset maybe for 1 hour or so, but don’t attempt to drive longer than that. I will write more of this!

Where to get tickets?

You can get regular tickets at the gates. If you want a photography permits, that allows you to enter 1 hour before the other guests, you should buy it in Luderitz, in cash, with this agency

How much time does it take to visit Kolmanskop?

We had to visit Kolmanskop in 1 hour, visiting 90% of the houses, but it was in a super hurry, but due to our schedule we had no choice.

I suggest to spend for regular visitor 2 hours there, and for photographers allow 3-4 hours to take the right time to find nice spots in the houses.

The post Kolmanskop: Ghost Town of Namibia appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

Seychelles are a paradise for everyone, but especially for photographers! While you can easily snap the shot on the beach, or take a snorkeling tour for an underwater shot, the view from the sky is for the eye of pilots and their passengers. Until now!

Discover the beauty of Seychelles with this aerial reportage of the main spots, taken by travel photographer Enrico Pescantini and its drone.

La Digue Island

La Digue is the smallest and wildest of the island, and you can see of all of it from the majestic shot! The first beach you see is Anse Severe beach, one of the best to enjoy the sunset, which is the exact time of this photography.

Just behind it, the small town of La Reunion, with the port and the main hotels of the island are located.

Coco Island

Cocos island are one of the best spots on Seychelles for snorkeling, and they can easily be reached with a boat tour from La Digue, and you can spot some of them in this shot. The shallow waters around the island are perfect to spot fishes and sea turtles, without getting too crowded!

Coco Island

If snorkeling is not your cup of tea, in Coco Island you can also chose to reach the small beach and live a Robinson Crusoe experience in a deserted tiny island! Not much to see around the island, besides probably the best pristine waters in the world!

Big Sister Island

We live in a blue planet, and this aerial composition of Big Sister Island (or La Grande Soeur) is a beautiful example of it! This private island hosts what I personally believe as one of the best beaches of the world, with bright white sand and vivi light blue water. A truly paradise, hidden by jungles and rocks that resembles a set from the movie Jurassic World

Big Sister Island

Little Sister Island

Little Sister is a beautiful island in front of the main beach of its twin island, and it is the perfect landscape while enjoying a fish barbecue on the beach. You’ll need all your energies to enjoy at the fullest the snorkeling wonders of this place!

Anse Lazio

Seychelles offer the whole palette of colors of nature, and Anse Lazio adds even some more beauty to it.

The most famous beach of Praslin Island, the second biggest of Seychelles, it is located at the northern tip.

Here you can choose between relaxing on the beach or swim among coral fishes in the many snorkeling spots at the left side of it.

Anse Lazio

Anse Source d’Argent

Anse Source d’Argent is said to be the most photographed beach in the world, and it is easy to understand why. Like a Renaissance panting, the amalgam of water, rocks, sand and jungle create just a perfect combination. Things are getting even better when your feet will be actually in this place!

Anse Source d’Argent

The post Seychelles From Above – aerial shots of Seychelles with a drone appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

This is a dream come true!!!!

Teotihuacan means ‘the place where the gods were created,’ and that’s the exact feeling visitors have when they walk along the Avenue of the Dead at this Mexican archaeological site.

This pyramid was dedicated to the god of Sun, and I found it mesmerizing how the rising sun in the picture conquered just half the image, while the other half is in the shadows.

I have always loved archaeology and ancient civilizations, so I couldn’t wait to visit Mexico and explore the remains of the pre-Columbian civilization.

I planned my visit to Teotihuacan at sunrise, to get a combination of golden sunlight, play of shadows, and few crowds around.

I flew my drone to see if the image I had in my mind was really out there:luckily for me, this frame was just waiting for my camera!

Here some media coverage!

The post 2nd Place Winner in NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2018 appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

Let’s take a closer look to the best beaches of Seychelles!

Let’s start with Anse Severe, a beautiful beach in the south of La Digue. It is a very big and large beach, and you can find your own piece of sand even in the crowdest day. Not the best for snorkeling, but amazing for some beach and water shots.

Anse Severe

You can take the famous shots of a beautiful girl on the rocks, but there could be a line for doing that

Anse Severe

Or you can take the shooting underwater with a GoPro Dome:

Anse Severe

Moving on La Digue, n the north of the island, about 15 minutes by bike and 23 by walking from the main town,  there is the super famous ANSE SOURCE D’ARGENT, said to be the most photographed beach in the world.

Be here absolutely on low tide, otherwise it would be a very bad experience. Again, not good for snorkeling, but otherwise you’ll get breathtaking shots of the beach:

So where the snorkeling action is? In my opinion, the best snorkeling experience of the Seychelles is a day boat trip to Sisters Islands and Coco Island, that could be easily organized from La Digue Town.

In the main island, Big Sister, you will find what is probably one of the best beaches in the world:

Grande Soeur Island

All around the island, the opportunity for snorkeling is simply amazing, with the gems of Coco Island and Little Sister Island, Below some snorkeling shots I’ve taken during this trip:

The best encounter of all has been with a green sea turtle, just off Coco Island. It was simply amazing, and I’ve managed to take very close up shots of this encounter:

Coco island

Coco island

Coco island

Green Sea Turtle

Coco island

Another good snorkeling trip, usually from Praslin, is Snorkeling at St Pierre Island, where we managed to find another friendly turtle.

Snorkeling at St Pierre Island

Last mention is another world famous beach, Anse Lazio, located in the north of Praslin. It is another very good location for snorkeling, which can be easily done straight from the beach.

Anse Lazio  Cuttlefish

Anse Lazio

And if all this beautiful images of Seychelles’ marine life are not enough, you can enjoy the underwater footage at his youtube video!

The post Seychelles Snorkeling: marine wildlife of Seychelles appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.

La copia è gratuita e potete scaricarla cliccando sull’immagine sottostante!

The post Come scattare bellissime foto di viaggio con i droni – Dronezine appeared first on Enrico Pescantini Travel Photographer.